Eyes were pulled away from the track as Anthony Nelson took control of the high jump area.

He had already won the event. He had already qualified for the state championship meet. Next, he was going for a personal best at 6-8.

He came close, but couldn’t quite get over the bar, but he was still one of three Wallkill Panthers heading to the New York State championship meet on Friday night at the Gillis Field House at West Point.

The state championship meet is scheduled for Saturday at Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility in Staten Island.

Pine Bush is sending two athletes to states and Valley Central is sending two athletes.

“I feel really good,” Nelson said. “It was definitely better than my last couple of meets. I usually have a knee problem, but it didn’t bother me today. I didn’t have a 4x2 run.”

Not having to run a relay meant Nelson didn’t have to save anything for any other events.

“It definitely made me determined to try to go higher,” Nelson said. “It made me more excited. I was really ready to go out there and give it my all knowing I don’t have to anything else after.”

That doesn’t mean things didn’t get complicated later. Needing some extra room to gain enough momentum to clear the bar, he had to venture onto the track and that meant waiting for the 1,000-meter girls race to pass before he could jump.

“It’s tough trying to do that and get out of the way of the runners,” Nelson said.

“It’s a really small area. I try to work with what I have.”

Nelson wasn’t the only Panther putting up some serious height.

Louis Martinez was neck-and-neck with Washingtonville’s Nicholas Mirecki, as they both cleared 15 feet, well over the standard of 13 feet.

Like Nelson he went for a personal best at 15-9 but came up short as well.
Wallkill also will send Sam Rodriguez to states in the girls’ 55-meter dash as she outraced Newburgh’s Nancy Johnson in 7.31 seconds to come in under the qualifying time of 7.31.

Pine Bush’s Brandon DeJesus won the boys’ 55-meter dash, coming in just under the qualifying time, finishing the race in 6.59 seconds. He narrowly edged Cornwall’s Jiles Addison.

Michael Fisher is headed to states in the boys’ weight throw as he reached 62-3.5. Minisink Valley’s Robert Decker won the event.

Valley Central’s Bianca Staples qualified in two events. She won the 300-meter dash in 41.54 and finished second in the high jump with a 5-4, clearing the state standard by one inch.

Ava Carsley finished second in the girls’ 1500-meter run but qualified for the state championships by beating the state standard by about 10 seconds.
Chapel Field’s Shaylen Goslar qualified for the relay in the girls’ 1,000-meter run with a time of 3:05.80.