ITraceresults

(Click on Competition for Team Results/Summary/Outstanding Performances as they become available)

The cliche works here. This was a Team Effort. The 'cats opened their '06' season with probably their toughest dual-meet rival, the Green Hornets of F-M, always a well-coached and highly competitive squad. The 'cats knew they were in for a difficult day when they dropped the opening event, the 4x800 Relay. Refusing to be phased, however, the girls came right back to go 1-2 in the 400m intermediate hurdles, with Sarah Kibby notching one of the section's top times. That got the ball rolling, with the team winning 5 of the 10 track events, 2 of 3 relays while scoring at least 4 points in all but one event. The distance runners, who knew racing F-M's deep distance squad would be a challenge, came away with 19 of the 32 available points, including double winner Elizabeth McMahon(800/1500) and an exciting 2nd place 1500 meter effort by Maggie Nealer. The sprinters grabbed 33 of their 55 meet points, with Sarah Kibby leading the charge by winning the 400IH with a top sectional time and the 4x400 putting an exclamation point on the meet with a solid 4:20.0 winning effort. What really propelled the team, however, was the much improved performance of the throws and field squads. In the throws, Janet Jackson had a great day in windy throwing conditions as she won both the shot put and discus. Nichia Horvath was fabulous in winning the Pole Vault with a new school record of 9' 0" but the field events seemed to belong to Brittany Jones as she set two personal records in winning both the high jump and triple jump events. With the win against last year's American Division champion, the Wildcats opened the door for a run at the league championship. Stay tuned....

Geared up for a team intent on an upset, the Wildcats did not see that happen as they powered past Fowler with another balanced team effort. As expected, the talented Fowler sprint group was able to have its way with the short track events, but that was about it as West Genesee dominated in all other areas, winning 12 of the 17 events, including some surprises. The Throws squad was again superb, showing improving talent as Janet Jackson remained undefeated this young season by winning both the Shot Put and Discus events. She was aided by freshman teammates, Vanessa Mangovski and Jessica Andrianos, who took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the shot and discus and allowed the 'cats throws squad to take 78% of their possible points. Field event athletes weren't far behind, as they captured 72% of their possible points, led by Nichia Horvath, who equaled her school record 9-0 and barely missed 9-6. Andrea Perkins returned to competition and won the high jump while Nicole Spinner surprised a strong Fowler LJ squad by taking that event with a 14-7 leap. Sarah Kibby also remained unbeaten this season in her 400IH specialty and was followed by 2nd place runner Elizabeth McMahon, who was practicing her hurdle technique for steeplechase. Missing their best distance runner, Fowler found itself looking at a relentless parade of Wildcat runners in each distance event. The 'cats ran the table, winning all places in their events and taking an uncontested 4x800 relay. Individual winners were Colleen Smith in the 1500, Maggie Nealer in the 800 and McMahon in the 3000. Running uncontested and alone for almost the entire 3000m, McMahon found her power in the final 1500m of that event and raced to a new school record and one of the top Section III marks for the season: 10:30.8. An improving West Genesee team looks ahead to rainy weather and a trip north to Central Square on April 25th.

On a cold, breezy, November-like afternoon the girls kept their their divisional championship drive alive with a convincing victory at Central Square's impressive track and field facility. The 'cats captured 14 of 17 events enroute to their chilly win. The distance squad again was able to grab all scoring points as they went 1-2-3 in the 800, 1500 and 3000m events and won the lead-off 4x800. Displaying their depth, they put different faces across the finish line in each, with McGrath(800), McMahon(1500) and Smith(3000) taking honors. The sprinters continued their development. Andrea Perkins won the 100m while Nicole Spinner captured the 200m and 8th grader Katie Bott was impressive in racing to first in the 400m long sprint. The sprint relays(4x100/4x400) came home first with solid cold-weather times. Central Square threw some good 100hh athletes at WG with a 1-2 finish, but the 'cats returned the favor in the 400IH where they went 1-2 behind Sarah Kibby and Stephanie McGrath. Moving over to the throws events, Janet Jackson saw her win streak snapped in the shot put as she placed 2nd, but that was not the case in the discus, which she won. WG won the Triple and Long Jumps behind Brittany Jones and Nicole Spinner but had a rough day at the high jump where they took only third. Dependable Nichia Horvath continued to get the job done with another win in the pole vault. Select athletes participate in the Liverpool Invitational, then turn around and move into a busy week that starts with a Monday meet at Corcoran.

Top-10 performances were in abundance as the Wildcats enjoyed a picture-perfect weather day at Liverpool for their opening invitational of the season. The long wait for invitational action only seemed to heighten the excitement as practically every runner who set foot on the track registered a personal record. The rapidly improving 4x100 Relay team of Olja Kuljanin, Brittany Jones, Nicole Spinner and Andrea Perkins recovered from a shaky semi to race to third in the final with their best mark of the season, one that met the Sectional Standard and barely missed the State Qualifier mark. In the 3000m, both Kayla Murphy and Colleen Smith ran their targets, with Colleen dropping her PR over 20 seconds with an excellent 11:12.00 effort. E.J. Reedy got into the act by dropping her best 800 of the season(2:30.12) as she placed 3rd in that open event. 8th grader Katie Bott, arguably the best new 8th grader runner in the section, popped a PR as she raced to 7th in the open 400m(1:03.36). The 4x800 then took the track for its first big-meet test of the year--and they performed well, leaving the competition behind following Elizabeth McMahon's solid 2:20.5 opening leg. Our 'novices' ran like anything but in the Novice 800m. 8th grader Katie Riley and freshman Kristen Waters both lopped 5+ seconds off previous PR's as they placed second and third in that event for the Wildcats. The 4x400 Relay of McMahon, McGrath, Kibby and Bott stepped back on the track, hoping to improve on their section-best mark against a strong Proctor and a Lowville team anchored by 2005 state champion Chelsea Berry. The 'cats were able to go to anchor Katie Bott with a slim lead, which Proctor erased in the back-stretch. Off the final curve, Berry was chasing down runners as WG fought to hold 2nd. Berry caught Katie with 50 meters to go, but Katie found one last gear and was able to fight off Berry for a WG 2nd and the 2nd best time in the section to date. In the meet's final event, Katie Rothenberg continued her come-back from a season off with her best track performance of the season in the 1500m. Off the track, Nichia Horvath lost a heartbreaker battle with her chief Class AA rival, Alison Eagan of Liverpool. Nichia was leading on fewer misses going into the 9-0 height but nipped the vault bar twice on the way down to fail at that height and take 2nd place. A big jump and a bigger throw were the other field highlights. Brittany Jones by-passed the 31 foot personal record range in triple-jump as she sailed to 32-1 and into the finals where she placed 7th. And freshman Jessica Andrianos found the perfect throw as she arced an 89-1 toss in the discus to place 8th in that event. The team gears up for a very busy week of two dual meets and a Saturday invitational at RFA.

Monday lethargy and a worthy opponent in the Corcoran Cougars made for a long, albeit sunny, Wildcats afternoon. West Genesee came away with the victory but not without a battle. After winning the 4x800 and taking 1-2 with Sarah Kibby and Stephanie McGrath in the 400IH, Corcoran went 1-2 in the 100m and ran a strong 2nd in the 1500m won by E.J. Reedy. They then beat the 'cats in a tight 4x100 relay. WG bounced back with Elizabeth McMahon and Stephanie McGrath's 1-2 400m finish, then watched Corcoran take the 100hh event to keep the track score close at 32-23 in West Genny's favor. Corcoran again powered in for a 2nd in the 800m won by Reedy before they ran the table in 200m with a 1-2-3 finish. That left the Wildcats clinging to a 38-35 lead on the track with two events to go. In the field, the 'cats were only able to go 2-3 in both the shot put and discus. The jumps again helped West Genesee, however, as Andre Perkins won the Triple Jump and Olja Kuljanin took the Long Jump. The high jump saw a rough day for WG, as they managed only a third. Without any pole vaulters, Corcoran had to surrender a 1-2-3 finish to the Wildcats, led by Nichia Horvath. Back on the track, it was a sweep for West Genesee in the 3000m, led by surging Katie Rothenberg. In the most dramatic race of the day, the 4x400 relay came down to the wire as Stephanie McGrath fought off Corcoran's in the stretch to notch a victory in that event. The 'cats will rest and prepare for a Wednesday match-up with a good Auburn team.

The mild, clear spring weather continued, making for good track conditions at Auburn. These Wildcats again rose to the occasion, winning 13 of 17 events for a commanding victory. The distance squad was again exemplary, pitching their 3rd dual meet shut-out by capturing all 800/1500/3000m points and the 4x800. The throws squad was not far behind, winning 94.4% of their possible points. Auburn threw an excellent 4x800 relay at the 'cats and were in the lead after three legs. Anchor Elizabeth McMahon, however, quickly dispatched any notions of an Auburn victory in that event as she smoothly logged a 2:26.9 leg to win going away with a good dual meet time of 10:14.7. The familiar refrain of Kibby/McGrath was again sounded in the next event, the 400IH as they went 1-2. Without their top sprinter, WG was still able to take 2-3 in the 100, following that by a sweep of the 1500 with McMahon, Katie Rothenberg and Maggie Nealer at the front. The 4x100 provided some drama due to late substitution and freshman Jamie Bliss at the anchor leg. The 3-4 hand-off was perfect, however, and with a 10 meter lead, Bliss took it across the line for the victory. McGrath was then back on the track to grab first in the 400m, with Katie Bott a tenth behind for second. Kibby and Jessica Brien kept the Wildcat momentum with a 1-3 100hh effort. That set the stage for the second distance sweep as McMahon, Nealer and Kayla Murphy proved a powerful trio. Murphy's 2:33.2 was nearly 10 seconds faster than any 800m she'd ever run before. Auburn mounted its strongest event effort of the meet with a 1-2 200m finish where Olja Kuljanin took 3rd. Then it was back to sweeps as the 3000m squad of Colleen Smith, E.J. Reedy and Rothenberg rolled up more points, with Reedy continuing on her own roll of improvement and Rothenberg showing a solid 1500/3000 double for the day. All that was left was for the 'distance 4x400' to run a solid 4:21.5 to finish a very good track day for the Wildcats. Field events were a tougher draw as the 'cats won 2 of 4. Nichia Horvath took the pole vault, with Ruth DeLallo getting in at 3rd. Following a big TJ PR at the Liverpool Invitational, Brittany Jones popped a 4-10 high jump for first. West Genesee went 2-3 in both the Triple and Long Jumps behind Jones/Katie Naton and Kuljanin/Nicole Spinner. There was big excitement in the throws circles as WG swept the discus and went 1-2 in the shot put. Janet Jackson put it all together with a PR throw of 94-6 in discus. Freshman Jessica Andrianos followed at 90-11 and 1st year thrower Jordan Rimillard let go of a 72-3 toss. Deciding another PR would be nice, Jackson uncorked a 31-1 shot put toss with Vanessa Mangovski also throwing her best with a 29-2 effort. The 5-0 'cats will send a contingent to the Rome Invitational on Saturday before journeying to Oswego next Tuesday for their final dual meet contest.

Race-weary as they competed in their 4th meet in 8 days, the Wildcats nonetheless gave it their individual and collective best efforts at the Rome Invitational in raw, windy conditions that gradually improved into the meet. The younger team members in particular fell victim to 'heavy legs' while the veterans members gutted out their events. Kayla Murphy inaugurated the day for the 'cats with a personal record in the 3000m despite poor racing conditions, giving a slight hint of her untapped racing potential. Then disaster struck as the 4x100 relay was DQ'd for a passing lane infraction brought on, in part, by a necessary last-minute relay member substitution. The weather did not improve, but the Wildcat efforts did in the open 800m with Maggie Nealer running her personal best in the 800m(2:29.6) for an 5th place finish. In the 2000 meter steeplechase, the 'cats found another steepler in freshman Colleen Smith. Though wet and chilly, neophyte Smith was smiling after her top-6 8:09 finish, a positive sign of future success in that most difficult of distance events. The young squad of Murphy, Katie Riley, Kristen Waters and Sara Smacher struggled through a tired 4x800, setting the stage for the open 1500 meter which would pit 2005 Class D Cross-Country State Champion Mary Kate Champagne of Seton Catholic against Elizabeth McMahon. Both girls entered the meet with 2006 sub 4:50 efforts in the 1500m. Both jumped out to a solid start and McMahon was dogged by Champagne for two laps. Lap 3 proved the breaker as McMahon went negative, dropping Champagne and powering through a solid finishing 300m to establish her new Wildcats 1500m record of 4:46.2. The old 4:48.6 record of current XC assistant coach Jill Stetler was set in 1997. The effects of multiple meets and the weather were clearly evident as the 4x400 relay of Katie Bott, Maggie Nealer, Stephanie McGrath and E.J. Reedy struggled to a lackluster 4:28.7 top-6 finish in that event, ending the track day for WG. Off-track, the Wildcats made some noise in the discus circle as Janet Jackson popped a 95-6 to take 3rd place and meet the standard for the 6/1 Open Qualifier Meet. Also finding good air was Katie Naton in the triple jump. Following a disappointing day in the 400 intermediate hurdles, Katie erased her disappointment with a personal best 30-6.5 leap that was good for 6th. The weary 'cats now look forward to a long stretch of fewer meets/more training as they head to Oswego on Tuesday for their dual-meet finale. Then preparations for 'championship season' begin.

Perfect weather and good competition provided the ingredients for a perfect ending to the Wildcats 6-0 dual-meet season. The victory brought them a Colonial-American regular-season divisional championship. The 'cats won 13 of 17 events for the win, starting with victories in the 4x800 relay and a first in the 400IH by Stephanie McGrath. Oswego enjoyed success in the sprints, taking 1-2 in the 100m, but WG came back to sweep the 1500m with the trio of Maggie Nealer, Colleen Smith and Kayla Murphy. The 'cats kept the ball rolling with a 4x100 relay victory and a quick turn-around by Colleen Smith to win the 400m. After losing the high hurdles, another WG sweep occurred in the 800m where Elizabeth McMahon ran all alone start-to-finish, notching a scorching 2:17.7. That Wildcat outburst was followed by a second Oswego sprint victory in the 200, West Genesee then won both the 3000m and 4x400 relay events to close out the track day. On the runways, victories came in the triple jump, long jump and pole vault events, with Oswego breaking through in the high jump. The Wildcats, however, shut out the Buccaneers in the throws, going 1-2-3 in both the shot put and discus, where Janet Jackson continued her climb upward with a 96' 8" toss for first. It was a great ending to a tremendous dual-meet season. The Wildcats now turn their sights to the championship meets and championship preparations.

It was a busy end to a busy week as six athletes trekked down I81 to Maine-Endwell High School for the Friday evening Rotary Invitational. The athletes had the opportunity to compete again southern tier athletes and experience a superbly organized and efficiently run meet, one other section's could well model. The 'cats were only entered in five events but made the most of them. Travel time did not allow WG to enter the earlier events, but Stephanie McGrath opened in the 800 meter with her 2nd best time of the season while Maggie Nealer posted a PR in placing 5th in the same event. E.J. Reedy continued her impressive transformation from 3000 to 400/800 runner as she tackled her first invitational 400m and raced to a PR and top-20 finish. Two more seasonal PR's were notched in the 3000m with Colleen Smith and Katie Rothenberg racing to 5th and 6th place. Katie lopped over 20 seconds off her previous best. In their final individual event, Wildcat Sarah Kibby stayed with quality, equaling her seasonal 1:08.9 PR in the 400IH as she ran to 4th place. With two of its fastest 400m legs back in Syracuse, the 4x400 squad of McGrath, Nealer, Kibby and Reedy stepped on the track and used to good competition to pull them to the team's 2nd best time of the season and 4th place. Kibby had squad honors with her strong 1:03.2 split, but Reedy ran even faster than her open 400, with an unofficial 1:04.7. The full team now turns its sights on this Thursday's OHSL Championship Meet, where another WG/F-M battle looms.

The OHSL National and American Divisions never even completed a single event as bad weather forced a cancellation of their championships. Starting late due to rains and late arrivals, the meet was barely twenty minutes old when lightening forced a cessation of events. Then heavy rains and wind forced further delays. Following an hour wait and continued thunder/rain, the coaches voted to suspend the meet. Scoring for OHSL team/individual honors will be in conjunction with next week's Sectional Championship.

Nichia Horvath soloed at this meet to stay sharp for her upcoming sectional pole vault competition. The weather was raw, but Nichia manage to battle wind and competitors for a 1st place finish in her event.

A little rust from a week and a half lay-off and much too much distraction caused by the annual and senseless conflict with the school music department's Kaleidoscope production took much of the fight out of these Wildcats as they placed 6th in the 11 team Class AA field. The athletes were basically 'flat' with many of them worried about how to finish their events, then rush downtown to make their mandatory music events. When district administrators, with a push from parents, ever eliminate this needless conflict, one that puts athletes at a big disadvantage, West Genesee will be able to compete properly in its Sectional championship. Until then, mediocre team performances can be guaranteed.

Amid the disappointing team day, there were several individual bright spots. The 'cats had two sectional champions. Elizabeth McMahon won a furious battle with CNS's Nicki Junod to pull away and win the 800m. And Nichia Horvath 'out-disciplined' her opponents in the Pole Vault, winning on fewer misses. Another great effort came from rising star Katie Bott. Only an 8th grader, and running out of the top heat, Katie blasted the final 130 meters to win her heat and post the 5th fastest 400m of the meet. Her PR time of 1:02.00 places her in the State Qualifier Meet next week. Katie, however, was the only 400-3000m runner for the Wildcats to post a PR performance in open events.

Some of the most exciting developments for the Wildcats occurred off the meet scoring radar screen. In the triple jump, Brittany Jones popped a PR 33-0 in the triple jump for 7th. In the shot put, Janet Jackson continued her rise with a 10th place PR throw of 31-2.25. The Wildcats made an exciting statement for the future in the discus, where Jessica Andrianos(Gr. 9), Janet Jackson(Gr. 11) and Jordan Rimillard(Gr.11) went 7-8-9, with Jessica and Jordan throwing PR's. Considering the top-5 in that event all graduate this year, WG will be well situated in discus in 2007.

Qualified for the Open Qualifier Meet next Thursday are the following individuals and relays: Elizabeth McMahon; Katie Bott; Sarah Kibby; Nichia Horvath; Jessica Andrianos; Janet Jackson; 4x100; 4x400; 4x800.

Gusty rains came to the meet during the 2000m steeplechase, but it fortunately stopped just as the 1500m racers toed the start line. That was good news for Elizabeth McMahon. Seeking her third straight State Championship appearance following XC and Indoor Track qualifications, McMahon quickly locked into a two-person battle with Leah Andrianos of East Syracuse-Minoa. Andrianos pulled away from McMahon in lap 3 to win by twenty meters, but McMahon's 2nd place time met the standard for the State Championship third qualifier and was a new school record time of 4:42.47. 8th grader Katie Bott completed a stellar season with 5th in her 400m event. As expected, the 4x800 Relay quickly developed into a contest between West Genesee and Cicero-North Syracuse. Sarah Kibby, Stephanie McGrath, Maggie Nealer and Elizabeth McMahon raced for the Wildcats. After falling behind in the first leg, McGrath ran a PR 800 leg to take the lead for the 'cats. It was short-lived as the CNS 3rd leg powered her school back in front. Despite a fast 2:18.1 final leg, McMahon was unable to chase down CNS. The Wildcats 9:39.12 was, however a new school record. The 4x100 Relay of Olja Kuljanin, Brittany Jones, Nicole Spinner and Jamy Bliss were unable to advance into the finals with their 53.75 trials time. Off track, freshman Jessica Andrianos proved she will be a discus force to reckoned with in the coming years as she placed 6th with a 98-7 toss. All throwers finishing ahead of Andrianos were graduating seniors. Teammate Janet Jackson had an off-day but still threw a credible 88-2.

4x800 Relay: Sarah Kibby/Stephanie McGrath/Maggie Nealer/Elizabeth McMahon (school record)

Elizabeth McMahon made the trip to the north country and the State Championship at St. Lawrence University. A horrible weather night prior to Saturday moderated only slightly by race time. A misty rain fell and the very fast seeded 1500m field proved a big challenge for Elizabeth, who ran with the front pack through the 800m but was unable to hold pace after that. She finished 12th in the 30 runner Division I/II field. The Wildcats season ended with a divisional championship, four school records and a ton of anticipation for 2007, when almost all this year's scoring athletes return.

2006 Athletes-of-the-Week

April 9-15

Brittany Jones

April 16-22

Elizabeth McMahon

April 23-29

Jessica Andrianos/Colleen Smith

April 30 - May 6

Janet Jackson/Elizabeth McMahon

May 7-13

Maggie Nealer/E.J. Reedy

May 14-20

May 21-27

2006 Team Awards

Most Valuable Athlete --

Most Improved Athlete --

Track 'Hammer' Award --