By Rob Centorani
CICERO _ A pair of local track and field athletes filled in the lone omission on impeccable resumes and in doing so ended a 2-year state-championship drought for area competitors.
Sidney senior Ashley Mahlmeister earned a commanding victory in the Division II long jump, covering 18 feet, 7.5 inches, and Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton senior Dustin Ross anchored the Bears' 1,600-meter relay to a D-II win on a hot, sunny Friday at Cicero-North Syracuse.
The two-day state meet continues at 10 a.m. Saturday, with Mahlmeister set to compete in three events and Ross to return for the Federation final in the 400 meters after placing second in Division II (school enrollments of 599 or fewer) on Friday.
"Ever since I came here as a ninth-grader, I've always wanted to win (a state championship)," said Mahlmeister, who also placed second in the triple jump with a school-record distance of 39-3.5, breaking the mark that six-time state champion Katelyn Guerriere set in her senior season of 2006. "I saw Katelyn get one and then my sophomore year I didn't get one, my junior year I didn't get one, so I was hoping to get one my last year.
"It was awesome day," continued Mahlmeister, who also had the second-fastest qualifying time in the 100 hurdles, crossing in a personal-best time of 14.60 seconds. "I'm really happy with everything."
Mahlmeister, who'll compete for Division I University of Albany next season, went 18-7.5 on her first jump _ two inches off the Section Four record she set two weeks ago at the Section Four Class C meet. It was good for an 8 1/2-inch victory over runner-up Kayla Brantmeyer of Center Moriches. Mahlmeister will be seeded third for Saturday's Federation long jump, which identifies the top overall athlete in the state, behind Jennifer Clayton of Suffern (20-6.25) and Patricia McNish of Manhasset (18-8.25). She'll also be seeded third in the Federation triple jump behind D-II winner Olivia Weeks of Elmira Notre Dame, who broke her Section Four record by a half-inch Friday with a distance of 40-5.5, and Marlene Ricketts of Westbury (40-0.25).
Mahlmeister added a foot to her previous best in the triple jump.
"I don't even know what to do now," said Mahlmeister, who said last Thursday at the Section Four State Qualifier that she'd like to jump 38-9 in the state meet, "maybe 39-6."
Her previous best in the 100 hurdles had been 14.87, a time she ran at the 2008 Section Four Class C meet.
"I don't really remember much from the race," said Mahlmeister, who won her heat, edging Avery Evans of Pine Plains (14.74). "My adrenaline was really pumping."
Ross, who's headed to D-I Binghamton University next season, started his day with a rematch against Marcellus standout Mike Quercia in the open 400. Quercia beat Ross by about a second in the B-G/A Spring Break Invitational earlier this season.
By the 200 mark, Ross was still in contention, but Quercia opened around the final turn and won easily in a personal-record 47.86. Ross finished second in 48.84.
Those were the two fastest times of the day, regardless of division. Quercia and Ross will be seeded 1-2 for Saturday's Federation final.
"I blew it," Ross said following the race. "That's the only thing I can think of. I thought I was relaxed at the 200, but I just didn't have the fire in my legs. For four years I worked up to this and I just blew it."
He didn't blow it in the 1,600 relay, though. Ross received the baton from Steve Howe in third place, about five meters behind Owego's Jimmy Campbell and Bayport/Bluepoint's Kevin Price.
At last Thursday's Section Four State Qualifier, Ross made up a 10-meter deficit on Corning's Ryan Daugherty by the 200 mark but was re-passed down the final straight. Corning crossed in 3:24.58, .01 ahead of B-G/A.
On Friday, though, Ross settled behind Campbell and Price through the first 230 meters.
Then, at the top of the final turn, Ross sped past both and continued to build on the margin down the last straight. B-G/A crossed in 3:24.51. Owego finished second in 3:25.49.
"It feels nice to be a state champion," said Ross, who ran the final leg in a personal-best 48.0, according to B-G/A coach Robb Munro's hand-held split. "The emotions haven't settled in just yet, but I have feeling I'm going to wake up tonight and I'm going to be real happy."
Added leadoff Josh Norris: "It feels like all the hard work has paid off."
Norris and second-leg Kyle Kelly each ran 51.7-second splits, and third-leg Howe ran a 52.9 to help B-G/A to its first state track championship.
In the girls D-II 400 hurdles final, Sidney sophomore Lyndsay Delello's second-place finish was eerily similar to her performance at last week's State Qualifier. Delello started slowly in Lane 6 but used a late kick on the final straightaway to edge Cooperstown senior Anna Weber for second. Weber placed third for the second straight year.
Mari Giurastante of Chenango Valley, who also beat Delello last week, won in 1:03.59. Delello (1:05.35) and Weber (1:05.54) rounded out the top three.
Decked out in an old-school, cherry-red Sidney uniform like teammate Mahlmeister, Delello said she started to gain confidence two weeks ago, when she ran a 1:06.15 in the class meets. Last week, she lowered that time to a school-record 1:04.20.
"That's when my time started to drop and I dug in and worked harder," she said.
Weber, who'll head to Belgium for a year on a Rotary Exchange program after graduation, started fast and was only a few meters behind Giurastante coming off the final turn.
"I guess the heat got to me a little, because that's about a half-second off my (personal record)," said Weber, who plans to attend the University of Vermont after her Rotary trip. "I didn't see Lyndsay coming until the last five meters."
Edmeston senior Jared Hamm also set a PR, breaking his school record of 43-10.5 in the triple jump by nearly a foot-and-half. He placed third at 45-3.25.
"I didn't expect to hit 45 feet, but I was hoping I would," said Hamm, who'll play soccer for Plattsburgh in the fall and added he might join the track team. "My goal this week was 45 feet and I did it."
A pair of area throwers placed fourth.
Delhi junior Marty Cole was seeded first for the D-II shot put after a personal-best 54-6.5 last Thursday that earned him a Section Four title. Cole's best Friday was 51-3.5. Wheatley's Joshua Haghighi won at 56-1.
"I just couldn't get anything going today," Cole said. "(The shot put) is unpredictable."
Walton senior Adam Finch sealed his fourth-place finish in the discus with a throw of 153-10, a little shy of his PR of 156-10. Alden's Jon Osucha won at 176-4.
"I'll take it," Finch said. "I'm pleased with it."
Cooperstown sophomore Alec Silvera qualified for the D-II 110 hurdles final. He finished seventh in 15.33. The top seed for Saturday's race will be Shane Wagner of Schuylerville, who crossed in 14.58.
Melissa Reigles, a senior from B-G/A, placed sixth in the discus and broke her school record with a throw of 111-2. Reigles' previous record was 109-8.
"My last throw of my high school career was my best throw, so it was a nice way to finish," said Reigles, who'll compete Saturday, along with Oneonta High junior Val Ridgway, in the shot put. "Discus isn't quite my event, but I guess it is now."
Delhi senior Katie Darling appears to be good shape through three events of the pentathlon. She ran a 15.5 in the 100 hurdles, high jumped a personal-best 5-0.5 and put the shot 27 feet. The pentathlon closes Saturday with the long jump and the 800 meters.
"She's on a school-record pace," Delhi coach John Wake said of Darling's mark of 2,924 points, which gave her a sectional title last Thursday. "It's looking good going into tomorrow."
Cherry Valley-Springfield senior Brian Sutton had a difficult day, placing ninth in the 400 (50.17) _ his best was the 49.25 he ran last Thursday _ and 13th in the 100 (11.44).
Walton freshman Molly Maguire finished 23rd overall in the 3,000, crossing in 10:42.17.
Stephanie Simonds, a junior from Sidney, fouled on all three of her attempts in the discus.
TRACK AND FIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Cicero-North Syracuse
Results Friday of winners and athletes in Division II events (school enrollments of 599 or fewer) that featured local qualifiers.
BOYS
1,600-meter relay: 1, Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton (Josh Norris, Kyle Kelly, Steve Howe, Dustin Ross) 3:24.51.
400: 1, Mike Quercia (Marcellus) 47.86; 2, Dustin Ross (B-G/A) 48.84 (qualified for Saturday's Federation final); 9, Brian Sutton (Cherry Valley-Springfield) 50.17.
100: 1, Rhakeem Wiggins (Cleveland Hill) 10.84; 13, Brian Sutton (CV-S) 11.44.
Shot put: 1, Joshua Haghighi (Wheatley) 56-1; 4, Marty Cole (Delhi) 51-3.5.
Discus: 1, Jon Osucha (Alden) 176-4; 4, Adam Finch (Walton) 153-10.
Triple jump: 1, Ray Holmes (Campbell-Sovona) 46-2.75; 3, Jared Hamm (Edmeston) 45-3.25 (school record; previous record of 43-10.5 set by Hamm earlier this season. Also broke Tri-Valley League record).
110 hurdles trials: 1, Shane Wagner (Schuylerville) 14.58; 7, Alec Silvera (Cooperstown) 15.33 (qualified for Saturday's D-II final).
GIRLS
100-meter hurdles trials: 1, Brooklynn Ventura (Waterloo) 14.51; 2, Ashley Mahlmeister (Sidney) 14.60 (qualified for Saturday's final).
Long jump: 1, Ashley Mahlmeister (Sidney) 18-7.5 (qualified for Saturday's Federation final).
Triple jump: 1, Olivia Weeks (Elmira ND) 40-5.5 (Section Four record; old record of 40-5 set by Weeks three weeks ago); 2, Ashley Mahlmeister (Sidney) 39-3.5 (school record; old record of 38-6 set by Katelyn Guerriere in 2006).
400 hurdles: 1, Mari Giurastante (Chenango Valley) 1:03.54; 2, Lyndsay Delello (Sidney) 1:05.35; 3, Anna Weber (Cooperstown) 1:05.54.
3,000: 1, Emily Lipari 9:38.66; 23, Molly Maguire (Walton) 10:42.17.
Discus: 1, Taylor Eldridge (Cleveland Hill) 131-7; 6, Melissa Reigles (B-G/A) 111-2 (school record; old record of 109-8 set by Reigles earlier this season); no place, Stephanie Simonds (Sidney) fouled on all three attempts.
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Rob Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 209.
