ESG - Track
Coughlin kicks off medal reap
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Amherst's Dan Polino competes in the long jump as part of the scholastic men's decathlon at the Empire State Games last Thursday in Westchester County. Polino placed seventh in the scholastic men's decathlon with 4,130 points. Photo by Jason Nadolinski Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

When Alice Coughlin crossed the finish line at 9:15 Thursday morning, she may have been third in her race, but she was first in Buffalo.

Coughlin's bronze medal in the scholastic women's 10,000 meters was the first medal scooped up by a Buffalo-area athlete at the 30th annual Empire State Games. She was second for the Western Region, as Fairport's Tyler Stachecki won silver in the scholastic men's 10,000 about 40 minutes earlier.

"It's kind of cool," the East Aurora High School senior said of her distinction. "But I'm just glad I finished."

The Western Region is made up of primarily Buffalo-area and Rochester-area athletes.

Coughlin had a shot at the silver medal in the grueling race, as she crossed the line with one lap to go simultaneously with Adirondack's Morgan Roche. Roche out-kicked Coughlin that final lap, the 25th of the race, to finish in 41:34.73. Coughlin crossed in 41:52.76.

Cheektowaga's Matt Santarserio, a graduate of Amherst High School, took to the track amid 80-degree temperatures Thursday for the open men's 800. He finished fourth in his semifinal heat. Photo by Jason Nadolinski Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

"I guess I could have tried a little harder at the end," Coughlin said. "She's a very good runner. I didn't really expect to place at all, because I didn't know what the competition would be like."

But both girls fell way behind the winner, Long Island's Kathryn Sheehan, who annihilated the competition with her time of 41:16.75. She was so far out in front, Coughlin didn't even know she was in the race.

"I thought we had lapped her, but it was her teammate," Coughlin said. "I thought I was in third most of the time, but I was actually in fourth."

Lancaster's Pericozzi vaults

to gold medal

While Coughlin brought home Buffalo's first medal, Lancaster's Ryan Pericozzi won Buffalo's first gold.

Pericozzi cleared a personal best 14-feet, 7-inches in the scholastic men's pole vault, to top Adirondack's Jeff Reinker (13-feet, 6-inches). Pericozzi won the event when he cleared 14-0 on his second attempt and Reinker failed in his three attempts. Pericozzi then tried 15-0, but missed three times.

"I think I did good," Pericozzi said. "I was real close on 15. I can definitely get there next year. My warmups were really good jumps and I just carried them through the meet."

In other action on the track through the weekend:

Tonawanda's Anthony Johnson, the defending New York State Public High School champion, won the scholastic men's 100 meters in 11.17 seconds. The Kenmore East High School speedster could have finished in a better time, had a hamstring issue not flared up in the final 10 meters. He won his semifinal heat in 11.12.

Johnson also finished fourth in the 4x100 relay with teammates Chris Davis (Corning), Albert Johnson (Painted Post) and Taylor Kensy (Holland) in 45.28.

Lancaster's Aaron Bapst finished sixth in his semifinal heat of the scholastic men's 200 meters in 24.16 and did not advance to the finals. Steve Maciejewski finished ninth in the open men's discus with a toss of 39.92 meters. Alex Brown took seventh in the open women's 5,000 in 19:27.59.

Cheektowaga's Zack Eldridge placed sixth in the scholastic men's shot put with a toss of 13.09 meters. Matt Santarsiero finished fourth in this semifinal heat of the open men's 800 in 2:04.02.

West Seneca's Lauren Lewis won bronze in the scholastic women's heptathlon with 3,314 points. Leanne Skrabacz finished fifth in the open women's 3,000 steeplechase in 12:31.10.

Clarence's Katie Kaiser took sixth in the open women's pole vault, as she cleared 2.94 meters. Melissa Cummiskey won bronze in the scholastic women's long jump with a leap of 5.14 meters.

East Aurora's Sarah Mosser won the open women's 1,500 in 4:41.07, beating the competition by more than 15 seconds. Jenna Hutton won the scholastic women's 1,500 in 4:54.03 and placed fourth in the scholastic women's 800 in 2:21.32.

Amherst's Sarah Mikulski finished eighth in the scholastic women's 100 hurdles in 17:35. Dan Polino placed seventh in the scholastic men's decathlon with 4,130 points.

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com