Freshmen Leah Blackall and Kelly Gardner had highlight film days at both jumped up the Suffolk County Best of Season lists with season-best leaps in long jump competition at the annual Urban Memorial Invitational held at Copiague High School.
Blackall improved her previous season-best jump by one foot as she long jumped 16’ 9”. She is currently ranked No. 13 in the county and will continue her jumping season at Division I Championships next week. Her fellow freshman and training partner Gardner broke the 16 foot barrier for the first time in her rookie season with a 16’ 5” jump and also earned a spot at Divisions.
With teammate Sunja Joseph leading the way with her event winning 17’ 3 ½” jump, Sachem swept the top three spots in the long jump completion.
Sachem showed more winning ways in the Flaming Arrowss final tune up meet before Division I Championships (May 20 and 22 at Connetquot High School). Kristina Schrepf set a meet record as she won the 800 meter run in 2:31.19. Mackenzie Coleman ran a career-best 1500 meters (5:03.16).
Nikki Fogarty led the way in 100 m. hurdles with her 15.59 finish. Babylon’s Ashley Lewis had the fastest 100 m. dash time in trials but Sachem’s Alyssa Leto hit another gear with the fastest sprint time of the day in finals as she held off the Babylon junior sprinter for the win.
Carly Swinford won her second high jump gold in four days as she followed up her win at the North Shore Invitational on Saturday with another high jump win.
Sachem athletes competing tonight made the most of their “last chance” meet with season bests that may lead to more post-season opportunities. Steeplechasers Patricia Romano and Ashley Miskovsky had season-bests in the first event of the meet.
Sprinters Ali Van Sicklin (13.77) and Ashley Pimentel (13.87) were not deterred by a strong headwind as the season-bested in the 100 m. dash.
Most of Sachem’s 200 meter dash squad had season-bests. Emily Okvist (69’ 5”) and Michele Lederer (66’ 5”) season-bested in the discus. While seasons ended for some tonight, all Sachem team members left the Urban Invitational with successes that they will build on in the coming weeks and in future seasons.
Division I athletes will learn if they qualified for next week’s Division I meet on Thursday night as Section XI coaches meet to determine seeds for team championship meet.
FOOTNOTES
- Patricia Romano was a last minute replacement in the 4×400 m. relay. She helped the relay squad to a first place win in the event.
- Corri Moran visited a hurdles workout last week and quickly demonstrated good hurdle skills. Corri ran her first 100 meters hurdles race tonight in an impressive 19.29 seconds.
- Melissa D’Amaro had her second career-best in the 800 meter run in four days as she closed out her outstanding season on a high (and fast!) note.
- Rookie freshmen sprinters Amanda Latona, Alyson Harsch and Jackie Taylor hit season-best marks in the 200 meter dash as all closed out wonderful seasons.