ROTTERDAM – Throughout the winter season traditional indoor track venues have been closed to local high school meets, but on Monday afternoon Mohonasen girls’ track coach Bill Sherman plowed the way for a successful competition.
Sherman cleared the Mohonasen eight-lane outdoor track of snow and ice, hosting Schalmont Monday afternoon outdoors on the Mighty Warriors’ track.
“Every year I clear the track, our distance squad trains throughout the entire winter outside,” Sherman said. “We don’t run inside unless there is a significant snowfall occurring at the time or a windchill under 10 degrees.”
After two months of the Mohonasen teams running inside the gym, still not permitted to train in the halls due to COVID restrictions, Sherman moved things outside.
“We looked at the temps, it looked brutally cold for the whole week and with the snow coming Tuesday we said let’s get after it on Monday,” Sherman said.
Monday was part two of three for the three-way scrimmage with Guilderland competing virtually at its home gym, then submitting their times and distances to Sherman. Monday included a full slate of running events with Friday planned for the high jump and shot put.
“It’s not as bad as you’d expect it to be, but it’s definitely a change,” Mohonasen junior Zionna Perez-Tucker said. “It’s good because you are getting ready for outdoor [track], you have the mask on so you’re getting used to it.”
Perez-Tucker captured Monday’s 55-meter dash in 7.7 seconds before taking the 300 in 43.6 seconds and running a leg on the winning 4×200.
“I thought both teams could have some really good runners, so I was ready for a challenge,” Perez-Tucker said. “It’s different because you’re not going against people you train with every day.”
Mohonasen’s Rachel Miller added to the Warriors wins, including the 600 at 1.58.9 and the 1,000 in 3:27.8.
Senior Garrick Smith-Growick welcomed the chance to compete.
“I thought indoor [meets] were just going to be done and I would have to get over it,” he said. “I’m glad this happened, I got out and did way more events than I thought I would do.”
He won the 600 in 1:42.3 to go with wins in the 1,000 in 3:13.1 and the 1,600 at 5:15.8.
Ben Pochobradsky provided another 1-2 punch for Mohonasen, winning the 55-dash in 7.4 seconds, the 300 in 40.9 and also running a leg on the winning 4×200 relay.
Smith-Growick had to let his personal records be his reward as the indoor turned-outdoor meet was only a scrimmage and the indoor standards cannot be applied.
“You have to be on a sanctioned 200-meter track or sanctioned indoor track for indoor records,” Sherman said. “The girls are treating it like a real meet and that’s our approach to it. Any competition is better than no competition.”
Offering an outdoor competition in 30-degree weather during an indoor season wasn’t a hard sell to the athletes.
“I thought it would get a little bit of pushback, but it was the opposite,” Schalmont coach Brian Croote said. “Their competitive juices just got going, looking forward to getting something going.
“They took this competition seriously, not a laid-back kind of scrimmage kind of thing. They loved it.”
Monday’s successful runs could lead to more indoor/outdoor events for the two local schools.
“People are saying that COVID has changed a lot of things temporarily, but they’re also saying that some of the things that have changed might be permanent,” Sherman said. “I think this could be one of them.”
In other sports
Schalmont’s Connor Stoliker rolled a match-high 266 leading to a 662 series in Colonial Council action as the Sabres bowling squad dropped Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 25-7 Monday afternoon. Teammate Richard Pitsas added a 222 game with a 650 series. Ravena was led by David Kusisto’s 639 series and 265 high-game.
The Ballston Spa boys alpine ski team captured both runs Monday at the Saratoga Invitational held at Willard Mountain.
In the second run of the night, Scottie teammates Ethan Huff, Brody Keneston and Evan Phelps finished 4-5-6 for 15 team points, On the first run Huff, Keneston and Cole Evans teamed up for a 19-point first-place finish.
BOYS INDOOR TRACK
(Outdoor scrimmage)
MOHONASEN 62, SCHALMONT 18
55-hurdles — D’Aillard (M), 10.10. 55 — Pochobradsky (M), 7.4. 300 — Pochobradsky (M), 40.9. 600 — Smith-Growick (M), 1:42.3. 1,000 — Smith-Growick (M), 3:13.1. 1,600 — Smith-Growick (M), 5:15.8. 4×200 relay — Mohonasen ‘A’ (Not submitted), 1.51.5. High jump — D’Aillard (M), 5-06. Shot put — Goldstein (M), 37-04.
GIRLS INDOOR TRACK
(Outdoor scrimmage)
MOHONASEN 65, SCHALMONT 14
55-hurdles — Brown (M), 10.40. 55 — Perez-Tucker (M), 7.7. 300 — Perez-Tucker (M), 43.6. 600 — Miller (M), 1.58.9. 1,000 — Miller (M), 3:27.8. 1,500 — Marriner (M), 6:12.5. 4×200 relay — Mohonasen ‘A’ (Not submitted), 2:10.6. High jump — Herrick (M), 4-03. Shot put — Perry (S), 29-01.5.
ALPINE SKIING
SARATOGA INVITATIONAL
RACE 1
Ballston Spa 19, Shenendehowa 25, Saratoga Springs 27, Taconic Hills 50, Niskayuna 55, Queensbury 56, Schenectady 64, Stillwater 82, CBA 100, Lake George 148, Johnstown 156. Albany Academy, Broadalbin-Perth — Incomplete.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Kruk (Shen), 32.73. Cotter (Broa), 33.44. Rodriguez (Sara), 33.95. Huff (Bspa), 34.05. Correa (Q), 34.39. Keneston (Bspa), 34.61. Long (Sche), 34.88. Miller (Shen), 35.44. Howard III (T), 35.51. Geer (N), 35.97.
RACE 2
Ballston Spa 15, Saratoga Springs 27, Shenendehowa 40, CBA 44, Queensbury 44, Niskayuna 69, Schenectady 70, Stillwater 75, Taconic Hills 78, Johnstown 82, Lake George 178. Albany Academy, Broadalbin-Perth — Incomplete.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Paton (CBA), 33.07. Moeckel (Sara), 33.36. Kruk (Shen), 34.22. Cotter (Broa), 34.29. Huff (Bspa), 35.14. Keneston (Bspa), 35.65. Phelps (Bspa), 35.71. Correa (Q), 36.01. Miller (Shen), 36.46. Howard III (T), 36.54.
BOYS BOWLING
SUBURBAN COUNCIL
ALBANY 5, BALLSTON SPA 0
3,219 — Dean 238-674, Arasim 241-669. (B) 2,793 — Halla 222-562.
TROY 4, BALLSTON SPA 1
(T) 3,106 — DeCitise 237-630. (B) 3,030 — 204-580.
GUILDERLAND 3.5, TROY 1.5
(G) 3,205 — Ratayczk 235-615, Compareta 278-650. (T) 3,106 — DeCitise 237-630.
COLONIAL COUNCIL
SCHALMONT 25, RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK 7
(S) 3,568 — Stoliker 266-662, Pitsas 222-650. (RCS) 2,881 — Kusisto 265-639.
GIRLS BOWLING
SUBURBAN COUNCIL
COLUMBIA 5, SARATOGA SPRINGS 0
(C) 2,975 — Motler 223-575. (S) 2,056 — Toomey 190-489.
AVERILL PARK 5, NISKAYUNA 0
(A) 3,003 — VanAlstyne 266-548, Wicks 199-547. (N) 2,599 — Ruby 213-563, Bell 194-515.
COLONIAL COUNCIL
SCHALMONT 26, RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK 6
(S) 3,108 — Phillips 257-669, Pegarella 215-572. (RCS) 2,546 — McCoy 187-511.
COHOES 23, MECHANICVILLE 9
(C) 2,805 — Bullock 190-545. (M) 2,549 — Masterson 221-593.
Categories: -Sports-, High School Sports
