Indoor track and field: New Rochelle with big wins at Jim Mitchell Invitational
NEW YORK — Athletes responded in different ways after competition was limited last school year due to COVID.
New Rochelle's Olivia Moxey decided simply to train more.
"I definitely ran more. I ran more in the summer and did more preseason workouts," the senior noted.
That has been a formula for success.
Moxey knocked more than a second-and-a-half off her personal best in the girls 300-meter run Saturday during the 31-school Jim Mitchell Invitational at The Armory.
Her 43.21 finish won the 62-runner, multi-heat event.
Bronxville's Caroline Ircha (43.61), who formerly ran for the now-retired legendary Bronxville coach after whom the meet is named, captured second.
Moxey said her goal is to further lower her time and qualify for states.
That's also the goal she shares with teammates Kylie Griffith, Eko Dodd and Kaela Godrey in the 4x200 relay.
The four combined to run a personal-best 1:49.77 to win that 32-team event.
Their time also qualified them to compete in the New Balance Nationals rising stars division (previously called emerging elite).
Griffith believes the squad can get faster by improving both its endurance and passing.
New Rochelle also not only took the top spot in the girls 55 hurdles but grabbed the top three spots.
Malaya Lathan won in a personal-best 9.84, Gabrielle Barnett was second (PB 10:01) and Dodd was third (10.12).
New Rochelle's Nia Perry captured the girls triple jump at 31-7. Bay Shore's Shekinah Olatunde was second (30-4) and Clarkstown North's Ella Maerz third (30-2).
Maerz, at 31-1.5, was also second in the girls shot put to Washingtonville's Jade Sampson (PB 34-6.25).
Horace Greeley's Hugh McGuire clocked a personal-best 2:35.42 to win the boys 1,000.
Teammate Alex McKenney cleared 12-3 to win the boys pole vault.
Kingston's Peyton Lane (PB 11-0) was second and Bronxville's Max Dicker was third (9-6).
Harrison's Katrina Torelli (first place, 3:03.09) and Washingtonville's Anne Hagan (second place, 3:04.63) both qualified for the New Balance Nationals rising stars division in the girls 1,000.
Fox Lane's Bruce Lenes, Sebastian Akinla, Harry Griff and Noah Bender had never run the 4xmile relay before Saturday.
Now they can't wait to run it again.
The four didn't break their school record of 18:45, as hoped, but still won in 18:56.45 with Northport second (19:41.35) and Rye Neck third (19:42.22).
Real winter season: Personal records fall, North Rockland, Greeley, more excel at Armory
Lenes noted going in, Fox Lane knew it would likely not be pushed but would have to use runners it lapped as competition
Nevertheless, "It was really fun," said Lenes, who hopes the group will have more opportunities to run the event, as well as the distance medley relay.
Griff also expects faster times if he and his teammates get the green light to do the 4xmile again.
"Our fitness is not quite where it should be, so this was a really good meet for us to win," he said.
Other finishes
Washingtonville's Elijah Mallard ran not only a personal-best but also a meet-record 7.88 in the boys 55-meter hurdles. The previous record was 7.94.
Running a personal-best, Mallard was also second by just .01 in the boys 300 behind Newburgh Free Academy's John Fermpong Jr., 35:00-35:01.
Both qualified for New Balance rising stars.
Beacon's Salvatore Migliore ran a personal-best 1:26.6 to take second in the boys 600 behind Washingtonville's Dion Burroughs (1:26.56).
Randy Odhiambo of FDR in Hyde Park won the boys triple jump in a personal-best 43-5.75.
Both Bronxville's Chris Lockwood (second place, 35-11.5) and Clarkstown North's Sahil Singh (third place, PB 35-5.75) qualified for New Balance rising stars in the boys shot put, as did the winner, Blaire Academy's Brian Liu (PB 35-11.75).
Bronxville's Maddy Stupart (1:46.83) took second and Pleasantville's Kate Moroney (PB 1:48.3) third in the girls 600. Montfort Academy's Jayla Johnson won in 1:37.99.
Clarkstown North's Victor Oduwegwu went 20-2.25 for third place in the boys long jump.
The win went to Bay Shore's Kwame Kwarteng in a personal-best 21-1.25 with Blair Academy's Etka Ayhan second (PB 20-11.5).
Clarkstown North ran 1:35.76 to finish second behind Newburgh Free Academy (1:31.84) in the boys 4x200 relay.
And Harrison (21:59.38) took second and Rye Neck (22:09.31) third behind winner Colonie Central "A"(21:09.28) in the girls 4x1,500 relay.
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at both @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Indoor track and field: New Rochelle wins big at Jim Mitchell Invite
