See who captured gold at state track championships Saturday

STATEN ISLAND — Sports are full of upsets. Full of the unexpected.

But sometimes, the expected happens.

And so, while impressive, it was no surprise that Mamaroneck's Matt Doherty repeated Saturday as state (non-New York City) public school and state Federation (all schools) boys 1,000-meter winner at the state track and field championships.

And while Iona Prep made its 4x200-meter boys relay maybe more interesting than needed with some shaky handoffs that required an anchor-leg comeback, it wasn't a real surprise the Gaels captured gold.

Maybe least surprising was Karrie Baloga's performance. The Cornwall senior, who just a couple of weeks ago competed in Australia at the U20 cross-country worlds against runners from, among other areas, Kenya and Ethiopia, won the girls indoor 3,000-meter state public and Fed 3,000-meter crown for a third straight year.

It also wasn't a shocker when fellow Section 9 runner Jadon Spain of James O'Neill won the boys 55 dash, although the fact he cut .07 off his personal best and clocked a blistering 6.27 to tie the state record might have been.

Spain, Doherty, Baloga and the Iona Prep 4x200 were all No. 1 in the state in their events this season entering Saturday's competition at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

It was, in fact, a good day for athletes from both the local Section 1 and Section 9 areas.

There were personal-best performances, including a huge, nearly 12-second PB in the boys 3,200 by Arlington junior Ethan Green.

His time placed him in the top 25 nationally this season and netted him second-place (public) and fifth-place (Federation) medals.

"I thought I was going to get completely walked on," Green said.

"I kind of gave up. I was doing horribly this year," Green explained, noting, however, he likes to run at Ocean Breeze.

But maybe not as much as winner Colin Gilstrap of Monroe-Woodbury, although the venue doesn't seem to matter much with him.

"Colin, every time he's a maniac," Green said.

Green clocked 9:04.44 and Gilstrap, whose outstanding senior season has also included winning the Gatorade New York boys cross-country runner of the year award, ran a blistering 8:58.66

So, add Gilstrap to the list of no-surprise winners.

Others were less certain.

After concentrating on hurdles for team, North Rockland's Dami Modupe wins gold/silver

A year ago, North Rockland's Dami Modupe went home with sixth- (public) and seventh- (Fed) place medals in the open 55 dash.

This year, she set personal-best times in that event but opted to run the 55 hurdles for the first time to help her team.

That proved to be a very good decision.

The Binghamton-bound senior, who was fifth at last spring's outdoor state track and field championship in the 100 hurdles, clocked 8.25 to win gold for public school girl hurdlers and silver in the Fed, whose title went to Susan E. Wagner's Jaice Dorsey (8.22).

Noting "with meets like this, I do psych myself out a lot," Modupe said, "I just tried to pray to God" beforehand.

Jadon Spain shares top spot with buddy

Spain went to Staten Island with the single goal of winning.

The fact he did so while tying the state 55 record held by good friend and University of Oklahoma (former Shenendehowa High) runner Carter Cukerstein just made his win that much more special.

"I'm just thankful for Jesus. Without him, this wouldn't have been possible," said Spain, who's still deciding what college to run for next year.

Horace Greeley's Niko Wright clocked a 6.46 PB in that race for fourth place in public and fifth in the Fed.

Karrie Baloga enjoys it all

Baloga, who'll compete for the University of Colorado next year, could have approached Saturday's championship as just another high school meet, especially after her recent international competition.

But Baloga, who, in the fall won the Champs national cross-country title and is Gatorade's New York girls cross-country runner of the year, wasn't going to take her foot off the gas, despite entering the race with a more than 20-second rankings advantage over the No. 2 girls 3,000 runner in the state.

Instead, Baloga, ranked second nationally among high school girls at the distance, clocked a personal-best 9:22.09 to record a better than 15-second win.

"I really try to enjoy it all," she said of running different races at different levels and in different areas. "Being here is such a moment. It's what I love to do. I'm grateful for all the experiences."

Matt Doherty wins tactical race to repeat

Doherty, who'll join former Mamaroneck teammate Jason Markopoulos in running for Brown next year, didn't PB in the boys 1,000, which he called the most tactical race he'd ever run.

After Doherty and the rest of the pack ran a relatively slow first couple of laps that included jostling and pushing, he pushed the pace.

"Last year was different. It (winning) came as a surprise. Now I'm confident. I came in with a great mindset," Doherty said, crediting his coaches, teammates and family, as well as his training, for where he is.

"I knew I could do it again," he said of winning.

And, 600 meters in, having gapped the rest of the field a bit, Doherty noted he even "smiled a little bit."

Marcus Nahim puts disappointing 55 behind him with great anchor leg

Iona Prep coach Jan Mitchell said he wasn't sure his 4x200 team of Justin Hargraves, Terron Johnson, Kyle Stewart and Marcus Nahim was going to win until Nahim crossed the finish in 1:29.48.

Nahim, who had a rough 55-meter race, finishing last in the final, rebounded in a huge way on the relay anchor, overtaking Cardinal Hayes (1:29.65).

In the same race, North Rockland (Javon Lawrence, Michael Lacour, Oliver Zorrilla and Tyler Italiano) crossed in 1:29.99 for fourth in the Fed and first among public schools.

Its time was a school record.

Mitchell, who noted Matt Davitt ran the third leg in the qualifying prelim, credited the Gaels' win to assistant coach Dom Zanot.

"It all has to do with him. He has taken our sprinters to another level," he said.

"I stuck to the strategy and it worked," Nahim said of his leg.

And he didn't let his 55 performance influence his relay run.

"I was very unhappy I'd worked so hard. But I wasn't going to let that take away from my team 4x2. My focus was on the 4x2," he said.

When he received the baton in second with his team losing time during those handoffs, Nahim knew he'd bring the win home "100%, no doubt," he said.

Medals for Ursuline, North Rockland and Nanuet

Ursuline senior Prizila Negrete and North Rockland senior Deborah Estabine didn't have the meet either would have liked.

But that was perhaps because both had set the bar so high this season.

Entering Saturday, Estabine was No. 1 in the state at 51 feet in the girls high school weight throw and Negrete was No. 3 at 47-11.75.

But Estabine fouled twice and her other throw failed to qualify her for the final.

Negrete threw well enough to make the final, then took silver at 47-6.25.

The two went into the girls shot put with Negrete second (41-2.5) and Estabine third (40-9) in New York.

Neither hit those numbers but the meet wasn't a total loss.

Negrete took silver at 39-10 and Estabine scored bronze at 39-6.25, both in Fed and public, as was Negrete's weight medal.

"In the words of Miguel," Negrete said, referring to her former-Fordham Prep/now-Bucknell pole vaulter brother, " 'You come to states to place,' " Negrete said.

"You don't walk into senior year thinking, 'I'm going to medal at states.' You know everybody's working," she added.

Both, though, seemed to be thinking about better things to come, starting with upcoming nationals and extending beyond.

"It just makes me want it more for spring," Estabine said of going for gold.

Negrete had local company on the weight throw podium.

Gabriella Vizcarrondo of Nanuet threw 44-6 for fourth among public school girls and sixth in the Fed.

Fordham Prep's Jaylin Santiago takes gold

As Saturday began, Mount Vernon resident Jaylin Santiago, a Fordham Prep junior, was ranked second in the state with a personal-best 34.2 in the boys 300.

He left Ocean Breeze with the No. 1 time and a gold Federation medal.

"I'm not used to being No. 1. I'm used to being the underdog, in the back. I definitely would have been all happy if I'd been second or third," Santiago said, noting he was pleased to have qualified for the Fed.

"It's probably the best start I've ever gotten," he said in analyzing a win he called "just a great feeling."

Nyack takes home gold and silver

It might not have been his top long jump in terms of distance but it certainly was his biggest.

When Nyack's Putu Sutayas took his first long jump Saturday, he was ranked No. 2 in the state for the season among high school boys.

When he landed his last, he was No. 3.

But it would be hard for him to be unhappy with that, since, while jumping four-and-a-half inches shy of his personal best, at 22-7.5, that was good enough for a state public school gold medal and a silver Federation medal.

Sutayas wasn't the only RedHawk to earn a podium spot.

Junior Matt Schutzbank took third and Ketcham's Connor Hitt medaled in fourth in both the public and Fed in the boys 1,600, while Fordham Prep's Sean Reidy, a White Plains resident, was fifth in the Fed.

All three PB'd. Schutzbank clocked 4:15.79, Hitt 4:15.98 and Reidy 4:17.69.

Hitt was a little disappointed since he was the race's No. 1 seed. But he remarked, "You can't win everyday."

"He just outkicked me," he said of Schutzbank.

Schutzbank plays soccer in the fall, instead of running cross-country. While he enjoys soccer more than plain running, winning races is an "indescribable feeling," Schutzbank said.

While he didn't win, he was certainly pleased medaling and exceeding his pre-race goal of going sub-4:17.

"It's amazing," he said.

Montfort sophomore Jayla Johnson wins silver

Montfort Academy, the Catholic school located in Mount Vernon, doesn't have a track. But that didn't stop its super sophomore, Jayla Johnson, from winning silver in the state Federation girls 600.

Johnson, who began running track as a 6-year-old for a Bronx-based track club, clocked a personal-best 1:33.62 to finish behind only Hempstead's Anissa Moore (1:32.01).

Both times are top-25 for high school girls in the country this season.

Johnson, who noted she's one of only a few kids who compete in track for Montfort, also hopes to qualify for states in outdoor track in the spring in her favorite event, the 400.

But Saturday she savored her 600 silver.

"it's very special. Last year I was injured and couldn't run," Johnson noted.

Another silver lining

Bronxville (Juliet Winiecki, Mai Ly Reinking, Kara Kochansky and Danielle Dragoni) clocked 3:59.25 for second just behind Burnt Hills Ballston Lake (3:59.25) in the girls 4x400 relay.

Ursuline (Alexa Grassi, Sofia Henao, Ivana Richards and Elena Olson) also medaled in fifth (4:06.25).

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Other highlights

Section 9 had a big day in the girls pole vault, an event in which Suffern's Olivia DeBellis also medaled.

The win went to Pine Bush's Ella Galloway (12-6) with Warwick Valley's Lily Beattie and Rachel Venter both clearing 12-3 to tie for second. DeBellis cleared 11-0 for sixth.

In a personal best 38-10.75, Pine Bush's Madison Williams won silver in the girls triple jump.

Williams also went 18-9 for second Fed and public in the girls long jump. Galloway was sixth (17-6.75).

North Rockland won bronze in the girls 4x200 in both the Fed and public school divisions. Modupe, Desirae Hernandez, Gabriella Cabrera and Esther St. Fort clocked 1:42.44.

Minisink Valley (Rihanna Burgher, Kessler Hirsch, Sierra Jones and Zoey Terpak) was right behind in fourth in 1:42.58.

St. Fort also finished fifth in the Fed and fourth among public school runners in the girls 300, crossing in 40.14.

Beacon's Henry Reinke clocked 1:21.72 for fifth in the Fed and third among public school runners in the boys 600.

Clarkstown South's Julian Rime (1:21.90 4) was sixth in the Fed and fourth public and Cornwall's Walesky Nowack was eighth in the Fed and fifth public (1:22.46).

In the 11-section girls distance medley relay, Section 1's Phoebe Carmel of Rye Neck, Shannon Kelly of Scarsdale, Juliette Sullivan of Valhalla and Ainara Schube Barriola of Mamaroneck clocked 10:27.03 to win bronze.

Cornwall's Caigan Leonard ran 8.6 for fifth in the Fed and third in public in the girls 55 hurdles.

In 3:25.02, Newburgh Free Academy (David Pinnock, Xavier Williams, Anthony Barrett and Anthony Burnett) took third in the Fed and second among public schools in the boys 4x400 relay.

In that race, Bronxville (Pierce Patterson, Davis Patterson, Jaime Valdes and Gavin Benton) ran 3:26.76 for fifth place in public and sixth in Fed.

Cornwall's Kerry Murphy, Maris Potter, Frances Teague and Baloga ran 9:16.54 to earn bronze in the girls 4x800 relay.

In that race, Bronxville (Hope Hershberg, Madeline Stupart, Maddy Williams and Charlotte Murray) finished in 9:41.34 for seventh among public school teams and ninth overall.

Cornwall freshman Ilunga Salerno ran 8.26 for eighth in the boys 55 hurdles but earlier offered a glimpse of his potential by recording a personal-best 7.83 in the prelim to reach the final.

Our Lady of Lourdes' Alexandria North ran 1:35.72 for fifth in public and seventh in the Federation in the girls 600.

At 5-3, Suffern's Kyra Skoglund tied for fifth among public school athletes and was seventh in the Fed in the girls high jump.

Putting past injuries behind her, Peekskill's Juliette Salazar ran a personal-best 2:54.55 to medal in seventh (Federation) and sixth (public schools) in the girls 600.

Salazar, who'll run for Buffalo next year, fractured an ankle right before last winter's indoor state qualifier, then hurt her hip this past fall during cross-country.

Of medaling and PBing, she said, "It's amazing. It feels good to work real hard toward it."

Also getting a PB was Monroe-Woodbury's Kyle German at 44-6.5 in the boys triple jump. That was good for fifth in both divisions.

Valley Central's Ava Carsley ran a 4:39.07 1,500 personal best for sixth in public and seventh in the Federation. In that race, Bronxville's Maddy Williams also PB'd in 4:43.7 for eighth in public and ninth in the Federation.

Ryan Cardichon Archbishop Stepinac went 21-9.25 for eighth in the boys Federation long jump.

Andrew Fasone of Somers (35.25) was 10th overall and eighth in public in the boys 300.

Yonkers' Ben Domingo ran 7.96 in the prelim for 10th out of 31 and fellow Yonkers resident Aden Bedford of Fordham Prep also clocked 7.96 but was just a hair behind in 11th.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Track: Iona Prep relay, Baloga, Doherty, Santiago win gold at states