Indoor track athletes from Catholic high schools in the diocese have enjoyed post-season success on many levels.
Topping the list is Tomarris Bell of McQuaid Jesuit, who earned a national title in the high jump on March 13 at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in New York City. Bell, a senior, put together a first-place leap of 6 feet, 11.5 inches to win by 1.5 inches. What makes Bell’s feat even more spectacular is that the nationals marked his only indoor track meet of the season, due to the fact that he played basketball for McQuaid in 2008-09. He also won the state high-jump title last winter for the Knights.
Meanwhile, Elmira Notre Dame senior Olivia Weeks gained a state championship in the triple jump. Competing at the NYSPHSAA meet on March 7 at Cornell University, Weeks posted an incredible leap on her final attempt by going 40.05 feet — more than a foot better than the runner-up distance of 38.825. Weeks went on to finish fourth at the Nike Indoor Nationals on March 14 with an even better jump of 40.4, and enters the spring outdoor season as the defending state Division II champ in that event.
Other top performers at the state indoor meet were B.J. Murray of Aquinas Institute, second in the boys’ long jump (22-8.25) and fourth in the 300 meters (:35.28); Our Lady of Mercy’s Jamiee McClary, third in the girls’ 55 dash (:07.18) and seventh in the 300 (:40.52); and Aquinas’ Brianna Cromartie, fourth in the girls’ 300 (:39.71).
In team competition this past winter, Aquinas won the Section 5 Class B girls’ title, while McQuaid and Aquinas placed first and second, respectively, in boys’ Class B.
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Other recent sports highlights came from:
* Nazareth Academy girls’ bowling team, which won the Section 5 Class B tournament on Feb. 13. The Lasers amassed a total pinfall of 5,572, the highest team total for both the A and B classifications. Their stellar performance followed a perfect 90-0 record in regular-season matches. Nazareth went on to place fifth at the state meet held March 7.
* Bishop Kearney girls’ basketball, which gained a No. 1 seed in the Section 5 Class B tournament. The Kings defeated Marcus Whitman and Holley, but lost 57-51 to Wellsville in the title contest on March 5. BK’s final record was 15-8.
* Aquinas boys’ basketball also entered as a No. 1 seed, competing in Section 5 Class A2. But AQ was upended in semifinal play, 78-50, by Freddie Thomas on March 3 to finish with a 17-4 record.
This story was updated on April 1, 2009.
Tags: Sports
