Goshen High School indoor track team sets records at Section IX qualifier

The Goshen High School’s indoor track and field team set three school records while competing at The Nike Track & Field Center at the 168th street armory in the Section IX state qualifier meet on Feb. 28 and qualified for three events at the New York state meet, taking place from March 6-7 in State Island.

Jackson St. Lawrence earns state bid

The meet season saw 34 athletes from Goshen compete and set twenty-one personal records and two school records. The meet started with Jackson St. Lawrence placing second and earning a bid to the state meet in the 3200m with a personal record of 9:33.92. The race went out slowly with a four-man front pack but after the mile, Pine Plains superstar Daniel Mcpherson made a move and only St. Lawrence went with him. The move broke the pack and secured the berth to the state meet as only two individuals can advance to the state meet.

Sawyer and Thomas set school records

The 300m showed that Goshen has speed as Joy Sawyer ran the fastest semi in the 300m with a blistering 40.87 to set a new school record. The previous record was set in 2017 by Kate Laskoski in 42.27.

Then Zadan Thomas went all out to qualify for the finals with a school record 35.78. Thomas has spent the last two years lowering his school record. In the finals Thomas placed fifth but due to an athlete ahead of him dropping out for the state meet, Thomas moved up to fourth and when the first three runners have the state standard, the fourth finisher earns a spot on the intersectional relay.

Girls relay team perseveres

The last event of the night belonged to the girls 800m relay. Going into the race the Goshen squad of Daniella Grant, Lorianna Bala, Olivia Sawyer and Joy Sawyer were seeded third. But their seed was based on a performance which, while good, left room for improvement. Plus the same girls won the event last year and were Section IX defending champions. Grant improved her lead off with a season best 27.3 first leg and passed the baton to Bala. Bala ran 26.8 and kept the team within a second of the lead. Olivia Sawyer sped down the backstretch and made a perfect handoff to sister Joy after splitting 26.00. Joy focused on the leader and brought out the heart of the champion to pass just before the final turn, then held off the challenge for 300-winner Dayna Scott of Valley Central to win with a 25.8 anchor leg. The time of 1:45.987 is a new school record, bettering their time of 1:46.22 run last year at the state meet.

Athletes efforts celebrated

All athletes competed with their best effort even though there was little chance of advancing to the state meet. Most of those are sophomores and freshman and of the six athletes advancing to the state meet only one is a senior.