Track: Modupe, Thomas, Zorrilla, Schutzbank, Dunn star among thousands at Mountie Madness

SUFFERN — Okay, it's early.

So, Caitlin Thomas isn't deciding where to keep a state championship medal.

Chances are she hasn't even allowed herself to think about states.

But Friday at Suffern's Mountie Madness track and field meet, a massive event that drew 46 schools and more than 2,100 athletes, the Hastings sophomore opened eyes with her performance in the girls 2,000-meter steeplechase.

And, suffice to say, regardless of future medals, Thomas has found a new event to pursue.

Thomas, best known as a 3,000-meter runner, thought it might be fun to try something new.

And so when she went over a barrier and splashed down into the water obstacle, that was her first time ever doing so.

But Thomas didn't have the look of a first-timer.

She stayed up front, just off the lead, before taking over the top spot on the last of the race's five laps.

It was a lead she not only didn't relinquish but also expanded.

Thomas, the surprise winner, crossed the finish in 7:33.82.

Her time was more than 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Maddy Williams of Bronxville (7:46.14).

More impressive was the fact that Thomas's time stands as the second fastest 2,000 steeple clocked this spring by a high school girl in New York.

While the season is young (despite the 90-degree temperature when Friday's day/night meet began at the Suffern Middle School track complex), the 2,000 steeple sample size isn't small. More than 200 New York high school girls have competed in the event this spring.

"I just thought it looked like fun. I'd never done it before," Thomas said of trying steeplechase.

"I really liked the whole thing. This is a whole different experience. I didn't expect it to be as much fun as it was," Thomas said, noting she'd started the race never thinking she'd win.

Modupe already in post-season shape?

The meet held numerous surprises, even involving established stars.

North Rockland senior Dami Modupe had a heck of a winter season, winning gold in the girls 55-meter hurdles among female state public school runners and winning silver among girls from both public (city and state) and private schools during the state indoor track and field championships.

Friday she looked like she was already ready for the state outdoor championships, which won't be held until June.

Modupe obliterated her 15.06 personal-best 100-meter hurdles time that had earned her a fifth-place medal at last year's outdoor state championships.

Modupe's 14.57 put her into a tie for the top spot in the state this season with Susan Wagner's Jaice Dorcey, the athlete who edged her for the state Federation (all schools -- public and private) gold in the 55 hurdles at indoor states in March.

Describing what occurred Friday, Modupe said, "I was just on the line. It was a really hot day. Mentally I know what needs to be done. I was pumped. The gun went off. It's me against the clock and I just have to get my feet down."

Her performance was so dominant that the second-place finisher, Lauren Dunnigan of New Jersey's Immaculate Heart Academy, was more than a full second behind in 15.49.

On the boys side, Bronxville's Wyatt Gravier, who set his personal-best mark in winning the boys 110 hurdles in 16.05 just a couple of days earlier at the Fulton Invitational in Harrison, lowered his PB to 15.98 to secure the win.

Bergen Catholic's Tristan Oliver (16.48) was second.

Estabine double winner

North Rockland's Deborah Estabine didn't hit any early-season personal bests but the senior was, nevertheless, dominant, picking up gold medals in both girls discus and shot put.

She took the shot at 37-11 with Tappan Zee's Madeline Stiefel second (32-4.5).

She won discus at 96-2.

Frances Maglione of Staten Island's St. Joseph by the Sea threw 89-10 to beat Stiefel at 86-6 and Ramapo's Ghianna Smith, at 84-3 for second.

No local boys won either the shot or discus titles.

At 176-4, the discus went to Bergen Catholic's Benjamin Shue, last year's New Balance Outdoor Nationals runner-up.

Brewster's Andrew Pfeffer captured silver at 125-6.

Shue also threw a big personal-best 60-2.5 to easily win boys shot.

Northport's Mason Hecht was second (48-0.5). Nanuet's Shane O'Neill was the top local finisher in third at 44-8.

Nyack's Schutzbank runs personal best in 1,600

Locals did well in the boys 1,600.

Nyack junior Matt Schutzbank, who had a very strong indoor season, ran a personal-best outdoor time of 4:16.46 for the win.

And runner-up Kornel Smtih, a Briarcliff senior, also PB'd, clocking 4:19.21.

Schutzbank, who won bronze in both the state public and state Federation (all schools) levels in the 1,600 at last month's indoor state championships, said, "I feel like I picked up right where I left off."

"I feel like it (winter success) will be a springboard for even more."

Duran, Augustin take home two medals, relay No. 1 in state

Suffern senior Kaya Duran was the only girl to break one minute in the girls 400. She ran 59.35 to win, while Jayda Johnson of Nyack finished in 1:00.63 to edge Nanuet's Sam Dowd (1:01.6) for second.

Duran also anchored Suffern's winning girls 4x400 team. That group, which also included Karen Augustin, Avi Sanon and Joy Yin, clocked 4:08.92.

Their time is tops in the state for girls high school 4x400 teams this season.

Bronxville was second in 4:10.45, the fourth fastest time.

Like Duran, Augustin also won another first-place medal, taking the girls 400 hurdles in 1:08.56.

Kia Alcime of New Jersey's West Orange High was second (1:10.31), edging Nyack's Junibel Fernandez (1:10.96).

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North Rockland, Clarkstown relays join state leaderboards

Modupe added another first place, as well, as part of North Rockland's girls winning 4x100 team.

Gabby Cabera, Esther St. Fort, Modupe and Nya Thomas clocked 49.67, the fourth-best girls high school time in the state this spring.

Shenendehowa (51.32) edged Ramapo (51.37) for silver.

Bergen Catholic (42.21) won the boys 4x100. Horace Greeley (43.71) was second.

Clarkstown South captured the boys 4x400 with Daniel Brukholder, Aidan Evangelista, Noah Pierre Louis and Julian Rime clocking a collective 3:30.46. That's the fifth best time among boys high school 4x400 teams in the state so far this season.

West Orange (New Jersey) ran 3:32.05 to edge Bronxville (3:32.81) for second.

Pierre Louis also won the boys 400 in 49.24. Beacon's Henry Reinke was second (49.38) and Horace Greeley's Seamus Finn (49.51) was third.

And Pierre Louis was second (22.86) to Bergen Catholic's Logan Casey (22.24) in the boys 200.

Reinke captured the boys 800 in 2:00.47. Suffern's Cooper Mitchell (2:00.68) edged Pearl River's Ryan Pradine (2:00.95) for third.

Nya Thomas also won the girls high jump at 5-0 with Suffern's Kyra Skoglund also clearing hat height but taking second via number of attempts.

Zorrilla moves into early-season top 10 in NY

North Rockland senior Oliver Zorrilla put all his energies into football until last year when he also joined track.

That's proving to be a good decision.

With about 1,000 varsity athletes already competing statewide in boys long jump, Zorrilla, who'll run and jump next year for Monroe College, moved into the boys No. 8 spot statewide for the season with a winning 21-5.75 leap.

Bergen Catholic's Jason Lessieu (21-4.25) was second and Nyack's Putu Sutayasa, who's currently No. 7 in the state at 21-7.5, jumped 20-0.75 for third.

"The most important element is getting off the (launch) board and getting good control in the air," said Zorrilla, who noted he continues to work on increasing his hang time, which comes in large part from launching well.

His goal is to hit 21-high or 22-0 this season.

Other winners

Tappan Zee's Bridget Dunn ran a personal best and 2023 girls state No. 4 2:18.56 to win the girls 800.

Westhampton Beach's Lily Strebel was close behind in 2:18.97.

DeWitt Clinton's Shania Young took the girls triple jump at 38-3.75. Shenendehowa's Gianna Minehardt was second at 36-10.5 and the top local finisher, in third, was Giselandra Clerge of Spring Valley (35-10).

Young also won the girls long jump in a girls state No. 1 distance for 2023 of 19-11.25.

That jump was so good that second-place finisher Juliette Sullivan of Valhalla was two feet behind at 17-11.25.

Sullivan took bronze in the girls 200 (26.39) behind winner Samantha Walz of St. Joseph by the Sea (25.81) and North Rockland's St. Fort (26.36).

Briarcliff's Alexander DiMartino clocked 1:00.24 to win the boys 400 hurdles. Beacon's Rubio Castagna-Torres (1:01.13) took silver.

Northport's Mia Wikard (4:42.17) won the girls 1,500. That time is a NY No. 2 for 2023.

In 10:00.24, St. Joseph by the Sea's Dylan Doskocil won the boys 3,000-meter steeplechase. Suffern's Mason Mayer (10:05.33) was second.

At 5-10, the boys high jump went to Bergen Catholic's Oliver.

That was a popular height with second-place finisher Dan Nyamollo of Nanuet also clearing it but with more attempts and Suffern's Dona Dorcelly clearing but in even more attempts for third.

West Orange's Kenley Vil went 40-11.25 to win the boys triple jump. Bergen Catholic's Lessieu was second (40-7.25), edging Nyack's Eric Johnson by an inch.

Tom Acosta of Northport cleared 12-0 for the boys pole vault win.

Horace Greeley's Rylan Toner won silver at 10-6, the same height, but in fewer attempts, that third-place finisher Jonah Smith of Valhalla cleared.

Pearl River's Kate Dowling cleared 8-6 for the girls pole vault win. St. Joseph by the Sea's Nicolina Siracusa was second at 8-0.

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: NY Track: Mountie Madness sees Thomas, Modupe and more star