Nike Indoor Nationals: Ursuline, North Rockland relays take gold; Section 1 records fall
Note: This file will be updated during the multiple-day national championships
NEW YORK — In some ways — at least collectively — Ivana Richards, Kylie Willis, Sofia Henao and Jane Hickey were an unknown.
The runners, ranging from the senior, Syracuse-bound Richards, to the eighth-grader Willis, had never competed in a sprint medley relay together.
But Friday, during the second day of the four-day Nike Indoor Nationals at The Armory, which includes 4,500 athletes from 49 states, Canada and Washington D.C., the four made sure their names were known.
The team ran a school record and the second fastest time ever for a Westchester-based girls 1,600-meter sprint medley relay squad in clocking 4:03.54 to win gold in a five-state, 18-team field.
"I fell over after the race with excitement. My head was in the clouds," said the junior Hickey, who has had an amazing winter competing in her first ever season of track.
She chalked the victory up to "chemistry and mentality."
"We really bring energy to everything," she said.
"We didn't know," Richards, now a three-time All-American in the SMR but first-time gold medalist, said of how the team would do before the starting gun sounded.
But, she said, she and the rest of her squad told each other they were going to win.
"We all worked 1,000% to do it," Henao said.
The four will try to repeat as All-Americans next week, traveling to Virginia Beach to compete in adidas Track Nationals.
North Rockland erases some of 4x200 disappointment with national title and Section 1 record in the boys 1,600 SMR
North Rockland left The Armory with multiple athletes having gained All-American status with top-six finishes in championship (highest division) events.
But for the Red Raiders and their coach, Orlando Rivera, it was a day of harsh disappointment turned to happiness.
In late afternoon, North Rockland's Javon Lawrence, Darwin Almonte, Naji Mosley and Jaquan Johnson finished third in the boys 4x200-meter championship relay.
That was a major disappointment since not only was North Rockland the defending Nike Indoor Nationals boys 4x200 champion, but a week earlier it had also set a state record, running 1:27.22, in winning the state public and Federation (all schools) title.
The Nike relay went quickly awry when, as video showed, Lawrence, completing the first leg, was bumped as he was preparing to hand the baton to Almonte. Jostled, he slowed, and that small delay proved extremely costly.
Overtaking one runner, Johnson crossed the finish second in what was the top-seeded heat. But the Red Raiders ended up third in 1:28.55 as a squad from another heat ran the second fastest time.
The winner was Pennsylvania's Souderton High in 1:28.41.
A couple of hours later, the sting from that race hadn't worn off when Johnson, Naji Mosley, Lawrence and Claudel Chery prepared to run the boys championship 1,600-meter sprint medley relay.
And run they did.
The four broke not only their school and the Rockland County record but also the Section 1 record in crossing first in 3:26.93.
That time was, as of Friday night, the third fastest clocked by a high school team in the U.S. this season.
"I feel a lot better," Johnson said.
"We knew we had something to prove," Mosley added.
Section 1 has three All-American weight throwers with two silvers and one fifth-place finish
A week earlier, at the state track & field championships, two of the country's top high school weight throwers headed home in different moods.
Horace Greeley senior Daniel Ye, who was No. 1 in the state entering states and No. 7 in the country, had fouled on all three of his throws, failing to advance to the final.
His friend, Somers junior Charles Sullivan, who had been No. 2 in New York, took over that slot and leapfrogged to No. 7 in the country with a personal-best throw of 73-9.25.
That won him both state public and state Federation (all schools) gold medals.
But Saturday at Nike Indoor Nationals at The Armory, both throwers left happy.
That's what happens when you become an All-American.
Ye, who'll throw next year for Harvard, didn't reach his personal-best mark but did throw well, finishing fifth with a 71-foot, 8.25-inch toss.
He had a grin on his face both about his showing and thinking about knowing Sullivan had unleashed a big throw before Sullivan had.
That was one of 76-1, a personal best by more than two feet.
That throw not only cemented Sullivan in the No. 1 spot in the state but also moved him up to No. 4 in the country.
The No. 1 thrower in the country was the No. 1 thrower at The Armory, Rhode Island's Shamrock Thoun, who improved his national-leading performance by more than two-and-a-half feet with an 82-6.25 throw.
All three athletes will compete Saturday in Boston in the New Balance Indoor Nationals boys championship weight throw.
Of his turnaround from states, Ye said, "Live and learn," explaining he felt much more relaxed among "coaches and friends" and amid the "comfortability and familiarity" of The Armory, where he has thrown many more times than at the states venue on Staten Island.
He consistently surpassed 70 feet Saturday, a big positive that he'll try to use as a springboard for even better things Saturday.
But, as it is, he said gaining All-American honors was a "good way to end my senior season."
Sullivan, who noted that after the Nike awards ceremony, he was hopping in the car to head to Boston, will also look to improve there.
But he has already surpassed his expectations, noting when he realized his throw had gone beyond 75 feet, his reaction was, "Oh, my gosh."
That might have been the reaction to the Section 1 record-setting throw unleashed in the girls weight throw by Nanuet's Cornell-bound Gabriella Vizcarrondo.
At least initially.
Vizcarrondo, who won the girls public and Fed state titles a week earlier, entered Nike with a 54-11.25 personal-best distance.
She left with a PB of 57-3, a silver medal, All-American status and a Section 1 record, having topped former New Rochelle standout Monae Cooper, who had held the record at 55-5 for a decade.
"I'm pretty ecstatic. I was hoping for 55-6," said Vizcarrondo, who said when the weight left her hand she was thinking it would go about 51 feet.
Her throw placed her No. 6 all-time in New York among high school girls and No. 4 nationally for the season.
The win went to Rhode Island's Vanessa Jones at 58-1.75.
Scarsdale All-American in relay
Freshman Adriana Pettinelli has been a rock for Scarsdale all season long — a rock that can really run.
Pettinelli, running a two-second personal-best time for her 1,600-meter leg, picked off two teams as she and teammates Rachel Rakower, Alice Nicassio and Zoe Dichter ran a collective 11:52.53 to gain All-American status in fifth place in the girls championship distance medley relay.
"This is my first All-American. It's extra exciting for me," Nicassio said.
The senior Dichter, who has won multiple All-Amercian honors, remarked, "All-American always feels special."
But making this more special was the fact her team's time was, as she explained, "a giant school record."
Hastings' Caitlin Thomas in 5,000 and Suffern and mixed relays
The meet started Thursday with Hastings senior Caitlin Thomas and two Section 1 relays gaining All-American honors.
Thomas was fifth in the girls championship 5,000-meter race.
The Georgia Tech-commit, who was the girls state Class C cross-country champion (also a 5,000-meter race), clocked 16:57.18 Thursday.
Suffern (Todd Korman, Karen Augustin, Micheal Cromwell and Kayla Darius) ran 3:38.56 to finish second in the 22-team mixed (co-ed) 4x400 championship relay.
Also earning All-American honors was Nanuet (Jarell Gibbs, Aliyah Wilson, Bryan Santana and Olivia Santos). The four ran 3:41.74 for sixth.
Another Suffern squad (Jake Tarrant, Avi Sanon, Uriah Dieujuste and Emma Pelecova) just missed AA status, clocking 3:43.09 for seventh.
Other results: Hen Hud's Delgado No. 1 in NY for season 2-mile
Hen Hud's Victor Delgado had qualified for the boys 2-mile championship race but opted to run in the lower emerging elite division because that race was Friday morning and the championship race was Friday afternoon, much closer to the sprint medley relay he also wanted to run.
Delgado, who coach Marcia Bailey noted will also run the mile Sunday in Boston at the competing New Balance Indoor Nationals, clocked 9:15.65, the top time run at that distance this season by a New York high school athlete and a better than 10-second personal best.
In the championship division of the boys 2-mile, North Rockland's Ryan Tuohy was 35th in 9:16.92 and Horace Greeley's Ryan Sykes was 36th in 9:17.86.
North Rockland (Desirae Hernandez, Gabriella Cabrera, Hope Italiano and Nya Thomas) just missed becoming All-Americans in the girls championship 4x200 relay.
The four finished in1:43.34 for seventh out of 21 teams. That was just .24 off the time posted by Florida's Buchholz High, which gained AA honors in sixth place.
Suffern (Avi Sanon, Emma Pelecova, Kayla Darius and Karen Augustin) was eighth in 1:44.11.
Lakeland/Panas's Hannah Arbid threw a more than two-foot personal best in winning the girls emerging elite weight throw at 46-7.25.
Hackley (Ashley Hollingsworth, Zena Hume, Emma Curran and Caitlin Morrow) ran 4:15.52 for third out of 28 teams in the girls emerging elite 1,600-meter SMR.
Greeley (Gillian Raniolo, Josephine Shipper, Gabriela Sangil Cantalapiedra and Malina Santee) finished in the top 10 in that event at 4:19.81.
Rye Neck junior Beckett Alberts also finished top-10, taking ninth, in the boys emerging elite weight throw at 57-0.25.
The meet, which has attracted athletes from all states except Arkansas, is scheduled to run 9 a.m. until about 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until shortly after 4 p.m.
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: Nike Nationals: Ursuline, North Rockland relays golden; records fall
-
Exeter, Winnacunnet, Oyster River to compete at Nike, New Balance national track meets
Exeter, Winnacunnet and Oyster River will compete at Nike and New Balance indoor national track meets this weekend in New York City, Boston.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Jeremiah Azu wins European Indoor gold for Britain in men’s 60m
23-year-old takes title one week after becoming father ‘It’s a huge moment becoming a European champion’ It took 6.49sec of staggering power and fluency for Jeremiah Azu to win the 60m European ...The Guardian - 6d -
Dallas girls swimming wins state gold in 400 free relay, takes 3rd in state team standings
Mar. 14—Heading into the final race of the PIAA Class 2A Girls Swimming and Diving Championships, Dallas had already made it a great week with a handful of medals to its credit. The Mountaineers ...Yahoo Sports - 20h -
PIAA SWIMMING: Scranton Prep’s Kaszuba wins medal; Dallas relay team strikes gold in girls Class 2A meet
Scranton Prep sophomore Eva Kaszuba added some hardware to a busy winter sports season by reaching the award’s podium at the PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships. Kaszuba, who is also a ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Gold's price breaks record $3,000 per ounce: Everything to know now
The price of gold hit a milestone record of $3,000 per ounce on March 14. Here's everything to know right now.CBS News - 21h -
No. 1 Auburndale rallies to down No. 2 Stratford; earns sectional final berth at SPASH
Auburndale erased a concerning early deficit to get payback on Stratford and clinch a berth in the sectional final game on Saturday.Yahoo Sports - 17h -
De Pere, Notre Dame, Bonduel advance to boys basketball sectional championship games
De Pere holds off Sheboygan North, Notre Dame wins on buzzer-beater and Bonduel rolls past Southern Door in boys basketball sectional semifinals.Yahoo Sports - 21h -
Cape & Islands high school indoor track awards announced. Who made the All-Star team?
Take a look at the Cape & Islands boys and girls indoor track athletes for the winter season.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
GB's Azu claims 60m gold as Robertson wins bronze
Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu claims men's 60m gold at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, as team-mate Andrew Robertson wins bronze.BBC News - 6d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Commanders receive high marks through the first week of free agency
The Washington Commanders receive high marks through one week of free agency.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
Report: Arsenal & Chelsea face competition for £50m transfer
Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly set to face competition from Real Madrid for the potential transfer of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.The 19-year-old has impressed in the Premier League this ...Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Lando Norris takes pole but ‘learning curve’ continues for Lewis Hamilton in eighth
Lando Norris said he was “not getting ahead” of himself, despite making the perfect start to the new Formula One season in Melbourne. The McLaren driver topped all three qualifying sessions to grab ...Yahoo Sports - 18m -
Jonathan Kuminga drops 18 points in 20 minutes off bench in return vs. Kings
After missing 31 straight games due to an ankle injury, Jonathan Kuminga made his return to the court on Thursday against the Kings.Yahoo Sports - 20m -
Lisbie twins have defences seeing double at Braintree
Braintree Town's Kyrell and Kyreece Lisbie are inspiring young people with TikTok videos about the highs and lows of football life.Yahoo Sports - 22m
More in Sports
-
Commanders receive high marks through the first week of free agency
The Washington Commanders receive high marks through one week of free agency.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
Atleti's Gallagher: Focus now on beating Barça
Atlético Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher said the team has moved on from the painful UEFA Champions League exit against Real Madrid in a controversial penalty shootout on Wednesday.ESPN - 15m -
Estadio Azteca changes name ahead of 2026 WC
Mexico City's Estadio Azteca has changed its name to Estadio Banorte in order to help fund the final stages of remodeling for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.ESPN - 15m -
Guardiola laughs off Capello calling him 'arrogant'
Pep Guardiola has laughed off criticism from Fabio Capello after the former England manager accused the Manchester City boss of ruining Italian football.ESPN - 15m -
NWSL's BOS Nation to be renamed after backlash
Boston's 2026 NWSL franchise announced Friday that it will officially change its name following a highly-ridiculed launch last fall.ESPN - 15m