LOCH SHELDRAKE – “Friendships are born on the field of athletic strife and the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded; friends gather no dust.” 

So averred Jesse Owens, whose performance at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin was not only historic, but severely undercut Hitler’s assertion of Aryan Supremacy. Owens understood that winning, the medals etc, were secondary to the camaraderie and friendships forged through participation and teamwork. 

Nowhere is that more evident than in track and field, or in this case, the indoor variety. Track athletes share a common experience: they are all vying against themselves as well as each other. Over the course of a season of meets, they encounter the same competitors in their particular events and friendships form. 

Looking over the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse during this year’s Sullivan County Indoor Championships, one saw many instances of kids from different schools chatting, smiling and commiserating with each other. There is a great deal of mutual respect. There are clearly the role models whose performances inspire others to reach down for their best. Healthy competition has that effect. 

Many of the indoor runners, jumpers and throwers will meet again during spring track. In the end, friendships will flourish and those, as Owens noted, may well endure. 

This year, only the top three were awarded medals as opposed to the top six in prior years. Once again, the meet featured only individual success as there is no longer a team standing or team championship.

Later this week comes the Section IX championships at West Point and for the vast majority of those competing at the County championships, this was the penultimate meet of the indoor season. A few will go on to the state qualifier and a mere sprinkle of kids will vie at the state meet held at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island in early March. 

While basketball grabs many of the headlines, it is track and field that deploys far greater numbers of participants whose efforts and heroics deserve equal attention, appreciation and gratitude. Looking over the results, one notices many of the same standouts in the various events. Had this been a team-scored meet, no doubt Tri-Valley and Monticello would have been vying for the honor of county champion. The feats of those elite individuals and others will be found in greater detail in the forthcoming story about the Section IX championships.

Boys Results

4x2 lap relay: 1. Tri-Valley (3:36.9) Craig Costa, Colin Monell, Dayne Wall and Vincent Mingo. 2. Fallsburg 3:38.1; 3. Monticello 3:36.7. 1000: 1. Adam Furman (T-V) 2:46.5; 2..Craig Costa (T-V) 2:49.8; 3. Bryce Shannon (Homestead School) 2:54.1. 55: 1. Tyrese Shaw (Mont) 6.9; 2. Nazir Lopez (Falls) 7.0; 3. Ricky Gonzalez (Mont) 7.0. 55 HH: 1. Tahir Denton (Mont) 8.2; 2. Christian Corces (Mont) 8.8; 3. Noah Jucha (T-V) 9.5. 600: 1. Eric Lianos (Lib) 1:32.9; 2. Wall (T-V) 1:34.2; 3. Nathaniel Valdes (Ell) 1:38.9. 1600: 1. Adam Furman (T-V) 4:53.9; 2. Costa 5:00.1; 3. Eduardo Salinas (Mont) 5;04.9. 300: Gonzalez (Mont) 40.5; 2. Shaw (Mont) 41.0; 3. Edwin Morales (Falls) 41.1. 4x1 Lap Relay: 1. Monticello 1:35 (Gonzalez, Deandre Armour, Shaw and Denton); 2. Fallsburg 1:39; 3. Tri-Valley 1:41. Shot put: 1. Armaan Butler (T-V) 39-13; 2. Mark Klein (T-V) 35 ½; 3. Dillan Hanslmaier (SW) 33-4 ¾. High jump: 1. Hunter Ebeling (SW) 5-2; 2. Hunter Doty (Falls) 4-10; 3. Noah Edwards (T-V) 4-10. 

Girls Results

4x2 lap relay: 1. Monticello (4:29) Kalene Harris, Diya Patel, Reagan Zangla, Chelsea Reynolds. 2. Fallsburg 4:23; 3. Ellenville 4:25. 1000: Amelia Mickelson (T-V) 3:22.8; 2. Gracyn Halloran (SW) 3:22.2; 3. Patel (Mont) 3:44.1. 55: Gabriela Almonte (Homestead) 7.4; 2. Amelia Benjamin (Ell) 7.5; 3. Meg Cruz (Mont) 7.8. 55 HH: 1. Taina DeJesus (Mont) 9.3; 2. Katelynn Smith (SW) 10.7; 3. Rhayann Collin-Cox (Falls) 10.9. 600: 1. DeJesus (Mont) 1:51.2; 2. Victoria Bonitz (Ell) 2:03.3; 3. Sarah Cruz (Ell) 2:06.2. 1500: 1. Mickelson (T-V) 5:36.5; 2. Halloran (SW) 5:36.7; 3. Gabby Brumbaugh (Mont) 6:08.8. 300: 1. Gisella King (Falls) 44.9; 2. Benjamin (Ell) 46.6; 3. Jamie Hendrickson (SW) 48.3. 4x1 lap relay: 1. Monticello 1:50 (Cruz, Reynolds, Harris, DeJesus); 2. Fallsburg 1:57.7; 3. Ellenville 1:58.2. Shot put: 1. Lindsay Zgrodek 28.3; 2. Riley Dechon (Ell) 23-2; 3. Cyriah Russell (Falls) 22-7. High jump: 1. Benjamin (Ell) 5-2; 2. King (Falls) 4-6; 3. Patel (Mont) 4-4.