Pat-Med Runners Melt Under Heat at Track Meet

Raiders' Brian Gordon and Brittany Jones turned in disappointing performances yesterday at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School.   

Action from this weekend's two-day track meet, which concluded yesterday, determined who qualifies for the state-level NYSPHSAA Championship next week at Vestal High School, near Binghamton, NY. 

Gordon began the second of the two-day track meet by pulling out of Heat I of the Boys' 3000 Meter Steeple Chase.  This may have been in no small part due to the 90-degree temperature.  Section XI, governing body of high school sporting events, declared a 'Modified Heat Alert.'  Only four of the six-runner field would finish the race.

While Gordon finished his next race, Heat II of the Boys' 1600 Meter Run, the junior's tenth place finish would keep him from qualifying for NYSPHSAA as well. 

Brittany Jones would fare slightly better in her first race.  As the number 1 seed coming into Heat I of the Girls 100 meter dash, she turned in a sixth place finish with a time of 12.82 seconds, failing to qualify for the State tournament.  Jones would also fail to qualify in her second race, the 200 Meter Run.

The tournament's first day did not go much better for the Raiders.  Sophomore Kathleen Costello failed to earn a NYSPHSAA berth in the Girls' Long Jump or Girls' 100 Meter Hurdles. 

The weekend's lone bright spot was for the Girls' 200 Meter Dash.  Earning an overall fifth fastest time, Jones turned in a time of 26.25 seconds to qualify for State.