Last week, we gave you a sneak peak at five marks that were going to get your mind back on the track, and away from Cross Country. Well, the Season hasn't slowed down, and we've got five more that prove New York hasn't missed a step.
Boys 55m
His name has been circling around the track circuit for a few years now, most notably becoming the youngest male Indoor State Champion in history when he won the Long Jump as an 8th grader. But Rhoan Kaulder (McQuaid) is more than just a jumper, proven by his 7th Grade State Record over the 55m. It's that same event where another record may come. Kaulder, now a sophomore, opened his Season over the weekend with a State Leading 6.44 in the short sprint. It was a personal best for the Rochesterian, and a positive push toward the Soph State Record of 7.33. Not only that, but it was his only individual event of the day, meaning we could see a similar improvement when the jumper opens up in the pit.
Girls 3K
It's not uncommon for New York's XC Stars to utilize their trail fitness for one final outing, running a track race to get those pesky State Standards out of the way, before taking a well-earned break. Emily Bush (Saratoga), All-American at NXN, did just that, becoming the 8th girl to break 10mins for the 3000m in the month of December over the last decade. She ran an US #3 in the event, winning her local league meet in 9:57.48. Not only that, but the conditions of the track she ran that on (Union College) indicate that time could very much improve. Bush also ran 4:43 in the 1500m a week earlier.
Boys TJ
The Boys State Leader keeps on improving. Rocco Carpinello (West Islip) has come a long way in the year since he placed 8th Indoors in the Triple. He went on to take silver in the D1 Finals, and third in the Fed Finals Outdoors, and has been atop the rankings his entire Senior Year. He debuted with two foot Indoor Best of 46-feet even. The following week, it was reiterated with a best of 45-11. And now, his third attempt on the Season, he lept to a major Personal Best, hitting 47-10.75. In the last ten years, only two athletes have jumped further in the month of December. Those marks belong to Indoor LJ Record Holder Rayvon Grey (Beacon), NY #2 All-Time in the TJ Salif Mane (Taft), and NY #5 All-Time Jared Lovelace (Molloy) . Not bad company to be around, as Grey has hit near 27-ft in the LJ in College, while Mane is over 54-ft for the Triple.
PSAL Distance Relays
If 2023 was a wakeup call that the PSAL was back in the distance running business, 2024 looks to be the reaffirmation. The Hunter College HS boys and girls teams both hold big State Leading performances, and have put the State on notice. The girls own the State Leading time in the 4x800m, with a 9:30.00 mark from the opening weekend. The Boys ran a big 4xMile of 18:03.2 the following weekend. Things only got more impressive this past weekend. Hunter went State Leading 1-2 in the 3200m, with converted times of 9:11.47 for Henry Koike Sieira and 9:17.46 for Shane Murphy, while also adding a NY #2 for Isaac Cohen in the 1600m with his converted 4:16.47. Likewise, Ella Cohen is now the State Leader for the 1500m, with her 4:37.18.
Kiera Davis
State Leaders went down at the Bishop Loughlin Games over the weekend, as Section 2 dominated the endurance sprints of the 600m and the 1000m. But it was the PSAL stud Kiera Davis (Hillcrest) that was on display in the shortest events, and she did it with the typical NYC flair. The race was a blow out in the 55m final, but the 300m proved to be one of the most compelling races of the day. Coming in as the underdog into the final, seeded second based on the a trials effort of 40.15, Davis would do battle with Staten Islander Samantha Walz of St. Joe's by the Sea. Walz got the early advantage, overtaking the stagger on the backstretch. But it would be the strength of Davis on the back turn to outlast Walz, and pull away for the dual state leading weekend.