By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
BOLIVAR — Sectionals are right around the corner.
On Friday, amidst the overcast clouds and rain that would soon fall from them, there were still some more accolades to shell out before gracing the big stage across their respective classes — that being the Allegany County Championship meet, hosted by Bolivar-Richburg.
Led by electric performances by Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Brayden Cooper and Fillmore’s Rachel Hatch, the two competitors each scored three individual victories for their respective squads in helping clinch Allegany County’s highest honor for the 2024 season, this Spring.
Cooper helped lead a Genesee Valley/Belfast squad that rolled their way toward an emphatic first place finish behind 201 total points, as he scored all three of his individual victories on the track, in the 100, 200 and 400 dashes. Callahan Tallman scored two wins himself from the field, placing first in both the high and long jumps, while Wyatt Weaver and Damien Rinker recorded a sweep of both hurdling events, placing first in the 110 and 400 respectively.
Noah Miller (3200 run) and Thayne Cobb (triple jump) rounded off the seven total individual wins for Genesee Valley/Belfast with one more each.
Placing second was Cuba-Rushford behind seven total first place finishes and 145 points, including a sweep of all three relay events on the track — the 400, 1600 and 3200. Leading the individual performances was Tristan Clayson, who swept both throwing events with the winning distances in the shot put and discus.
Ethan Coleman soared to big heights with a victory in the pole vault, while Joe Wojciechowski crossed the finish line first in the 1600 run.
Fillmore placed third overall with just one win from Henry Sardina in the 800 dash, as they scored 61.5 points. Bolivar-Richburg (34.5) and Friendship/Scio (29) followed behind to round off the scoring for the boys teams.
As for the ladies, Rachel Hatch provided as equal of a dominant performance for the Lady Eagles as Cooper did for Genesee Valley/Belfast, posting three individual wins herself to propel the team towards a 153-point top finish behind six first place finishes, as she posted hers in the 200 dash and in a sweep of both the 100 and 400 hurdles.
The Lady Eagles would also collect two relay wins along the way, scoring them in the 1600 and 3200.
Tenlee Miller had the team’s final individual win in the 400 dash.
Cuba-Rushford would finish right behind Fillmore with 119 second-place points, scoring six first place finishes along the way themselves. Leading the charge was Alleyah Gross, who garnered the winning distances in both throwing events, the shot put and discus, to claim gold.
Cloey Larabee (800 run), Libby Drum (3000 run) and Lily Tompkins (pole vault) each scored a first place finish to go with their winning 400 relay.
Genesee Valley/Belfast recorded 72 points, two ahead of Friendship/Scio, to claim third place behind a pair of first place finishes from Sophie Zillgitt, who recorded wins in the high and long jump events.
Friendship/Scio followed with 70 points, led by Cassidy Scholla’s 100 dash victory, while Bolivar-Richburg rounded out with 64 points with Raegan Giardini’s 1500 run and Carmen Crowley’s triple jump victories leading the way.
Boys Team Scores: Genesee Valley/Belfast 201, Cuba-Rushford 145, Fillmore 61.5, Bolivar-Richburg 34.5, Friendship/Scio 29.
Results
100 – 1. Brayden Cooper (GVB) 11.4, 2. Thayne Cobb (GVB), 3. Henry Sardina (FIL).
200 – 1. Brayden Cooper (GVB) 23.7, 2. Anderson Siegel (C-R), 3. Thayne Cobb (GVB).
400 – 1. Brayden Cooper (GVB) 53.9, 2. Sawyer Rouse (C-R), 3. Kevin Smith (C-R).
800 – 1. Henry Sardina (FIL) 2:01.6, 2. Dawson Mix (F/S), 3. Sal Gambino (GVB).
1600 – 1. Joe Wojciechowski (C-R) 4:56.6, 2. Noah Miller (GVB), 3. Noah Strickland (FIL).
3200 – 1. Noah Miller (GVB) 11:07.6, 2. Noah Strickland (FIL), 3. Alex Linn (C-R).
110H – 1. Wyatt Weaver (GVB) 19.7, 2. Calyn Todd (B-R), 3. Jayce Ashton (FIL).
400H – 1. Damien Rinker (GVB) 1:07.2, 2. Wyatt Weaver (GVB), 3. Calyn Todd (B-R).
400R – 1. Cuba-Rushford (Siegel, Baron, Coleman, Stadler) 45.5, 2. Bolivar-Richburg, 3. Genesee Valley/Belfast.
1600R – 1. Cuba-Rushford (Rouse, Wojciechowski, Siegel, Coleman) 3:43.5, 2. Genesee Valley/Belfast, 3. Bolivar-Richburg.
3200R – 1. Cuba-Rushford (Linn, Smith, Rouse, Wojciechowski) 9:29.5, 2. Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Shot – 1. Tristan Clayson (C-R) 39-8.25, 2. Bryce Davis (GVB), 3. Josh Grover (C-R).
Discus – 1. Tristan Clayson (C-R) 116-6, 2. Gage Hartman (FIL), 3. Garrett Clayson (C-R).
High Jump – 1. Callahan Tallman (GVB) 6-1, 2. Jerimiah Brown (F/S), 3. Kenton Shultz (GVB).
Long Jump – 1. Callahan Tallman (GVB) 17-1.5, 2. Wyatt Weaver (GVB), 3. Brenton Ahrens (C-R).
Tri Jump – 1. Thayne Cobb (GVB) 38-2.5, 2. Callahan Tallman (GVB), 3. Alex Baron (C-R).
Pole – 1. Ethan Coleman (C-R) 12-0, 2. Eli Voss (FIL).
Girls Team Scores: Fillmore 153, Cuba-Rushford 119, Genesee Valley/Belfast 72, Friendship/Scio 70, Bolivar-Richburg 64.
Results
100 – 1. Cassidy Scholla (F/S) 13.6, 2. Cloey Larabee (C-R), 3. Jordyn Nickerson (F/S).
200 – 1. Rachel Hatch (FIL) 28.2, 2. Cassidy Scholla (F/S), 3. Brynn Lavery (C-R).
400 – 1. Tenlee Miller (FIL) 1:06.7, 2. Kylie Songster (FIL), 3. Kennedy Hunt (F/S).
800 – 1. Cloey Larabee (C-R) 2:37.2, 2. Raegan Giardini (B-R), 3. Sophie Zillgitt (GVB).
1500 – 1. Raegan Giardini (B-R) 5:38.7, 2. Ava Sylvester (FIL), 3. Jillian Beardsley (FIL).
3000 – 1. Libby Drum (C-R) 13:05.2, 2. Ava Sylvester (FIL), 3. Annalisa Bialek (FIL).
100H – 1. Rachel Hatch (FIL) 17.3, 2. Sophie Zillgitt (GVB), 3. Kori Thomas (B-R).
400H – 1. Rachel Hatch (FIL) 1:16.1, 2. Allyson Hazelton (FIL), 3. Kori Thomas (B-R).
400R – 1. Cuba-Rushford (Larabee, Truax, Coleman, Lavery), 2. Friendship/Scio, 3. Fillmore.
1600R – 1. Fillmore (Miller, Songster, Beardsley, Hatch) 4:45.3, 2. Genesee Valley/Belfast.
3200R – 1. Fillmore (Sylvester, Miller, Dowling, Bialek) 13:08.0, 2. Bolivar-Richburg.
Shot – 1. Alleyah Gross (C-R) 26-9.25, 2. Lily Tompkins (C-R), 3. Kennedy Hunt (C-R).
Discus – 1. Alleyah Gross (C-R) 68-10, 2. McKennah Patten (C-R), 3. Morgan Bentley (GVB).
High Jump – 1. Sophie Zillgitt (GVB) 4-6, 2. Cassidy Scholla (F/S), 3. Josslyn Andrews (FIL).
Long Jump – 1. Sophie Zillgitt (GVB) 14-6.5, 2. Carmen Crowley (B-R), 3. Karleigh Truax (C-R).
Tri Jump – 1. Carmen Crowley (B-R) 32-4.25, 2. Karleigh Truax (C-R), 3. Paityn Worthington (FIL).
Pole – 1. Lily Tompkins (C-R) 7-6, 2. Lily Coleman (C-R).
