Myers sets Saint Rose school mark in 10,000
Time puts her on NCAA provisional qualifying list
Christine Myers kicked off her outdoor season with The College of Saint Rose women’s track and field team with a sparkling performance at American International’s Yellow Jacket Invitational on Saturday in Springfield, Mass.
Myers, from Altamont and a Guilderland High graduate, captured the 10,000-meter run with a school record time of 36 minutes, 15.35 seconds, which is a Division II NCA A provisional qualifying time and was 13 seconds faster than the previous mark set in 1995.
The automatic qualifying standard for the NCA A meet is 34:13.34. Provisional qualifiers are put on a descending time list for possible inclusion in the meet, depending on how many athletes reach the automatic standard and how big the field size is.
The Golden Knights had two other first-place finishers. Junior Lauren Rabideau of Charlton (Burnt Hillsballston Lake High) took the 5,000 in 18:50.10 and senior Cara Kelly of Vernon, N.J., won the pole vault with an effort of 10 feet, 6 inches.
Junior Shannen Kerin of Colonie (Colonie High) finished second in the 1,500 in 4:53.89 and was third in the 800 with a time of 2:24.83.
Honor for Downey
Senior Jack Downey was named Siena’s Leo Dufort Student/athlete of the Month for March after the co-captain led the Saints’ men’s golf team in three events. Downey, from Troy (Troy High), averaged 78.43 for seven rounds and was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Golfer of the Week on March 13 after finishing 58th playing as a single at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate March 10-13 in Pinehurst, N.C. with rounds of 82, 74 and 77 for a 233 total. He had rounds of 79 and 76 for a 155 total at the Lehigh Valley Invitational March 30-April 1 in Hellertown, Pa. Senior Tanner Donavan of Loudonville (Shaker High) has played in two tourneys for Siena and is averaging 88.25 per round.
Two firsts for Richardson
Hudson Valley sophomore Elijah Richardson of Ballston Spa (Ballston Spa High) captured the shot put with a personal best of 42-11 and took the hammer throw with a toss of 142-5 at the Carla Coffey Invitational on Saturday in Northampton, Mass. He was named Region III Athlete of the Week on April 3 after winning the shot put (40-11) and the javelin (142-9) at the Mount St. Mary Invite on March 30 in Newburgh. Sophomore Mercedes Planasky of Ballston Spa (Ballston Spa High) was named Women’s Athlete of the Week after winning the 5,000 (20:23.14) and was fifth in the 1,500 (5:35.88) at Newburgh. Sophomore Nathan Bruce of Scotia (Scotia-glenville High) was honored for his play with the men’s lacrosse team. He has 14 goals and seven assists for the 5-3 Vikings.
Record for Duncan
Senior first baseman Kiersten Duncan of Millerton (Taconic Hills High) had three doubles as the Sage softball team split a doubleheader with Union on Wednesday in Troy to set a new school career standard with 45. She’s hitting .364 (26-for66) with a team-high 13 two-base hits. The Gators, 8-14 overall and 2-4 in the Empire 8 Conference, are also getting solid hitting from senior Lindsey Decker of Ballston Lake (Shenendehowa High), who is batting .354 (29-for-82) and grad student Lisa Kentris of Latham (Shaker High), who is hitting .384 (28-for-73).
Big hit for Podlaski
Freshman outfielder Lindsey Podlaski has seen limited action with the 6-9 Union softball team and is hitting .412 (7-for-17) in 10 games with seven starts. Podlaski, from Niskayuna (Colonie High), had the biggest hit of her young career when she had an RBI single in the top of the eighth inning to give the Dutchwomen a 6-5 victory over Sage on Wednesday in Troy. She had another hit in the game and drove in a run with a groundout. Union is also getting solid play from junior Bailey Kross of Ravena (Ravena-coeymans-selkirk Central) who has started all 15 games and is hitting .286.
Trio chipping in
The Cobleskill men’s track and field team opened its outdoor season by competing in the Muhlenberg Invitational on Saturday in Allentown, Pa. Sophomore Tyler Brado of St. Johnsville (Oppenheim-ephratah/ St. Johnsville) led the Fighting Tigers by winning the 110- and 400-meter hurdles. Junior Nino Gagliardi of Watervliet (Watervliet High) was fifth in the 400 in 51.49 and was eighth in the 200 with a time of 23.45. Cobleskill All-american Zach Haskin, a multiathlete from Warnerville (Cobleskillrichmondville High), was third in the 110 hurdles in 16.21 and fourth in the long jump (19-11).