By John Raffel
Ithaca’s girls track and field team scored 38 points to finish fourth among Division 3 girls teams at the state finals on May 30 at Comstock Park. Erica Sheahan, with 26 points to her credit, had a strong day for Ithaca, winning the long jump (17-7.3/4), taking second in the 100-meter dash (12.49) and second in the 200-meter dash (25.57). All were personal records.
She was also on the 4×400 relay team that took fourth (4:09.95). Also in the relay were Kara Kindel, Kurstin Kalisek and Amelia Freestone.
Sheahan’s big moment came in the long jump.
“I thought I did really good,” she said. “I was getting nervous at first when I wasn’t jumping the way I wanted to. At the end, I wound up getting it.”
Sheahan was able to get height on her jump. It was raining most of the day but it didn’t seem to bother her.
“I don’t think the rain affected me,” she said. “My coach said I could do it. I hit the board perfect and really got up.”
Her jump at the state finals was a personal record. She had jumped a personal best 15 days earlier at the regionals at 17-6 ½. Sheahan covered 17-1 at the MITCA meet on May 23.
Sheahan is among the key Yellowjackets returning next season. She’s one of the six Ithaca runners who were the top seven performers for their cross country championship team in the 2014 state finals.
“She also set a school record in the 400 meters earlier
this year with a time of 59.64,” Ithaca girls track coach Gene LeBron said. “She was on the 4x400m relay team that broke the school record with a time of 4:06.67 at the Morning Sun meet. That time was also a Morning Sun meet record time. She is also a member of the 4×1 and 4×2 school records that were set last year. So that is seven school records total. She is the best athlete I have ever coached and all she wants to do is get better and win.”
Other placers at state were the 4×800 relay team of Blaire Showers, Alyssa
Mankey, Amelia Freestone and Courtney Allen, who placed sixth (9:50). The 4x400m relay team of Kara Kindel, Kurstin Kalisek,
Freestone and Sheahan was fourth (4:09). Allen took fifth in the 800-meter run with a new school record (2:20.32).
Ithaca won its first regional championship in girls track and field and took the TVC West title. Ithaca was third at the
MITCA team state meet.