In the end it was the athletes in the field that shined most brightly for the Marlboro boys’ and girls’ track and field teams at Friday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association qualifier meet.

Juliana Juras and Victoria Maher went first and second in the discus, both punching their tickets to the state track and field meet on Friday and Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.

Juras had been excelling in the field all season for the Dukes, even hitting the state super standard at the Section 9 Class C meet earlier, while breaking a 24-year-old school record. So, she entered the meet already qualified.

Maher’s qualification was more of a surprise and marked the first time the Dukes will send two discus throwers to states. They also both qualified to compete at the New Balance nationals in Philadelphia.

Maher had throwing in the 90s as recently as a week earlier. Friday afternoon, she hit a 117-6, finishing about four feet behind Juras’ 121-9.

“It’s surreal almost,” Maher said. “For me, I was thinking next year I’d be hitting the high hundreds, and then I came out this year, hitting 117. And it was really shocking for me, but I’m really excited what the future holds and getting higher than that.”

Juras and Maher will be joined by Drew Heimink, who qualified in two events (pole vault and long jump), as well as the Iron Dukes’ 400-meter relay team of Colin Robertson, Sam Lofaro, Dylan Gunsett and Chinedu Okasi, which finished second behind James I. O’Neill, but still hit the at large time.

They finished with a time of 44.34 seconds and are the first Marlboro relay team to go to states since 2015.

Heimink won the pole vault, winning the event by clearing 12-6. He finished third in the long jump but qualified with a 19-9.5.
“It feels good,” Heimink said. “It makes me feel confident being a section champion and going to states.”

Heimink headed a strong field of Marlboro pole vaulters as teammates Colin Robertson, finishing second by clearing 12-0, and his younger brother, Sean, cleared 10 feet to finish fifth. Both were personal bests.

“Every day in practice we’re always pushing each other, and we have a good coach, so that always helps,” Heimink said.

For most it’s their first time at the state championships.

However, it’s the first time anyone has gone to the state championship meet since 2019, as the 2020 season was canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The season took place in 2021, but states were not held in 2021 as the pandemic continued.

“I’m looking forward to just throwing, and hopefully beating a few really good throwers,” Maher said.

Earlier in the week, Juras won the discus throw at the Iron Duke Throw off Series on May 31, reaching 117-8. She also finished third in the shot put with a throw of 31-9.5.

Maher was fourth in the discus and Alexandra Yager was 21st. Julia Gaer was 12th in the shot put.

For the boys’ team, Trace Napoli was third with a throw of 44-3 and fourth in the discus reaching 14-4. Jose Iraola-Ceely was second in the hammer throw, reaching 136-6.

Boys
800-meter run: 1. Ryan Murray (Cornwall) - 1:55.04.

3,200-meter run: 1. Collin Gilstrap (MW) - 9:19.40; 8. Domenic Valentino (Marlboro) - 10:11.23.
Pentathlon: 1. Christian Totman Q (Red Hook) - 2,253.
Pentathlon 110-meter hurdles: 1. Jack Samko (Rondout Valley) - 18.99.
Pentathlon high jump: 1. Christian Totman (Red Hook) - 1.68.
Pentathlon 1,500-meter run: 1. Christian Totman (Red Hook) - 4:58.09.
Pentathlon shot put: 1. Gavin Wickeremasuriya (James I. O’Neill) - 10.94.
Pentathlon long jump: 1. Christian Totman (Red Hook) - 5.01.
High jump: 1. Constentino Proscia Q (Port Jervis) - 6-1; 8. Daiven Leath (Highland) - 5-4.
Pole vault: 1. Drew Heimink Q (Marlboro) - 12-6; 2. Colin Robertson (Marlboro) - 12-0; 5. Sean Robertson (Marlboro) - 10-0.
Javelin: 1. Mykhaylo Hychka (Chester) - 106-6.
3,000-meter steeplechase: 1. Evan Waterton (Monticello) - 9:37.28.
1,600-meter run: 1. Jacob Kosilla Q (FDR) - 4:24.33; 12. Domenic Valentino (Marlboro) - 4:41.33.
3,200-meter relay: 1. Monroe-Woodbury Q (John Urciuoli, Ethan Hala, Collin Catherwood, Collin Gilstrap) - 8:09.40.
110-meter hurdles: 1. Alexander Peyser Q (New Paltz) - 15.31.
100-meter dash: 1. Cameron Sands Q (Rondout Valley) - 10.80; 2. Jadon Spain Q (James I. O’Neill) - 10.89; 4. Colin Robertson (Marlboro) - 11.37; 9. Ryan Pikul (Highland) - 11.88; 20. Connor Fauci (Highland) - 12.57.
400-meter dash: 1. Jackson Smith Q (James I. O’Neill) - 50.69; 3. Ryan Pikul (Highland) - 53.56.
400-meter hurdles: 1. Alexander Peyser Q (New Paltz) - 56.47.
200-meter dash: 1. Nolan Kozera Q (Millbrook) - 22.75; 3. Ryan Pikul (Highland) - 23.91; 5. Dan Maher (Marlboro) - 24.20; 6. Cameron Sands Q (Rondout Valley) - 25.36; 7. Jadon Spain Q (James I. O’Neill) - 26.35; 13. Connor Fauci (Highland) - 24.89.
400-meter relay: 1. James I. O’Neill Q (Evan Maasik, Jordan Thompson, Keegan Trubenbach, Jadon Spain) - 43.79; 2. Marlboro Q (Colin Robertson, Sam Lofaro, Dylan Gunsett, Chinedu Okasi) - 44.34.
1,600-meter relay: 1. James I. O’Neill Q (Mathias Williams, Jeremy Stoll, Carson Darling, Jackson Smith) - 3:29.04.
Discus: 1. Aidan Ifkovits Q (New Paltz) - 159-8; 2. Trace Napoli (Marlboro) - 139-9; 5. Jose Iraola-Ceely (Marlboro) - 120-6.
Shot put: 1. Chris Campanelli Q (Sullivan West) - 52-2.5; 2. Trace Napoli (Marlboro) - 46-0; 5. Jose Iraola-Ceely (Marlboro) - 4110.25.
Long jump: 1. Consentino Proscia Q (Port Jervis) - 22-0.25; 2. Matthew Petty (Highland)- 20-2.00; 3. Drew Heimink Q (Marlboro) - 19-9.5; 4. Sam Lofaro (Marlboro) - 19-6; 7. Dylan Gunsett (Marlboro) - 18-6.25; 12. Dan Maher (Marlboro) - 17-7.5.
Triple jump: 1. Evan Maasik Q (James I. O’Neill) - 43-11.75; 2. Matthew Petty (Highland)- 42-11.25; 3. Chinedu Okasi (Marlboro) - 41-4.5.
Hammer throw: 1. Jose Iraola-Ceely (Marlboro) - 135-8.

Girls
800-meter run: 1. Ava Carsley (VC) - 2:18.25.
3,000-meter run: 1. Karrie Baloga (Cornwall) - 9:46.34.
Pentathlon: 1. Angelina Turner Q (Rondout Valley) - 2,192.
Pentathlon high jump: 1. Annika Walsh (New Platz) - 1.40

Pentathlon 800-meter run: 1. Angelina Turner (Rondout Valley) - 2:44.14.
Pentathlon 100-meter hurdles: 1. Autumn Prezzano (Pine Plains) - 17.81.
Pentathlon long jump: 1. Angelina Turner (Rondout Valley) - 4.43.
Pentathlon shot put: 1. Autumn Prezzano (Pine Plains) - 8.04.
High jump: 1. Tessa Backburn Q (Pine Plains) - 4-10; 3. Amelia Benjamin Q (Ellenville) - 4-6.
Pole vault: 1. Siri Walsh Q (New Paltz) - 8-9.
Javelin: 1. Kesenia Sosnowski (Eldred) - 78-3.
2,000-meter steeplechase: 1. Karri Baloga Q (Cornwall) - 6:39.20.
1,500-meter run: 1. Kayla Schramm Q (Goshen) - 4:45.45; 19. Emma Elizondo (Marlboro) - 5:52.03.
3,200-meter relay: 1. Cornwall Q (Karrie Baloga, Adriana Cecchetelli, Alexis Ellett, Maris Potter) - 9:38.23.
100-meter hurdles: 1. Veda Keon Q (New Paltz) - 16.32.
100-meter dash: 1. Jacqueline Kennedy Q (Rondout Valley) - 12.48; 8. Elizabeth Elizondo (Marlboro) - 13.65; 22. Julianna Hernandez (Highland) - 14.83.
400-meter dash: 1. Gisella King Q (Fallsburg) - 1:01.79; 8. Stephanie Petrie (Marlboro) - 1:06.65; 15. Fallon Grace (Marlboro) - 1:08.87.
400-meter hurdles: 1. Magnolia Flamhaft Q (Rondout Valley) - 1:11.63.
200-meter dash: 1. Jacqueline Kennedy Q (Rondout Valley) - 25.59; 2. Amelia Benjamin Q (Ellenville) - 25.68; 14. Alivia Menser (Marlboro) - 29.47.
400-meter relay: 1. Rondout Valley Q (Maddie Malak, Kayla Oakes, Sophia Schoonmaker, Jacqueline Kennedy) - 50.60; 7. Marlboro (Elizabeth Elizondo, Alivia Menser, Fallon Grace, Stephanie Petrie) - 55.04.
1,600-meter relay: 1. Rhinebeck Q (Olivier Pulver, Anna Savolainen, Fiona Murray, June Nathan) - 4:20.38.
Discus: 1. Juliana Juras Q (Marlboro) - 121-9; 2. Victoria Maher Q (Marlboro) - 117-06.
Shot put: 1. Jasmine Rider Q (Onteora) - 35-2; 3. Juliana Juras (Marlboro) - 31-9.
Long jump: 1. Jacqueline Kennedy Q (Rondout Valley) - 17-2.25; 2. Kayla Oakes Q (Rondout Valley) - 15-11.75.
Triple jump: 1. Siri Walsh Q (New Paltz) - 34-4; 13. Taylor Trapani (Marlboro) - 26-10.
Hammer: 1. Rachel Cataldi Q (Ellenville) - 107-8.