Margey caps rookie season with state title

Lipari breaks NYS meet record

By Christopher Hunt

ITHACA – She shouldn't be, but Kelsey Margey said she was shocked by winning her first state title Saturday at Cornell University's Barton Hall.

To think, the Harborfields sophomore only considered track because she figured it would keep her in shape for lacrosse. This time last year she was playing basketball. Running laps was probably more of a punishment. Now Margey uses her speed to punish opponents.

That's what she did in the last lap of the 1,000. She kept cranking up the speed until no one could hold on. Margey, in first track season, won the 1,000 meters at the New York State championships in 2:51.87.

"It's still a shock to me," she said. "I'm still so inexperienced."

But the only thing that makes Margey seem new is that pain doesn't register with her or she hasn't figured out the point in race where she is supposed to fatigue. Instead, Margey pulled even with Saratoga's Amanda Burroughs with 150 left in the race.

When Burroughs refused to back off, Margey pushed harder. So Burrough did too. Until Margey shifted gears yet again.

"That was a fight," Margey said. "Anybody could have won."

But Margey did, with her signture ponytail, reaching the back of her legs, swining behind her. Margey, who is 15, said she has never cut her hair beside the bangs she cut to keep the hair out of her face, adding that she plans to donate hair to Locks of Love, whenever she does decided to break the scissors out.

Margey added another accolade to a debut season that includes wins a win in the invitational mile at the Stanner Games, a second-place finish at the New Balance Games in the 1,000 and an appearance in the invitational high school mile at the Millrose Games. Margey's talent essentially earned her a crash course in race tactics, having participated in some of the most competitive races of the season.

So when the field crowded Margey in the first two laps she didn't panic, even when there seemed no way out. She even sounded like a veteran.

"For some reason, I never get nervous when I get boxed in," she said. "I just wait until a later lap. I know it will open up."

Kelsey provided a look into the future of middle distance running in New York State. But present crown still belongs to Roslyn senior Emily Lipari. The Villanova-bound star led the 1,500 wire-to-wire, breaking a 21-year meet record in 4:28.21. Her time is the fastest in the country this season and topped the 1989 record of 4:29.55 set by Nnenna Lynch of Hunter College.

"The biggest thing I'm afraid of in leaving high school is being forgotten," Lipari said. "I really don't want that to happen."

She shouldn't have much to worry about. In past years, Lipari would run both the 1,500 and 3,000 but instead focused on the 1,500 because she wanted break the meet record and racing Cornwall's Aisling Cuffe, who earlier won the 3,000, would surely have drained her legs.

"I know I'm in better 1,500-meter shape right now," she said. "I've really come out with a vengeance. I feel much stronger. I have this unstoppable feeling, like it's all there right now."

For lap after lap Lipari led the race while Shenedehowa's Lizzie Predmore hung on her like an under-sized jacket. But once the bell sounded Lipari showed the kind of speed that she will need to call on next week when she races the mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston.

"Although I've committed to college, I still have a lot of unfinished business left in high school," she said."

Cardozo sophomore Lateisha Philson left a similar feeling in the 55 hurdles. Last year, she lost the state title to Saratoga's Madalayne Smith on a tight lean at the finish. This time she reversed the roles. When the time posted, both were listed at 7.95. But the photo proved Philson won in 7.947, her best, and Smith second in 7.950.

Philson said she remembered hitting elbows with Smith coming off the last hurdle last year. This time she kept her arms tight to her body.

"I was really nervous," Philson said. "I was shaking. I had to take a deep breath before the start. That one breath really helped. My mother told me I had to have the heart of a lion and not a mustard seed. When I finished I looked up at her. She told me I got it."

Philson knew the race would come down to the lean and while most of the field dipped headfirst, Philson pushed out her chest, knowing the runner's torso to cross the line first wins.

"I knew I had to run," she said. "I had to get off that last hurdle fast."

Smith won the 55 dash earlier in 7.11. She won the dash and hurdles last year.

"The hurdles is my thing, not the 55," Smith said. "I felt strong. We ran the same time. It's OK. (Philson) is an awesome runner."

300 meters: Colonie sophomore Kyle Plante defended her state federation title, winning in 38.94. Mount Vernon freshman Deajah Stevens finished second in 40.38. Plante, set the state freshman record at the state meet last year. Even with now her second state title, Plante is still one of the lesser know sprinters in the state.

"I still feel like people don't know who I am," she said. "If I'm doing this good as a sophomore I kind of what people to know."

600 meters: With Catherine McAuley's Phyllis Francis dropping from the state meet, it left the field wide open for Brie Roller of Lakeland Panas to control the field from the gun. She won in 1:35.75. "I wanted to be aggressive. My focus was the 400. After that I just wanted to finish strong. This year my focus has really been on that last lap."

3,000 meters: Cornwall's Aisling Cuffe dominated the race, finishing in 20 seconds ahead of Colleen Schmidt of Holy Trinity. Cuffe ran a personal best 9:36.95 with Schmidt second in 10:07.39. The Cornwall junior said she was chasing the meet record, 9:31.97 set by Molly Huddle of Elmira Notre Dame in 2002.

"Don't expect me to be overly happy," she said.

Cuffe said she still feels like she has plenty left in her tank and will finally have an opportunity to test herself at nationals next weekend. "I haven't been in the same competitive races as the other girls. I just want to be able to use my kick; see what I've got."

Field events: Suffern senior Jen Clayton won the long jump in 19 feet, 0.75 inches. She fouled 3 of 6 jumps but said she thought the fouls were beyond 20 feet. "I really wanted to jump over 20 feet and have it count," she said. "I'm not disappointed because even though the jumps didn't count, I know I can do it. "

Clayton will compete in the long jump at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships and then compete in Boston at the Nike Indoor Championships next week. "I always know that I jump bad here and much better at nationals. This is the best I've ever jumped here."

Sarah Palmer of Schuylerville won her fourth straight high jump title at 5-8. "I felt really good jump. I came in at 5-0 and felt really good and I knew it would be a good day."

Midwood's Imani Oliver won the triple jump in 39-1. … Clarissa Leonardi of Lakeland/Panas won the pole vault in 12-0. … Lancaster's Melissa Kurzdorfer, the state record holder, won the shot put in 48-10.25. She said she never really found her rhythm and her biggest competition, Vanessa Stewart of North Babylon, was struggling with the knee injury. Stewart threw 45-2 for second.

Relays: Shen won 4x800, leading from start to finish in 9:17.28. Bronxville finished second in 9:20.60. … Garden City won an exciting race in the 4x400 with Caroline Cafaro bringing the team from fourth to first on the anchor leg. Alexis Yeboah-Kodie, Tayl or Hennig, Taryn Schmelzinger and Cafora won in 4:01.96. "I just wanted to get close on the first lap," Cafora said. "On the second lap I was just thinking that I had to catch them."

Medgar Evers won the 4x200 in 1:43.80. One of the Cougars' stronger legs, Rachel Leeke, was involved in a crash during the baton exchange in the trial heats and after two rounds of the 300, coach Shaun Dietz decided to sit her out of the final. Kimberly Campbell, Shakele Seaton, Nyanka Moise-Joseph and Kadecia Baird held off a charging Mount Vernon team for the win. Mount Vernon, which nearly stole the race behind Deajah Stevens' anchor leg, was second in 1:43.82.