SMETHPORT –– “Really?”
Battling through a bit of sickness and less-than-ideal jumping conditions at Friday’s North Tier League meet, that’s the response from Otto-Eldred’s Tiffany Bair after she was told she won the triple jump competition.
One of the area’s premiere jumpers, to see Bair’s name at the top of a performance sheet shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. But after a crowded event program that saw Bair win the long jump finals then run two heats of the 100 dash (she won that race, sprinting to the finish in 12.95 seconds) before finally making it to the triple jump runway for the preliminaries.
“Just practice, practice,” Bair said while watching a teammate’s steps during the boys long jump at Smethport’s track. “We practice all the time on endurance and we just keep going and I guess that paid off today.”
Having her events held in close time proximity made her come up with a bit of a strategy by the triple jump, her third and final event of the day.
“I wasn’t going to jump all of my jumps because I honestly wasn’t going to do that well and I didn’t want to break my body down,” Bair said.
She did well enough to make the finals.
“I was going to do two jumps,” Bair said, “and see how I did and if it was going well and I was in the running for first, then I was going to keep going and that’s what I did.”
Bair also won the long jump, leaping to 17-02 on her last jump to beat Oswayo Valley’s Sara McKean by two inches. The jump broke her old school record of 16-05, despite her not thinking it was going to be a good measurement.
“The school record, which I held previously, I beat by almost a foot, so that’s pretty cool,” Bair said, “and I didn’t think that I jumped that far, to be honest.”
The mid-50s temperatures and overcast didn’t make for great jumping or sprinting conditions, yet Bair has made a habit of performing best in what might be thought of as sub-par circumstances, like when the Lady Terrors competed in an invitational a few weekends ago in Olean, N.Y.
“I’m actually pretty sick right now, too,” Bair said. “Especially with the weather, in Olean I got [personal-bests] and broke my 100 record and triple jump record and it was worse weather than this. I guess I just perform better in the crappy weather.”
With the District 9 Class AA meet on Friday in Kane, Bair has her sights set on one number: 16-11. That’s the automatic state qualifier in the long jump.
“I hope to jump what I jumped today, if not better,” Bair said, “because states is 16-11 and I haven’t been able to make it to states, so that’s a goal.”
Northern Potter continued to flex its muscles in the distance races, sweeping the top podium spot in the 400 through 3,200 meters on its way to edging Coudersport for the team title, 138-135.
Gracie Hamilton took the 400 (1:03.08), while Emma Ford (800, 2:31.33), Danielle Perry (1,600, 5:37.85) and Amanda Ford (3,200, 12:05.49) all won. The Fords teamed with Perry and Rebecca Morgan to win the 4×800 relay, crossing the finish line in 10:16.86, which was just shy of a 19-year-old record of 10:14.7.
Northern Potter’s Perry and the Fords swept the top three spots in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs, while Perry (2:32.53) came in second to Emma Ford (2:31.33) in the 800. Port Allegany’s Autumn Buchsenschutz came in third in that close event, running a 2:32.68.
Individually for Coudersport, Adrian Page for the second straight Friday swept the throws against NTL competition after doing so last week in her home invitational. On Friday, she won the shot put and discus by comfortable margins, but held had to hold off Otto-Eldred’s Emily Smith (96-07) in the javelin, as she won by a mere 15 inches.
Other track winners were Oswayo Valley’s Sara McKean (200 dash, 27.24), Buchsenschutz in the 100 hurdles (17.72), Cameron County’s Kamme Guisto in the 300 hurdles (52.04) and the Coudersport in the 400 and 1,600 relays. Otto-Eldred’s Camryn Thomas jumped 4-11 in the high jump, while Port Allegany’s Mauley Fox cleared 9-06 in the pole vault to roundup the field events.
In the boys competition, Coudersport easily won the team title with 151.50, outpacing second-place Otto-Eldred’s 121.50 points.
The Falcons were well-balanced across the field, with wins in the 100 dash (Luke Barshinger, 11.58), 110 hurdles (Aaron Haskins, 16.62), the 400 relay of Stephen Kelly, Julian Martinez, Michael Kane and Zach Layag, Luke Barshinger in the shot put (44-02.50), Kane in the triple jump (42-07.75) and Hunter Ricke in the high jump (5-08).
Smethport’s distance squad also showed up as expected, with Christian Tanner taking the 800 (2:01.32) and 1,600 (4:36.22) and Darion Gregory winning the 3,200 meters (10:21.76). Those two teamed with Justin Tanner and Eric Szarowicz to win the 3,200 relay.
Port Allegany’s Bryce Baker (200 dash and 300 hurdles) and Trey Stiles (long jump and pole vault) each doubled, with Baker running on the Gators’ winning 1,600 relay team with Calvin Burleson, Anton Freyer and Gavin Minich. Freyer also sprinted a 53.92 to win the 400.
Otto-Eldred got individual wins from Dylan Close in the javelin (155-01) and Jordan Sherwood in the discus (144-10).
At SMETHPORT
BOYS
Coudersport 151, Otto-Eldred 121.50, Port Allegany 105, Smethport 95, Cameron County 57, Sheffield 15.50, Oswayo Valley 4, Northern Potter 1
100: Nick Bejmovicz (C) 11.58, 200: Bryce Baker (PA) 23.97, 400: Anton Freyer (PA) 53.92, 800: Christian Tanner (S) 2:01.32, 1,600: Christian Tanner (S) 4:36.22, 3,200: Darion Gregory (S) 10:21.76, 110hurdles: Aaron Haskins (C) 16.62, 300hurdles: Bryce Baker (PA) 43.75, 400relay: (Stephen Kelly, Julian Martinez, Michael Kane, Zach Layag) 46.24, 1,600relay: Port Allegany (Bryce Baker, Calvin Burleson, Anton Freyer, Gavin Minich) 3:42.06, 3,200relay: Smethport (Darion Gregory, Justin Tanner, Eric Szarowicz, Christian Tanner) 9:17.89, shot put: Luke Barshinger (C) 44-02.50, discus: Jordan Sherwood (O-E) 114-10, javelin: Dylan Close (O-E) 155-01, highjump: Hunter Ricke (C) 5-08, triplejump: Michael Kane (C) 42-07.75, longjump:Trey Stiles (PA) 19-08.50 , polevault: Trey Stiles (PA) 11-09
GIRLS
Northern Potter 138, Coudersport 135, Oswayo Valley 71, Port Allegany 69, Otto-Eldred 63, Smethport 38, Cameron County 35
100: Tiffany Bair (O-E) 12.95, 200: Sara McKean (OV) 27.24, 400: Gracie Hamilton (NP) 1:03.08, 800: Emma Ford (NP) 2:31.33, 1,600: Danielle Perry (NP) 5:37.85, 3,200: Amanda Ford (NP) 12:05.49, 100hurdles: Autumn Buchsenschutz (PA) 17.72, 300hurdles: Kamme Guisto (CC) 52.04, 400relay: Coudersport (Lauren Stimaker, Dana Dubots, Ally Easton, Kiara Perkins) 53.75, 1,600relay: Coudersport (Kiara Perkins, Adrian Page, Ally Easton, Dana Dubots) 4:25.88, 3,200relay: Northern Potter (Danielle Perry, Amanda Ford, Rebecca Morgan, Emma Ford) 10:16.86, shot put: Adrian Page (C) 34-02, discus: Adrian Page (C) 111-08.75, javelin: Adrian Page (C) 98-00, highjump: Camryn Thomas (O-E) 4-11, triplejump: Tiffany Bair (O-E) 34-00.50, longjump: Tiffany Bair (O-E) 17-02, polevault: Mauley Fox (PA) 9-06
