High school track and field: Kingston sends seven to state championships

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — Seven Kingston High athletes will be competing in the New York Public High School Athletic Association's Outdoor Track and Field Championships starting Friday, June 9, at Middletown High School.

Hurdler Maia Rich, sprinter Jaden Rowe, Daniella Johnson in the shot put, Andrew Lee in the steeplechase and the Tigers’ 4×100 meter relay team of Rowe, Miles Bryan, Gabriel Mitchelland Carl Richards all qualified for the states by virtue of top times at the Section 9 qualifying meets Thursday and Friday at Monroe-Woodbury High and Middletown High, respectively.

Rich ran a personal-best time of 15.09 seconds in the 100 high hurdles semifinals and achieved the state super standard time that earned her a spot in the state competition. She also won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a personal-best time of 64.20 seconds to advance to the state meet.

Rowe won the 100-meter finals with a time of 11.13 seconds. He had previously achieved the state standard for qualifying for the states when competing at the Crusader Relays. He also advanced to the states by winning the Section 9 200-meter qualifier with a time of 22.65.

Rowe, Bryan, Mitchell and Richards took the 4×100 meter relay with a season's best time of 43.21 to become the first Kingston 4×100 relay team to make it to the state meet since 2015.

Lee dropped eight seconds off his personal-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, winning the event in a time of 9 minutes, 44.28 seconds. He has now completed the trifecta of qualifying for the state meet in cross country and indoor and outdoor track in the same school year. Lee also qualified for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals as well with his time.

Johnson threw her personal-best of 39 feet, 1.5 inches to win the shot put and qualify for the states. Johnson was also fourth in the discus with a mark of 96 feet, 5 inches.

The girls 4×800 meter relay team of eighth-graders Ireland Hurley, Hazel Lewis, Charlotte McFarland and Maeve Paul broke their previous middle school record with a time of 10:20.55 to finish fourth.

Earlier in the week, Lewis and McFarland were on the 4×800 relay team with Rich and Carla Bautista that broke the overall school record. Bautista finished her career with three top-four finishes in the 800, 1500 and as a member of the 4×400 relay. The quartet of Bautista, Rich, Ava Scaturro and Olivia Coffey ran a season-best time of 4:13.86.

Richards ran a personal-best of 11.18 seconds in the 100-meter trials. He was third in the finals at 11.26. Isaiah Thomas also ran a personal-best time of 53.02 in the 400. He also joined the 4×100 relay team at the state meet as an alternate.

Noah Circle finished his year with a personal-best time of 61.73 in the 400 intermediate hurdles.

Kingston throwers also fared well at the Section 9 qualifier. Shawn Bleboo finished second in the discus (134 feet, 8 inches), junior Troy Hajba had two personal bests and two fourth-place finishes in the shot put and the discus with throws of 42 feet, 9.25 inches and 125 feet, 10 inches, respectively.

Robert Patterson Brown (44 feet, 5 inches) and Devin Noble (41 feet, 6.5 inches) had personal bests in the shot put. Brown finished third, while Noble took fifth. Jared Nerone was sixth in the shot with a toss of 40 feet, 11.75 inches.

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