Woodford sets school record, wins Section IV title in 400-meter dash
BINGHAMTON – Oxford sophomore Katie Woodford ran the best time of her life in the 400-meter dash – again.
Woodford broke her own school and Midstate Athletic Conference record, and cruised to a first-place finish at the Section IV state qualifier Thursday at Binghamton Alumni Stadium
Woodford was pushed the first half of the race and took the final turn before the home stretch with a slight lead over Waverly’s Erika Kisel. She exploded over the final 100 meters to time 57.08 seconds, a full second ahead of Kisel, and nearly three-quarters of a second better than her previous-best mark of 57.75 set at last weekend’s Class C sectional meet. “I was really nervous, but I knew I would be really disappointed if I didn’t win,” Woodford said. “I just had to push myself.”
Woodford will represent Section IV at the state championships in Division II (small schools) for the second straight season. She hasn’t found herself trailing in a race against sectional competition in at least a year, and she lowered her best time over last season by nearly one and three-quarters seconds. “One of my goals this year was to beat my PR (personal record) from last year, and I’m doing better with that now, so I’m happy,” she said.
Chad Noelle of Greene, also a sophomore, claimed a Section IV Division II title and moves on to the state level of the first time placing second overall in the Section IV in the 1,600 meters. Noelle lowered his own school record finishing in 4:23.77.
Noelle ran in second place from the midway point of the first lap, and never let up. He ran his final lap in 64 seconds – one second slower than his opening lap – to hold off all challengers. “I just tried to stay as close to the leader (Vasili Papastrat, Binghamton) as possible, and I knew he was really fast,” Noelle said. “I was hoping to go somewhere in the 4:20s this year, but I didn’t think I would go this fast.”
Greene’s Mike Hollings moved on to the state Division II level in the high jump and long jump. While not reaching his personal-bests this season, Hollings was the overall winner in the high jump (6-foot-2), and third overall in the long jump (20-foot-8).
Katie and Emily Woodford teamed with Amanda Marks and Amanda Brown to finish second overall in the 400-meter relay timing a school-record 49.64 seconds. The Oxford quartet won the Division II title sending four Blackhawks to the state meet next weekend.
Dustin Ross of B-G/Afton repeated as 400-meter dash kingpin timing 48:41, and Ross anchored the 1,600-meter relay (Josh Norris, Kyle Kelly, Steve Howe) that clocked 3:24.59, the best in Division II and second overall.
For Norwich, Mike Reilly had a personal-best 2,788 points to place fourth in the pentathlon, and Kayla May put up 2,345 points, her personal-best to break her own school record to place sixth.
Other top-six finishes
Girls
Anna Crumb, Greene, 1,500 meters (3), 4:52.37*.
Emily Woodford, Oxford, 200 meters (3), 26.01.
Rebecca Smith, Greene, 100 hurdles (5), 16:18*.
Sarah Bonnell, Norwich, 100 meters (5), 13.01; long jump (5), 15-9 1/2.
Melissa Reigles, B-GA, shot put (3), 35-5 1/4; discus (2), 107-7.
Boys
Chad Noelle, Greene, 3,200 meters (5), 9:49.94*.
Steven Spittler, Norwich, 1,600 meters (6), 4:31.54
* Denotes school record
–– Patrick Newell
Woodford broke her own school and Midstate Athletic Conference record, and cruised to a first-place finish at the Section IV state qualifier Thursday at Binghamton Alumni Stadium
Woodford was pushed the first half of the race and took the final turn before the home stretch with a slight lead over Waverly’s Erika Kisel. She exploded over the final 100 meters to time 57.08 seconds, a full second ahead of Kisel, and nearly three-quarters of a second better than her previous-best mark of 57.75 set at last weekend’s Class C sectional meet. “I was really nervous, but I knew I would be really disappointed if I didn’t win,” Woodford said. “I just had to push myself.”
Woodford will represent Section IV at the state championships in Division II (small schools) for the second straight season. She hasn’t found herself trailing in a race against sectional competition in at least a year, and she lowered her best time over last season by nearly one and three-quarters seconds. “One of my goals this year was to beat my PR (personal record) from last year, and I’m doing better with that now, so I’m happy,” she said.
Chad Noelle of Greene, also a sophomore, claimed a Section IV Division II title and moves on to the state level of the first time placing second overall in the Section IV in the 1,600 meters. Noelle lowered his own school record finishing in 4:23.77.
Noelle ran in second place from the midway point of the first lap, and never let up. He ran his final lap in 64 seconds – one second slower than his opening lap – to hold off all challengers. “I just tried to stay as close to the leader (Vasili Papastrat, Binghamton) as possible, and I knew he was really fast,” Noelle said. “I was hoping to go somewhere in the 4:20s this year, but I didn’t think I would go this fast.”
Greene’s Mike Hollings moved on to the state Division II level in the high jump and long jump. While not reaching his personal-bests this season, Hollings was the overall winner in the high jump (6-foot-2), and third overall in the long jump (20-foot-8).
Katie and Emily Woodford teamed with Amanda Marks and Amanda Brown to finish second overall in the 400-meter relay timing a school-record 49.64 seconds. The Oxford quartet won the Division II title sending four Blackhawks to the state meet next weekend.
Dustin Ross of B-G/Afton repeated as 400-meter dash kingpin timing 48:41, and Ross anchored the 1,600-meter relay (Josh Norris, Kyle Kelly, Steve Howe) that clocked 3:24.59, the best in Division II and second overall.
For Norwich, Mike Reilly had a personal-best 2,788 points to place fourth in the pentathlon, and Kayla May put up 2,345 points, her personal-best to break her own school record to place sixth.
Other top-six finishes
Girls
Anna Crumb, Greene, 1,500 meters (3), 4:52.37*.
Emily Woodford, Oxford, 200 meters (3), 26.01.
Rebecca Smith, Greene, 100 hurdles (5), 16:18*.
Sarah Bonnell, Norwich, 100 meters (5), 13.01; long jump (5), 15-9 1/2.
Melissa Reigles, B-GA, shot put (3), 35-5 1/4; discus (2), 107-7.
Boys
Chad Noelle, Greene, 3,200 meters (5), 9:49.94*.
Steven Spittler, Norwich, 1,600 meters (6), 4:31.54
* Denotes school record
–– Patrick Newell
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