Colonie Relays: Smalling moves to top of chart with 10.8 100

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

Lloyd Smalling was unfamiliar with the runners lining up alongside him before the invitational 100-meter dash at Saturday’s Colonie Relay Carnival.

“It’s always scary going up against guys you don’t know,” the Shaker junior said. “You never know what you’re going to get.”

Smalling got going quickly, and got the top prize with a lean for one of the highlight performances at the 48th annual track and field showcase at Colonie High School. Ross Wightman’s brilliant comeback in the 3,200 relay, Emily Burns’ smooth steeplechase trip and Catherine Maloy’s winning effort in the 1,500 were among the others.

Shaker claimed the boys’ team title behind its field athletes and Smalling, who anchored a first-place 400 relay after taking the 100 dash.

“Some of them looked a little familiar, but I didn’t know them,” Smalling said of the competition. “They didn’t know me, either.”

Smalling and Leo Pavoldi of Schalmont were clocked in 10.8 for Section II’s fastest 100 time this spring, with Amar Brown of Schenectady and Elliot Croskey of Christian Brothers Academy trailing in 11.1 and 11.3, respectively.

Pavoldi and Croskey took the top two spots at Thursday’s Schenectady Invitational.

“I saw the line and did a little lean at the end,” said Smalling. “I know a head lean is usually the deciding factor.”

Smalling ran an 11.1 in a dual meet Tuesday for his previous season best.

“I’m happy, but not satisfied. The lower, the better. The school record is 10.7, and I’ve wanted that since the first day I walked through the school door,” said Smalling. “I’ve run 10.3 and 10.5 in [relay] splits, so I know I have it inside me.”

Wightman wasn’t so sure about his prospects at the tail end of the 3,200 relay after getting the baton in fifth place some 30 meters behind front runners from Shenendehowa and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.

“My PR was a 1:59, and I ran a 1:56 split,” said Wightman, an Iona-bound senior who last spring helped his school win the 3,200 relay sectional title. “I didn’t think that was going to happen.”

Wightman’s superb finishing run gave Chatham (8:09.8), a Class C school, a victory over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (8:10.8) and Colonie (8:11.7).

“I knew I had to get up to them on the first lap, or I’d have no chance on the second lap,” Wightman said. “I got him at 100 meters.”

Burns added to her expanding athletic resume with a triumphant 7:15.7 in the 2,000 steeplechase. On Tuesday, she notched a comeback win in the 1,500 at the Schenectady Invitational.

“I didn’t expect to get this close to my PR [7:12] this early in the

season,” said the Guilderland sophomore. “I just wanted to run my own race and see what happened. I was feeling good and two laps in, I picked it up.”

Burns had to pick herself up, literally, when she ran the steeplechase for the first time this season at Bethlehem’s Lady Eagles Invitational. She placed third at that meet.

“I was coming out of the first water pit, and I fell,” the 16-year-old said as she pointed to a large scab below her left knee. “Today, it was a little juggled at the beginning, and I think I stepped on someone’s foot, but after that I didn’t have any problems.”

Maloy won the 1,500 in 4:38.4 after pulling away from schoolmate Kaylee Scott and fast-rising Shaker freshman Maryanna Lansing. Maloy came in with area’s fastest time this season (4:39.63) before lowering it, and Lansing closed in 4:40.7.

“That was only my second 1,500,” said Maloy, a senior who will attend Boston College. “The goal was to run fast, and 4:35 would have been better, but I’ll take it.”

Maloy made her move midway through.

“I know Maryanna has a kick. She’s fast,” said Maloy, the reigning Section II indoor and outdoor 1,500 champ. “In the third 400, I wanted to go hard and get some separation. I got enough.”

Mikaila Ford of Holy Names won the invitational 100 in 12.5, and joined with Estela Smith, Kaitlin Close and Leah Triller to set a meet record in the sprint medley relay (4:03.7).

Shaker scored its only victories in the high jump and triple jump relays, yet used its depth to win the girls’ team title with 123 points. Guilderland (83) edged Colonie (81) for second.

Smalling, Kevin Egan, Kenny Jackson and Austin Drescher ran a 43.2 to win the 400 relay. Shaker’s Casey Ogden, Dan Gavin and James Steck combined for a meet record of 41 feet to win the pole vault relay, and Jordan Crump-King soared an area season-best 45-11 to help the Blue Bison place second in the triple jump relay.

The Shaker boys totaled 116 points. Runner-up Shenendehowa had 66.

Philo Germano of Albany ran a 4:20.4 to hold off Andrew Tario of Averill Park (4:20.7) in a thrilling invitational 1,600.

BOYS

Team scores

Shaker 116, Shenendehowa 66, Colonie 64, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 64, Saratoga Springs 44, Guilderland 41, Ichabod Crane 40, Albany 29, Chatham 26, CBA 24, Albany Academy 23, Mohonasen 21, Averill Park 21, Columbia 18, Schenectady 18, Schalmont 16, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 12.

Individuals/relays

3,000 steeplechase — Johnson (Colo), 10:06.3; Girard (BH), 10:17.1; Hickey (Shak), 10:52.7; 100 — Smalling (Shak), 10.8;

Pavoldi (Schal), 10.8; Brown (Sche), 11.1; 1,600 — Germano (Alb), 4:20.4; Tario (AP), 4:20.7; Gaynor (Sara), 4:26.3; 3x110H —

Shaker (Akangbou, Crump-King, Chen), 50.0; Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 53.5; Guilderland, 57.9; 4×200 — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Kirsty, Danz, Cameron, Ingram), 1:31.2; Colonie, 1:33.7; Columbia, 1:33.9; Sprint medley relay — Colonie (Nimalo, Powers, Johnson, Talbot), 3:35.3; Shaker, 3:38.2; Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 3:38.5; 4×800 relay — Chatham (Chaitman, Mackerer, Allen, Wightman), 8:09.8; Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 8:10.6; Colonie, 8:11.7; Distance medley relay — Shaker (Hausamann, Fallon, Akangbou, Schwenzfeier), 10:48.4; CBA, 11:02.9; Mohonasen, 11:17.9; 4×1,600 relay — Averill Park (Foust, Miller, Shaw, Tario), 18:40.9; Shaker, 19:16.0; Shenendehowa, 19:17.3; 4×100 relay — Shaker (Drischer, Jackson, Egan, Smalling), 43.2; Schalmont, 43.6; Shenendehowa, 44.1; 4×400 relay — Saratoga Springs (Haughton, Grandy, Favreau, Quinones), 3:24.4; CBA, 3:32.2; Chatham, 3:34.1.

Discus — Albany Academy (Buchanan, Fitzgerald, Mickhaylov), 355-4; Shenendehowa, 353-11; Guilderland, 353-2

(Buchanan, 144-7); Shot put — Shaker (Griffin, Kirkey, Shea), 130-61⁄2; Colonie, 128-10 1⁄2; Shenendehowa, 124-9 (Griffin, 49-2); High jump — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Ingram, Sammann, Wolfe), 17-4; Ichabod Crane, 17-2; Shaker, 17-2 (Turek, IC, 6-2); Pole vault — Shaker (Ogden, Gavin, Steck), 41-0 (meet record); Saratoga Springs, 36-0; Albany Academy, 30-6 (Steck, 14-0); Triple jump — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Baker, Adams, DiCruttalo),111-8; Ichabod Crane, 110 1⁄2; Mohonasen, 109-6 1⁄2 (Crump-King, Shak, 45-11); Long jump — Ichabod Crane (Turek, Gerkman, DeChance), 58-4 1⁄2; Shaker, 58-4 1⁄2; Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 54-11 1⁄2 (Baker, BH, 20-6 1/2)

GIRLS

Team scores

Shaker 123, Guilderland 83, Colonie 81, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 62, Holy Names 581⁄2, Mohonasen 51, Albany 491⁄2, Columbia 37, Troy 35, Ichabod Crane 22, Shenendehowa 16, Chatham 14, Cohoes 8.

Individuals/relays

2,000 steeplechase — Burns (Guild), 7:15.7; Willsey (HN), 7:21.6; Ptuyn (BH), 7:35.1; 100 — Gord (HN), 12.5; Coleman (Alb), 12.6; Rowland (Shak), 12.8); 1,500 — Maloy (HN), 4:38.4; Lansing (Shak), 4:40.7; Scott (HN), 4:45.4; 3x100H relay — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Owens, Madden, Hjelmar), 49.2; Shaker, 52.5; Guilderland, 53-7; 4×200 relay — Colonie (Nowak, Bousa, Kelly, Oertel), 1:44.5; Albany, 1:47.4; Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 1:47.9; Sprint medley relay — Holy Names (Ford, Smith, Close, Triller), 4:03.7 (meet record); Colonie, 4:10.3; Shaker, 4:13.5; 4×800 relay — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Taylor, Bashant, Nerney, Messere), 9:57.9; Colonie, 10:06.2; Shaker, 10:07.7; Distance medley relay — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Martino, Madden, Mansen, Casey), 12:42.4; Shaker, 12:59.0; Holy Names, 13:30.8; 4×1,500 relay — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Roecker, Frees, Carrier, Messere), 21:22.8; Colonie, 21:28.7; Mohonasen, 21:43.1; 4×100 relay — Albany (Coleman, McCall, Thomas, Harris), 51.4; Shaker, 52.2; Colonie, 53.1; 4×400 relay — Colonie (Kaminski, Kelly, Oertel, Bousa), 4:01.9; Shaker, 4:07.7;

Albany, 4:12.3.

Discus — Shenendehowa (Shippee, Spinner, Craven), 260-7; Mohonasen, 255-5; Troy, 252-4 (Craven, 101-6); Shot put — Troy (Martin, Williams, Avery), 94-4 3⁄4; Shaker,

89-1 3⁄4; Shenendehowa, 87-8 1⁄4 (Martin, 34-81⁄2); High jump — Shaker (Rowland, Madison, Benoit), 14-6; Troy, 14-3; Guilderland, 13-0 (Avery, Troy, 5-6); Pole vault — Guilderland (Lizatts, Frey, Campbell), 28-6; Shaker, 21-6; Colonie, 13-0 (Lizatts, 10-6); Triple jump — Shaker (McLean, Catalfamo, Horton), 93-7 1⁄2; Guilderland, 90-5 1⁄2; Ichabod Crane, 85-7 (Roberson, Colonie, 33-1); Long jump — Columbia (Johnston, Kiehl, Palumbo), 46-7 1⁄2; Shaker, 43-7 1⁄2; Colonie, 40-113⁄4 (Kiehl, 16-11 1⁄4).