NEW YORK CITY – For the vast majority of Section Nine’s indoor track athletes, sectionals represented the coda to their season. But for the top two finishers in the section from each event who had made the state standard, plus a third who had also met the state standard, the chance was presented to compete in the state qualifier held at the Armory on February 25. Only those who finished first or second (or third who had met the state standard), would advance to the NYSPHSAA Championship held at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on March 4.

By day’s end at the state qualifier, five Sullivan County athletes had qualified for states including T-V’s Adam Furman (1600 and 3200), T-V’s Armaan Butler (Shot put), Homestead’s Gabriela Armonte (55) Monticello’s Taina DeJesus (55 hurdles) and Fallsburg's Gisella King (300m dash). In addition, a bevy of others, though they didn’t get to advance, recorded personal records (PR’s) in what amounted to their last indoor track performances this season. 

Kudos to those warriors as well including Sullivan West freshman Gracyn Halloran in the 1000 (PR), Monticello’s Taina DeJesus in the 600 (PR), T-V’s Amelia Mickelson in the 1500 (PR), Eldred’s Lindsay Zgrodek in the shot put, Fallsburg’s Gisella King in the high jump and long jump, Monticello’s Enrique Gonzalez in the 300, T-V’s Craig Costa and Monticello’s Eduardo Salinas in the 1600, T-V’s Van Furman in the 3200, Monticello’s Tahir Denton in the 55 hurdles, the Monti boys 4x200 Relay and T-V’s Armaan Butler in the weight throw. 

Tri-Valley senior Adam Furman won the 1600 with a personal best time of 4:26.73. He also qualified for states in the 3200 with another PR of 9:12.39 finishing second to Monroe-Woodbury’s Colin Gilstrap. Furman’s 3200 time set a new school record. T-V senior Armaan Butler is also headed to states behind his second-place finish in the shot put wherein he threw a personal best 44-00.50 feet. Monticello senior Taina DeJesus returns to the state meet in the 55 hurdles behind her second-place finish of 8.91, a PR time for the Monti standout. Rounding out the field of competitors who will be vying at Ocean Breeze is Homestead Collaborative College High School’s Gabriela Almonte who finished second in the 55 with a time of 7:38.

Preliminary heats were run in a number of events with the top finishers advancing to the finals. The following county athletes finished in the finals, most of them recording PR’s.

Boys results:

300: 5. Enrique Gonzlez (Mont) 37.14 (PR). 1600: 1. Adam Furman (T-V) 4:26,73 state meet qualifier (PR); 7. Craig Costa 4:36.56 (PR); 12. Eduardo Salinas (Mont) 4:41.61 (PR). 3200: 2. Adam Furman 9:12.39 (PR) state meet qualifier, new school record; 4. Van Furman 9:42.19 (PR) new T-V sophomore record surpassing previous 9:48 recorded by Joe Iatauro. 55 H: 5. Tahir Denton (Mont) 8.37. 4x200 Relay: 5. Monticello 6:37.82 (Enrique Gonzalez, DeAndred Armouir, Tyrese Shaw and Tahir Denton). 

Shot put: 2. Armaan Butler (T-V) 44-00.50 (PR) state meet qualifier. Weight throw: 4. Butler (T-V) 49-10 (PR). 

Girls results:

55: 2. Gabriela Almonte (Homestead Collaborative College HS) 7.38 state meet qualifier. 600: 5. Taina DeJesus (Mont) 1;41.02. 1000: 10. Gracyn Halloran (SW) 3:20.40 (PR). 1500: 8. Amelia Mickelson (T-V) 5:19:56 (PR). 55 Hurdles: 2. Taina DeJesus 8.91 (PR) state meet qualifier. Shot put: 8. Lindsay Zgrodek (Eld) 31-03.50. High jump: 4. Gisella King (Falls) 4-08.00 (PR). Long jump: King (Falls) 16-06.50 (PR).