Leading off today: Arguably the best race of the weekend in the state track meet at Cicero-North Syracuse had the most disappointing ending for a top athlete.
"Well, I ran a good 2,990 meters. The last 10 were pretty rough," Corning senior John McCarthy told the Press & Sun-Bulletin after stumbling on the final barrier Saturday.
What had moments earlier looked like a bell-lap rally into a potential meet record in the steeplechase turned into a second-place showing for McCarthy, who came into the meet with the nation's No. 1 time this spring.
McCarthy demonstrated a big kick to pass Hilton senior Tyler Ranke with about 65 meters to go and was pulling away until the spill ion the final barrier sent him to the ground, scraping up both knees. McCarthy regained his composure and charged toward the finish line, but Ranke sling-shotted by to win in 9:11.24. McCarthy was second in 9:12.10.
"I guess I just launched a little too late and as my lead leg was coming up I just kind of kicked the underside of it instead of clearing it," McCarthy said. "Another two inches back maybe I get over it, but that's just the risk of the race."
Ranke, who finished second in the Federation race last year, had his own issues on the last lap of the race. His kick wasn't shaking McCarthy, and Ranke could sense trouble was close behind by the roar of the crowd.
"I almost ate it on that barrier (about 100 from the finish)," Ranke told the Democrat and Chronicle. "If I didn't make it, that would've been the end of me."
In another exciting Division I boys final, Tappan Zee's Luke Gavigan (4:07.82) made a big charge on the bell lap of the 1,600 and edged Mike Brannigan of Northport (4:07.84). It gave the junior both a personal best and an indoor/outdoor sweep of the event this year.
"It's great," Gavigan told The Journal News. "I can't ask for anything more."
The home-section track was kind to Kylee Bartlett. The Altmar-Parish-Williamstown junior set a Section 3 record with 3,337 points to win the girls pentathlon. She placed first in the high hurdles and the high jump, building a comfortable lead to comfortably survive a dazzling 2:18.22 800 meters by Randolph's McKenna Maycock, who took second overall in the five-event discipline.
The full rundown of boys results and girls results is now available in our reference section.
Very impressive: Massapequa scored 12 straight goals beginning late in the first quarter and dominated Fayetteville-Manlius 16-2 in the NYSPHSAA boys Class A lacrosse final at Hofstra University. It gave the Chiefs their first state crown in the sport.
"It's a great thing to make history for a school like this," senior midfielder Craig Berge told Newsday. "For a town like Massapequa, which has a great lacrosse community, it's kind of surprising that this is our first one."
Senior attack Ian Kirby scored three goals in two minutes and assisted on Nick Yevoli's goal as Massapequa turned a 6-2 halftime advantage into a rout. Two of Yevoli's three goals on the day came in a 6-0 fourth quarter when Massapequa scored four times in 3:35. Phil Brady won 16 of 19 draws on the day.
