Runners claim national crowns

GREENSBORO, N.C. » Saratoga Springs’ Kelsey Chmiel and Shenendehowa’s Jillian Shippee travelled to Greensboro, N.C., with high hopes.

They returned to the Capital District with national titles.

Chmiel, a Greenfield resident, won the girls two mile championship and turned the tables on a rival from New York in the process.

The sophomore’s time of 10:10.44 was nearly four seconds faster than second place Olivia Theis of Lansing, Mich. In third place was Jessica Lawson of Section I’s Corning, who edged Chimiel in the 3,000 state championship a week ago, a race in which Chmiel finished third.

Shippee won her national title

in the hammer throw, an event not offered in New York State Public High School Athletic Association track and field. The senior’s winning toss of 58.78 meters beat the next closest competitor, Alyssa Wilson’s throw of 54.87 meters.

Shippee also just missed the top of the podium a the state meet. She took second in the shot put and third in the discus.

Also running for Saratoga was senior Mimi Liebers in the 100 meter hurdles Emergin Elite division. Liebers finished in 24th with a time of 14.88 and did not advance past the preliminary round. Liebers went on to compete in the 4x100 shuttle hurdle relay with Jensen Kingsley, Brett DeWeese and Emily Turner. The squad, running under the banner of Kinetic, finished in 12th place with a time of 1:03.20.

Also competing for Shen was, Alexandra Tudor, in the long jump, and Hannah Reale, in the 800 meters. Tudor finished in 13th with a jump of 5.66 meters, .56 meters behind the first place mark. Reale finished 30th in the 800 with a time of 2:17.53.

Reale also competed alongside Olivia Lomascolo, Julia Zachgo and Charlotte Hartman in the 4x1 mile relay and finished second with a time of 20:29.75, 29 seconds behind first place. Niskayuna’s 4x1 mile girls relay team of Lexi Sciortino, Madeleine Hesler, Spiers and Charlotte Kokernak took eighth.

Faith DeMars, a freshman from Ballston Spa finished 25th in the girls 2,000 steeplechase with a time of 7:27.89. Kathryn Tenney, a Colonie sophomore, finished one place behind DeMars in 26th.

On the boys side, Mary Dolan of Niskayuna took 20th in the 2,000 steeplechase.

Burnt Hills’ Eva Scott finished 25th in the 5,000.

Jeremiah House, a Colonie senior took 29th in the 110 hurdles and 32nd in the 400 hurdles.

In the field events, Averill Park junior Alana Carroll took 21st in the pole vault with a height of 12 feet, 2 inches.

The girls 4x800 team from Niskayuna of Amelia Kokernak, Sydney Smith, Abigail Spiers and Charlotte Kokernak finished eighth in 9:12.97.

The Silver Warriors’ boys 4x1 mile relay team of Colin Ross, Marty Dolan, Joseph Quinn and Donnovan Tucker placed 18th.

Guilderland fielded a boys 4x800 lineup of Andrew Horan, Noah Tindale, Arthur Horan and Noah Carey that placed 23rd and a boys 4x1 mile relay team that was disqualified.