For most, Track is past tense. Something that ended in June, while cross country or another fall sport has taken its' place. But for some, it's only been a waiting period, and the Armory Trials granted those invested with a chance to get a jump on the 2025 Indoor Track Season.
One of those athletes took a big jump, both figuratively and literally. Junior Ryan Buskey (Colonie) opened his season with a new personal best clearance, one for the record books. He cleared the High Jump bar at 7-0.5 this past weekend, an improvement of two and half inches on his Outdoor best. The non-traditional height is on purpose. That extra half inch put him over one of the longest standing Class State Records on the books.
Way back in 1977, Greg Thompson of Malverne set the existing Junior Class State Record of 7-0. He was only the second New Yorker to clear 7-ft at the time, three years past since senior Rudy Reavis (New Rochelle) had set the then overall State Record of 7-1.5. It took another forteen years for another Junior to match Thompson, when Eldred Williams (HS for Music & Art) also cleared 7-0 in 1981.
And since then? Nothing.
Buskey put that record to bed on Saturday with his clearance of 7-0.5. Buskey, who had played Basketball the past two years Indoors, has competed for his aptly named club Sky's The Limit, in order to be eligible to compete in both sports. He attended both the Ocean Breeze Elite Invite, and New Balance Nationals Indoors in 2024, before heading to the school team Outdoors. It may be awhile before he gets another attempt at the record, but this one could be on the books for another forty years. Or maybe at least until Buskey gets the chance to jump again.
