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14th Lenox/Warwick Fast Times Relays

Tim St. Lawrence Track, Warwick Valley HS, Warwick NY

Monday June 2, 2008


Fast Times Relays promises to live up to its name
Preview by Jamie Kempton

The first 13 editions of the Lenox Fast Times Relays have lived up to advance billing and produced loads of fast times. The 14th annual, set for Monday night at Warwick Valley (N.Y.) High School, promises similarly stellar performances, what with the top-notch fields assembled by meet director Mike Potter.

The meet’s carnival atmosphere under the lights at Warwick, accented by lively music, makes for conducive conditions to run fast. The marquee event of the meet may well be the boys 4x800-meter relay, with seven sub-8:00 squads spearheading the field – four of them from New York City’s Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA): top-seeded Chaminade (7:47.4), No. 2 seed Kellenberg Memorial (7:50.11), fifth-seed St. Joseph by the Sea (7:55.45) and No. 7 seed Iona Prep (7:59.35). Also sure to be in contention will be the host Wildcats of Warwick, seeded third at 7:52.90, and No. 4 seed Somers (7:55.45).

The Suffern girls figure to vie for the championship in all three relays. The Mounties are top-seeded in the 4x100 at 48.15, but they have a 47.5 to their credit, which was good for first place at the Section 1 State Qualifier on Friday night. They may well challenge the meet record of 48.5, set by another Suffern unit in 2001. Cross-town rivals Ramapo (49.2) and Spring Valley (49.5) will challenge Suffern, and No. 4 seed New Rochelle (49.76) is always dangerous with Elizabeth Mott – who owns the top 400 hurdles time in the country (58.7) – and Aisha Chisholm forming half of the quartet.

Suffern is also top-seeded in the 4x400 at 3:53.0. Jen Clayton – who turned in an impressive 24.3, 18-8 ¼ and 39-1 triple at the Section 1 State Qualifier – is joined on both the 4x100 and 4x400 by her older sister, Janelle. Suffern is by no means a lock in the 4x400; seven teams have posted sub-4:00 clockings, including No. 2 seed Kellenberg (3:57.31), No. 3 Warwick (3:57.4), No. 4 Canarsie (3:58.0), and No. 5 North Rockland (3:58.08).

The girls 4x800 looks to be a barnburner with defending indoor state champion Warwick (9:06.33) heading a potent field that includes Suffern (9:09.0), Bronxville (9:10.04) and Academy of the Holy Names of Albany (9:10.11).

Ramapo’s boys speedsters will be contenders in both the 4x100 and 4x400. The Gryphons’ 4x1 foursome owns the top time in the state at 42.13, but they’ll be pressed by the likes of Canarsie (42.95), Mount St. Michael (43.03) and Mount Vernon (43.3). Warwick enters the 4x400 with the fastest seed time, 3:20.1, but Ramapo just clicked off a 3:18.9 at the State Qualifer on Friday and should give the homestanding Wildcats all they can handle. Clarkstown South (3:21.9) and Canarsie (3:22.5) will also contend.

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