But disappointment for Beacon jumper
By Chip Rowe
Abbey Stowell, the Haldane senior who has made three trips to the state championships to compete for the pentathlon title, finished third among small-school competitors in her final meet on Saturday (June 9).
She scored 2,999 points, her best finish. She was fourth with 2,714 points in 2016 as a sophomore and seventh in 2017 with 2,559 as a junior. Logan Bruce of Delhi (Delaware County) won the title with 3,165 points, followed by Molly Baker of Newark Valley (Tioga County) with 3,081. All three athletes are seniors.
In the pentathlon events on Friday, Stowell was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.87) and second in the shotput (9.97 meters) but stymied by a 12th-place finish in the high jump (1.39 meters). On Saturday, she was seventh in the 800-meter run (2:23.70) and won the long jump (5.08 meters). She had scored a Haldane record 3,160 points in the sectional qualifier.
Ethan Burgos of Beacon High School also finished with a medal, running seventh among Division 1 schools in the 400-meter hurdles in 55.52. He qualified for the state meet with a personal best 55.03. The state champ was Ryler Gould of Newburgh Free Academy, in 53.04.
Jummie Akinwunmi, the standout Beacon jumper (and class valedictorian), was presented with the Section 1 Sportsmanship Award but otherwise had a disappointing weekend.
On a gusty Friday, the senior faulted four times in the long jump, after achieving 17-11 in her final leap of the sectional qualifier. (The state champ among Division 1 schools was Nadia Saunders of North Rockland, who jumped 19-2.25.)
The next day Akinwumni and three other competitors in the high jump failed to clear 5 feet in three attempts to advance past the initial round. Akinwumni had cleared 5-1 to win the Section 1 qualifier; the state champion would clear 5-6.
Yay Abbey! A gutsy kick in the 800 took 3rd in the date. Awesome and fun to watch!