MIDDLETOWN – Traveling down to Middletown High School, a trip that is approximately two and a half to three hours away from the area, 13 student-athletes from Chenango County attended the New York State Track and Field Championship meet on Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8. Several of the athletes posted some of their top times on the biggest stage of the season.

Norwich’s Gabe Gawronski posted a time of 49.27 in the 400 meter dash of the division two race, running his personal best in the event. Attempting to take down Matt Murray’s 2013 record all season long, Gawronski came extremely close to completing the task as he was a mere .43 seconds away.

The Norwich senior took fourth place overall in the state but missed the federation race as the top eight times in both division one and division two move on.

As his career in a Purple Tornado uniform will come to an end following the New Balance Nationals – an event where the Norwich sprint medley relay team will be headed June 14 and 15, Gawronski will still be wearing track spikes as he heads to Stony Brook University to continue his education and his running career.

Owen Rodriguez, a senior of Sherburne-Earlville, attended the championships for the 400 meter hurdles. Rodriguez, who was seeded 13th heading into the event with a time of 57.11, came in at 56.08 seconds. The Marauders’ hurdler placed seventh in the event and crossed the finish line a full second ahead of his seed time.