Melissa Michels broke her own Sachem record with 7.25 times in trials and semis at the New York State Indoor Track & Field Championship meet held at Cornell University.
Michels ran the third fastest time of trials and won her (second) heat to earn her spot in semis. She advanced to finals as she matched her trials time less than 15 minutes after trials.
Michels had her third outstanding start of the meet and placed sixth overall and earned All-State honors. She was third in the NYSPHSAA Division. She also ended her outstanding and record-setting 55-meter dash indoor season by earning First Team Elite honors on Milesplit rankings with NYS’s No. 12 time in the 55-meter dash.
Michels will complete her indoor season at New Balance Indoor Nationals next week in the 60-meter dash.
News and notes from Sachem East
Four Sachem East senior girls also traveled up to Cornell to compete in the New York State Indoor Track Championships. Amanda Zaput and Holly Lindoe were making their first trip to States while Laurie Semetsis competed last year on the 4×800 relay and Diamond Jackson was State Discus Champ last year in the spring.
Jackson placed 12th overall in the Shot Put with a 36’9″ throw. Semetsis placed 25th in the 600 in a time of 1:42.57, and Zaput recorded a lifetime best 10″ in the Pole Vault to tie the school record of Stephanie Curtin and place 14th overall.
The most exciting-and most controversial- event of the meet was the 1,500-Meter Racewalk. Lindoe had a great race, crossing the line in second place, but was disqualified for a form violation.
Both she and the winner, Annica Penn of Westhampton, were called for “loss of contact,” also known as lifting, and the third place finisher was named the champion.