MORAVIA - Tenacity - on any list of words to describe track and field athletes - it should be right at the top.
Devon DelloStritto / The Citizen
Union Springs senior Mackenzie Ziegler-Greer finishes the 800 meter run of the sprint medley in second place.
The weather for the third annual Bob Scarry Relay Invitational couldn't settle, from rain to sun to fog, but that didn't stop any of the teams gathered from around Central New York from running their best.
"We were pretty lucky with the weather," Moravia coach Jan Hunsinger said. "It could've been awful, but the weather held and it was pretty good."
Athletes were competing in 24 different relay events as well as field events such as long jump, pole vaulting and discus.
The relay itself is in its eighth year and was renamed in honor of Bob Scarry, who founded the track and field program in Moravia in 1963 and the cross-country program in 1964.
"Bob Scarry was a long-time high school teacher and he started the cross-country program," Hunsinger said. "Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago so we decided to name the event in his honor. We decided to throw
it open to any school in the community and really get a wide range."
Top honors this year went to Lansing, but Cayuga County was well represented with strong showings from Southern Cayuga, Weedsport (third place, boys), Union Springs and host Moravia (second place, girls).
Weedsport repeated a strong performance like last year when they also took home third.
Winning four out of six field events and one relay, coach Tom Kunkel said he was happy with his runners' performances.
"We did good, pretty well," Kunkel said. "Overall I am very pleased with their performance. Every one who came worked hard."
Taking first place in the girls' long jump were Allison Beardsley and Sarah Wignall with a combined distance of 27 feet, 3 and 3 1/4 inches.
"We almost did as well as our best from last year," Wignall said. "We did 14 feet 2 and a 1/4 inches. But I think we did great though. I didn't really think we were going to do so well. The other teams have some people that are pretty tall and are good jumpers. We just had to push and do better."
Early in the day, Weedsport qualified for the 4x100 relay and was feeling pretty good going in.
"It wasn't too bad," Kerry Green, 17, said. "We've had trouble beating Lansing they show a lot of competition."
It was a hard-fought victory that came down to the last step when Green tumbled after the finish line scrapping his leg and arm.
"At first I didn't feel it," Green said. "But it has been stinging ever since. At first I wasn't sure if we won. The other runner came up really fast. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and I knew I had to push right at the end."
The Southern Cayuga boys took first place in the distance medley relay in 11:31.
"It is a good group of guys," Pat McGarr said. "We train together and we train hard for these events. We knew what we had to do to win and go the distance as a team."
Coach Bill Mularney said he was pleased with his runners.
"It is always good," Mularney said. "Track is a great sport, you don't have to run, you can throw, jump, vault. There is something for everybody and I don't think that is true of every sport."
This year's competition coincided with a school break which left some teams short on runners due to vacations, but this didn't dampen anyone's determination.
"It hit us in some places," Brad Clink, 15, of Union Springs said. "But I think we did good with out everyone here."
"We're a good team," Julius McClary, 15, said. "Everyone gave their best. There are a lot of good teams here. Everyone gave a lot and with what we have here, we did better than I thought we were going to do."
Union Springs coach Tim Darrell said it was a good showing with the Wolves earning 33 points.
"They did a nice job," Darrell said. "We had to change up and do things we don't normally do. But it is a good chance to get in condition for up coming league meets."
Moravia's girls had a chance to shine, not only taking second place, but breaking two school records in the sprint medley relay (with a 4:38 from the previous record of 4:45) and the freshman sprint medley relay.
"It is amazing," Miranda Giusti said. "This is the first school record I've broken."
"We were all pulling together," Catrina Dwyer said. "This is a good team we really worked hard on our hand off and that really helped."
Emily Dusseau and Kerrin Epstein were the other two members of the team.
The team collectively had its eyes set on school records but the second-place finish came as a bit of a surprise to both the runner and their coach.
"We have some good athletes," Hunsinger said. "They all ran at least four events and they did very well for us. We had set our minds on breaking the school records that was our goal and second place is really nice."
"We were pretty lucky with the weather," Moravia coach Jan Hunsinger said. "It could've been awful, but the weather held and it was pretty good."
Athletes were competing in 24 different relay events as well as field events such as long jump, pole vaulting and discus.
The relay itself is in its eighth year and was renamed in honor of Bob Scarry, who founded the track and field program in Moravia in 1963 and the cross-country program in 1964.
"Bob Scarry was a long-time high school teacher and he started the cross-country program," Hunsinger said. "Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago so we decided to name the event in his honor. We decided to throw
it open to any school in the community and really get a wide range."
Top honors this year went to Lansing, but Cayuga County was well represented with strong showings from Southern Cayuga, Weedsport (third place, boys), Union Springs and host Moravia (second place, girls).
Weedsport repeated a strong performance like last year when they also took home third.
Winning four out of six field events and one relay, coach Tom Kunkel said he was happy with his runners' performances.
"We did good, pretty well," Kunkel said. "Overall I am very pleased with their performance. Every one who came worked hard."
Taking first place in the girls' long jump were Allison Beardsley and Sarah Wignall with a combined distance of 27 feet, 3 and 3 1/4 inches.
"We almost did as well as our best from last year," Wignall said. "We did 14 feet 2 and a 1/4 inches. But I think we did great though. I didn't really think we were going to do so well. The other teams have some people that are pretty tall and are good jumpers. We just had to push and do better."
Early in the day, Weedsport qualified for the 4x100 relay and was feeling pretty good going in.
"It wasn't too bad," Kerry Green, 17, said. "We've had trouble beating Lansing they show a lot of competition."
It was a hard-fought victory that came down to the last step when Green tumbled after the finish line scrapping his leg and arm.
"At first I didn't feel it," Green said. "But it has been stinging ever since. At first I wasn't sure if we won. The other runner came up really fast. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and I knew I had to push right at the end."
The Southern Cayuga boys took first place in the distance medley relay in 11:31.
"It is a good group of guys," Pat McGarr said. "We train together and we train hard for these events. We knew what we had to do to win and go the distance as a team."
Coach Bill Mularney said he was pleased with his runners.
"It is always good," Mularney said. "Track is a great sport, you don't have to run, you can throw, jump, vault. There is something for everybody and I don't think that is true of every sport."
This year's competition coincided with a school break which left some teams short on runners due to vacations, but this didn't dampen anyone's determination.
"It hit us in some places," Brad Clink, 15, of Union Springs said. "But I think we did good with out everyone here."
"We're a good team," Julius McClary, 15, said. "Everyone gave their best. There are a lot of good teams here. Everyone gave a lot and with what we have here, we did better than I thought we were going to do."
Union Springs coach Tim Darrell said it was a good showing with the Wolves earning 33 points.
"They did a nice job," Darrell said. "We had to change up and do things we don't normally do. But it is a good chance to get in condition for up coming league meets."
Moravia's girls had a chance to shine, not only taking second place, but breaking two school records in the sprint medley relay (with a 4:38 from the previous record of 4:45) and the freshman sprint medley relay.
"It is amazing," Miranda Giusti said. "This is the first school record I've broken."
"We were all pulling together," Catrina Dwyer said. "This is a good team we really worked hard on our hand off and that really helped."
Emily Dusseau and Kerrin Epstein were the other two members of the team.
The team collectively had its eyes set on school records but the second-place finish came as a bit of a surprise to both the runner and their coach.
"We have some good athletes," Hunsinger said. "They all ran at least four events and they did very well for us. We had set our minds on breaking the school records that was our goal and second place is really nice."
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