Leading off today: Webster Thomas junior
Monique Hardy broke two records on her way to state titles Saturday during the state indoor track and field championships on Staten Island.
Hardy defended her title and set a state record in the weight throw (60-feet, 4.75-inches) and also set a Section V record while winning the shot put (42-8.50).
North Rockland junior Katelyn Tuohy also pulled off a double to highlight girls competition, opening with a tame -- for her, anyway -- 9:15.35 in the 3,000 meters and then capturing the 1,500 in 4:24.01 after a lengthy wait between events.
"I'm pretty happy," she said. "But I feel like I could have gone faster. There was just so much downtime. My legs kind of settled down."
Nine others went sub-10 in the 3,000 meters, including runner-up Brooke Rauber of Tully (9:42.73). Fourth-place finisher Karrie Baloga of Cornwall set a state eighth-grader record of 9:44.11.
Corning's Lindsey Butler had a breakthrough moment in the middle distances, shaving three seconds off her personal best to win the 600 meters in 1:30.00. The time broke the state meet record and set the new Section 4 standard.
"I never really think of myself as a type of person to do that, I'm kind of in denial about it," Butler said. "I think I had the right mindset, I got second last year in outdoor and I didn't want to have that feeling again."
Later, she was part of the Corning 3,200 relay that placed third in 9:18.85 to shave 10 seconds off the sectional record.
Stanford recruit Lily Flynn defended in the 1,000 with a time of 2:50.91. She later anchored Ursuline's winning 3,200 relay.
Gates Chili senior Indya Richards appeared to be in contention for a double until injuring a hamstring late in the 55 meters and recording a DNF. Still, he :07.87 showing in the 55 hurdles was just .03 seconds off of the state record.
"I'm overjoyed that I did that well and pleasantly surprised when I saw the time up on the board," said Richards, a Norfolk State recruit. "Even with my hamstring injury in the 55, it was an eventful day."
Boys track highlights: Bronxville brothers Matthew and Alex Rizzo scored NYSPHSAA victories on the track at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
Matt Rizzo won the 1,000 meters in 2:24.06 and Alex Rizzo placed first in the 1,600 in 4:13.21.
Matt Rizzo's time was scorching considering he ran unchallenged and was surpassed on the all-time New York list only by Matthew Payamps who competing in a mixed field with professionals earlier this season. Until those two came along, a 1983 mark b Miles Irish of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake had stood as the state record.
The Federation 1,600 champion was Georgetown recruit Payamps of St. Anthony's, who fired off a 4:10.51.
Payamps would have been one of the favorites in the Federation cross country meet had an early-winter storm not forced cancellation of the race.
"After cross country, I was super disappointed," Payamps said. "I was just so happy to use that as motivation, not let it keep me too down, and use it to really get after it in the winter season."
Alex Rizzo passed Payamps with two laps to go, but the Friars senior regained the lead on the end of the final backstretch and had plenty of kick left to finish off the win.
"I just focused on finishing speed, getting my legs turning over, and focusing on what I've been doing all season," he said.
Freeport's Kevon O'Brien-Smith captured the 600 in 1:19.98, fighting off four others who finished in 1:20.37 or better.
Big leaps by two Long Island stars blocked Jeremiah Willis of Cicero-North Syracuse from a repeat sweep of the horizontal jumps. Jadan Hanson of Uniondale won the triple jump in 49-7.50 and Mount Sinai's Kenneth Wei won the long jump by going 23-5.50 on his final attempt. Wei also second to Victor's Michael Bayley in the 55-meter hurdles in :07.45.
Louisville signee Willis, plagued by four fouls in each event, placed a close second in both jumps, registering leaps of 49-6.50 and 23-5.25.
Other highlights included a winning 9:04.62 by Shea Weilbaker of Saratoga Springs in the 3,200.
