Advertisement

'It’s so surreal': Corning's Gyasi Ruffin claims title at NY state track championships

binghamton press & sun-bulletin
·6 min read

Corning senior Gyasi Ruffin came away with Section 4’s lone title in Saturday’s state track & field championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.

Ruffin completed the boys 600-meter race in 1 minute, 20.6 seconds, best among New York State Public High School Athletic Association competitors and overall runner-up. Tops (State Federation champion) was Wesley Noble of Bishop Loughlin in a perfectly commanding 1:18.35.

Rounding out a fine Southern Tier showing in that race was Vestal senior Tim Smith, fourth overall in 1:21.48.

“It’s so amazing. I’ve been training ever since October and it’s great for it to finally come to fruition and medal at states for the first time. It’s so surreal,” Ruffin said.

Corning's Gyasi Ruffin won the public schools state title in the boys 600-meter race March 4, 2023 at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.
Corning's Gyasi Ruffin won the public schools state title in the boys 600-meter race March 4, 2023 at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.

“A lot of people at my school have been hyping me up, expecting me to do something great. To be able to deliver makes the coaches happy, makes everyone on my team happy, makes me happy.”

Section 4 male pole vaulters claimed two of the top four spots, with Ithaca’s Moss Dengler second on clearance of 14 feet, 6 inches, and Vincent VanMaaren of Delhi fourth (14-0). Untouchable leader Neil Howard of Taconic Hills made it over 15-9.

Maine-Endwell’s Panayiota Anastos put the shot a personal-best 37-11¾ on her first attempt, good for fourth place.

Elmira's Vicky Mordvinova placed fifth among public schools and sixth overall in the girls 1,000 meters March 4, 2023 at the NYSPHSAA Championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.
Elmira's Vicky Mordvinova placed fifth among public schools and sixth overall in the girls 1,000 meters March 4, 2023 at the NYSPHSAA Championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.

Elmira's Vicky Mordvinova placed sixth (fifth NYSPHSAA) in the girls 1,000. Her 2:53.7 is a personal best. Gabe Cornfield of Corning was fifth among public school 1,000 runners (seventh overall) on a personal-best 2:33.51.

Dayzin Legare’s 6.49-second zip through the 55-meter dash was good for a Johnson City program record and seventh overall.

Winners, Section 4 competitors

BOYS

55m hurdles: 1-Jordon Quinn (Freeport) 7.42; 21-John Anderson (Ithaca) 8.23; 27-Brady Hughes (Corning) 8.69.

55m: 1-Jadon Spain (James I. O’Neill) 6.26; 7-Dayzin Legare (Johnson City) 6.49; 26-Kayleb Bechy (Waverly) 6.68; 27-Nathan Turner (Dryden) 6.70.

300m: 1-Jaylin Santiago (Fordham Prep) 34.14; 24-Richard Fuller (Norwich) 36.38; 28-Aliou Cisse (Ithaca) 36.70; 31-Jacy Wilson (Binghamton) 37.14.

600m: 1-Wesley Noble (Bishop Loughlin) 1:18.35; 2-Gyasi Ruffin (Corning) 1:20.60; 4-Tim Smith (Vestal) 1:21.48.

1,000m: 1-Matthew Doherty (Mamaroneck) 2:30.30; 7-Gabe Cornfield (Corning) 2:33.51; 13-Tevin McLaren (Corning) 2:35.63.

1,600m: 1-Logan Schaeffler (Sanford H. Calhoun) 4:13.51; 11-Liam Cody (Vestal) 4:21.81; 26-Lucas Catarella (Vestal) 4:31.72.

3,200m: 1-Collin Gilstrap (Monroe-Woodbury) 8:58.66; 21-Marcus Homa (Corning) 9:38.56; 22-Crosby Woods (Ithaca) 9:40.20.

800m relay: 1-Iona Prep 1:29.48; 19-Dryden (Chris West, Lucas Majgaard, Lucas Morrow, Nathan Turner) 1:34.90.

1,600m relay: 1-Bishop Loughlin 3:18.54; 18-Corning (Joe Caruso, Wyatt McDonald, Gyasi Ruffin, Nicholas Schneider) 3:39.22.

3,200m relay: 1-St. Anthony’s 9:52.67; 7-Corning (DJ Cornfield, Marcus Homa, Tevin McLaren, Gabe Cornfield) 8:03.87.

Distance medley relay: 1-Section 11 8:50.59; 11-Section 4 (Joseph Chermak, Bradock Salisbury, Jaxyn Mahoney, Alex Kolpien) 9:33.97.

Shot put: 1-Matthew Auble (Warsaw) 58-1¼; 15-Brayden Eastman-Willens (Sidney) 43-10; 21-Noel Morales (Union-Endicott) 40-1¼;

Weight throw: 1-Matthew Auble (Warsaw) 71-7¼; 11-Cabe Hogue (Corning) 56-0½; 27-Gabe Blenis (Norwich) 48-4.

Long jump: 1-Bashir Praileau (Albany Academy) 23-4½; 15-Zuri Ruffin (Corning) 20-7; 29-Earl Traore (Vestal) 18-10¼.

Triple jump: 1-Hunter O’Dell (Broadalbin-Perth) 44-7¼; T5-Lucas Craddock (Norwich) 44-6½; 16-Hugo Mazzali (Corning) 41-10¼; 25-Julian Pruskowski (B-G/Afton) 40-4½.

High jump: 1-Brenton Baker (Sweet Home) 6-6; 8-Tyler Norton (Chenango Valley) 6-2; 24-Noah Ruffer (Horseheads) 5-8.

Pole vault: 1-Neil Howard (Taconic Hills) 15-9; 2-Moss Dengler (Ithaca) 14-6; 4-Vincent VanMaaren (Delhi) 14-0; 11-Michael Chernova (Vestal) 13-0.

GIRLS

55m hurdles: 1-Jaice Dorsey (Susan E. Wagner) 8.22; 22-Makenna Keough (Elmira ND) 9.23; 30-Carlea Davis (Dryden) 13.21.

55m: 1-Sariah Doresca (Baldwin) 7.02; 32-Sophia ReSue (Corning) 7.66; 33-Amiah Brissett (Binghamton) 7.67.

300m: 1-Gabrielle Cummings (James Madison) 39.17; 14-Gracie Gorrell (Unadilla Valley) 41.31; 26-Dejah Taylor (Sidney) 42.12.

600m: 1-Anissa Moore (Hempstead) 1:32.01; 16-Eliza DeRito (Ithaca) 1:38.64; 27-Megan Kirk (Corning) 1:43.30.

1,000m: 1-Angelina Napoleon (Allegany-Limestone) 2:50.46; 6-Vicky Mordvinova (Elmira) 2:53.70; 20-Eleanor Lees (Delhi) 2:59.32.

1,500m: 1-Kate Putman (C-NS) 4:23.78; 15-Ethne Degan (B-G/Afton) 4:51.59; 17-Vicky Mordvinova (Elmira) 4:53.30.

3,000m: 1-Karrie Baloga (Cornwall) 9:22.09; 17-Sarah Lawson (Corning) 10:11.25; 30-Sadie Beers 11:08.58.

800m relay: 1-Baldwin 1:41.17; 11-Binghamton (Cormari Wachuku Khala Gray-Motto Audrey Dure Amiah Brissett) 1:45.99.

1,600m relay: 1-Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 3:59.02; 10-Corning (Faith Tubbs, Cella McLaughlin, Leila Ianovici, Cassandra Howard) 4:11.99.

3,200m relay: 1-Saratoga Springs 9:06.63; 12-Corning (Sadie Beres, Ella Grinnell, Sarah Lawson, Megan Kirk) 9:52.28.

1,500m racewalk: 1-Abby Callinan (Sachem East) 6:55.79; 8-Taylor Farrell (Corning) 7:17.36; 15-Cassandra Collins (Corning) 7:58.50.

Distance medley relay: 1-Section 11 10:14.90; 10-Section 4 (Ethne Degan, Eleanor Less, Abigail Knolles, Gretel Hilson-Schneider) 10:58.92.

Shot put: 1-Julie Thomas (Commack) 41-8½; 4-Panayiota Anastos (Maine-Endwell) 37-11¾; 9-Cheyenne McPeek (Johnson City) 34-9¾.

Weight throw: 1-Keegan Collins (Greenwich) 48-4½; 22-Cheyenne McPeek (Johnson City) 37-6¾; 24-Sophia Cimo (Corning) 35-9½.

Long jump: 1-Camryn Cole (Webster Schroeder) 19-5½; 17-Tess Eisner (Horseheads) 16-10¾; 31-Carlea Davis (Dryden) 15-9.

Triple jump: 1-Corintia Griffith (Webster Schroeder) 40-10½; 13-Tess Eisner (Horseheads) 35-9; 22-Makenna Keough (Elmira ND) 33-1¼.

High jump: 1-Camryn Cole (Webster Schroeder) 5-9; 18-Delaney Walters (Chenango Valley) 5-0; 25-Kristen Johnson (Lansing) 4-10.

Pole vault: 1-Ella Galloway (Pine Bush) 12-6; 24-Abby Reppert (Corning) 9-0; 25-Adelie Wilson (Chenango Valley) 9-0.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Corning's Gyasi Ruffin wins title at NYSPHSAA track championships