Saratoga Strikes First Gold Since 2004: Girls Penn Recap


Penn Relays typically signifies the beginning of the competitive season in New York, where teams are beginning to sharpen their form, and the big times start to show.  This year was no different, and we're here to dig in to everything that happened.
Full Results - sorted NY Highlights below

4x100m

The girls of Rush-Henrietta take home the Northeast Final, a division for schools just outside the final.  Their time of 47.91 puts them nearly a full second ahead of the rest of the State.

4x400m

It was a rough year for the middle relay this year, as only three teams from New York broke 4mins, lead by Valley Stream South at 3:57.89.

4x800m

After a dry run in the trials, Shenendehowa showed what it could do with anchor Hannah Reale back in from.  She split 2:12 here, but has gone as low as 2:06, making their 3rd place mark of 9:03.62 even more impressive.  Shen has only broken 9mins twice outdoors, and may be looking to add to that in 2018.

Individual - Running

We said to watch for it, and Vanessa Watson (Spencerport) lived up to the hype.  She took 6th place in the 400H, just missing the sub-60 mark with her 60.17 performance.  Lily Flynn (Ursuline) was our top finisher in the Mile at 7th, with a 5:03.12, while we had two girls under 10mins in the 3000m.  Reilly Siebert (Syosset) took 6th at 9:52.58, and Dana Lynch (Middletown) took her first trip under 10mins to finish at 9:55.89.

Individual - Field

While Lanae-Tava Thomas (Rush-Henrietta) made a respectable Spring debut in the Long Jump with a 20-1.75 mark, good for silver, New York took it's domination out on the Pole Vault.  Placing 1st-2nd-4th, Alana Carroll (Averill Park) led the field with her 12-11.5 clearance.  For a windy day, the high flying mark is that much more impressive.

DMR

New York had the strongest contingent heading into the race, so an Empire State victory was highly likely.  What wasn't expected was in the fashion it came to be.  At the final exchange, Benjamin Cardozo was leading the race.  They had been bolstered by a strong 2:11 leg from Paris Peoples.  The exchanges continued for six more teams, and then it was time for Kelsey Chmiel (Saratoga) to grab the baton.  When she did, she took off after the leaders, reminiscent of her Loucks Games anchor leg of 2017.  She began to eat up the lead, passing other teams en route.  It became a mad dash for the finish, with her coming into the lead late.  She crossed the line with the fastest mile of the race, a 4:49.22 leg.  The next three teams finished with 4-seconds of Chmiel, showing how close it really was.


Girls Highlighted Marks
Mile F 1 7th 5:03.12 Lily Flynn Ursuline School
Mile F 1 9th 5:05.31 Lauryn Heskin Marymount School
3000m F 1 6th 9:52.58 Reilly Siebert Syosset
3000m F 1 9th 9:55.89 Dana Lynch Middletown
3000m F 1 14th 10:07.93 Maggie Maier Sacred Heart Academy
3000m F 1 16th 10:11.78 Roshni Singh Bay Shore
3000m F 1 22nd 10:31.83 Sydney Nowicki Lockport
400H F 1 6th 1:00.17 Vanessa Watson Spencerport
400H F 1 21st 1:04.88 Louise Jones Nyack
4x100m F 1 1st 47.91 Rush Henrietta Sperry
4x800m F 1 3rd 9:03.62 Shenendehowa
4x800m F 1 11th 9:26.22 Bronxville
DMR F 1 1st 11:59.31 Saratoga Springs
DMR F 1 2nd 12:01.08 Benjamin N. Cardozo High
DMR F 1 4th 12:02.32 Niskayuna
DMR F 1 7th 12:20.97 Oceanside
DMR F 1 11th 12:26.58 Carmel
HJ F 1 13th 5-4.25 Sharde Johnson Emma Willard
LJ F 1 2nd 20-1.75 w Lanae-Tava Thomas Rush Henrietta Sperry
TJ F 1 10th 37-10.5 w Mia Abulencia Half Hollow Hills West (HHH)
PV F 1 1st 12-11.5 Alana Carroll Averill Park
PV F 1 2nd 12-7.5 Kaeli Thompson Warwick Valley
PV F 1 4th 12-3.5 Liliana Cohen Benjamin N. Cardozo High
PV F 1 12th 11-11.75 Kristin Lubeskie Monroe-Woodbury
D F 1 10th 137-0 Samantha Morillo Valhalla
S F 1 9th 41-4.75 Ashley Walsh Bayport-Blue Point