NIAGARA FALLS – Grand Island’s Ryan Buzby had a pretty good weekend at the Section VI boys track and field championship meet. So too did Cleveland Hill’s Javon Thomas.
But nothing commands the attention of spectators at a track meet like a decorated senior making a run at a record that has stood for nearly 40 years.
Sweet Home’s Nate Davis gave it a great run, but did not break the section record in the 100-meter dash. He also came close to matching a section record he already owns. He more than happily settled for a mark he did not know was even in play.
Davis became the first Section VI runner to win four straight 200-meter dash championships. He captured the Division I 200 crown in 21.35 seconds before more than 3,000 folks at the Niagara Falls Athletic Complex on Saturday during the annual meet that also serves as a qualifier for the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association championship meet, which begins Friday at Cicero-North Syracuse.
With a slight breeze at his back Davis put up a nice number as he beat West Seneca West’s Peter Borzillieri, who finished in 22.10. Davis’ 21.35 time just missed the section record of 21.34 he shares with former Bennett star Lamar Smith.
“The four years in a row thing, you don’t want to jinx him,” Sweet Home coach Brian Lombardo said. “After you win it as a freshman … it’s tough as a sprinter to win that young, but then to stay healthy for four years, be ready for this meet for four years, not make a mistake for four years, it tells you just a little something about his focus and his intensity and how he absolutely manipulates it at the right time.”
Davis does perform well when the lights are at their brightest.
Earlier Saturday, he captured the 100 in 10.69 seconds, just missing the 10.64 Smith posted back in 1981. He capped his day by joining forces with Thomas Rivera, Anthony Williams and Kyle Durwald to win the 4×100.
“It’s a pretty big accomplishment,” said Davis of winning his fourth 200. “In the 100 I was just planning to go out and win I didn’t really have a specific time in mind. The 200, I wanted to get under 21. I was a little tight going in but next week I still have two more chances.”
Davis, whose college suitors include Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio State, heads into the state meet as the defending Federation champion in the 100 and as part of the defending champion 4×100 relay.
One of his 4×100 relay teammates, Thomas Rivera, learned what that championship feeling felt like as an individual for the first time. Rivera, a senior, captured the high jump, as he set a personal-best mark with his winning leap of 6-feet, 3-inches.
“Tommy has just honestly been such a good kid for this program,” Lombardo said. “For him to get his first individual sectional title that’s something as a coaching staff we wanted to see. That was a very good moment for us.”
Ryan Buzby of Grand Island had a couple championship moments of his own. The senior captured his second Section VI Division I title of the weekend when he rallied from behind to take first in steeplechase with a time of 9:46.28. It’s just the third time he has ever run the event, all within the past month. He broke the school record his first time running it, lowered it in his next meet and lowered it even more Saturday.
Buzby also rallied to win the 3,200 on Friday and stormed back to a runner-up finish in the 1,600 on Saturday. The triumphs rewarded Buzby, who devoted more time during the summer toward preparing for this track season after a good but not great junior year. He also runs cross country and swims.
Buzby trailed in all three of his events. Two he stormed back to win, including the steeplechase after he fell in the moat on his third and fourth laps.
“I was planning on patching. I wanted to patch,” said Buzby, who will run cross country and track at University at Buffalo. “That was when I realized I had to catch up. … I hate losing at the end.”
Orchard Park’s Cal Puskar, a UB commit, captured the 1,600 to go with the 800 he won Friday.
Other Division I champions were: Niagara Wheatfield’s Micah Rice (pole vault), Sweet Home’s Kaleb Luton (triple jump), Lockport’s Malik Brooks (400), Kenmore West’s Mark Marrelli (110 hurdles), Frontier’s Joshua Peron (400 hurdles) and the 4×800 relay team of Peron, Fridrik Diehl, Joey Groth and Connor O’Brien, Williamsville East’s Jameson Reid (pentathlon), Lancaster’s Jon Surdej (shot put) along with its 4×400 relay team of Derek Walter, Zach Brainard, Matt Skakal and Jared Rogalski, and West Seneca West’s Peter Borzillieri (long jump) and Joseph Castoire (discus).
In the Division II meet, Thomas – the Timon-St. Jude transfer who during the football season rushed for five touchdowns and more than 350 yards in a state semifinal contest for Cleve Hill, cruised to victories in the 100 and 200 and then anchored the 4×100 relay’s championship moment. Others on that relay included football teammates Chris Diem, Aaron Wahler and D’Mario Grant. Thomas captured the 100 in 10.8 seconds.
“Obviously it was a heck of a day for him,” Cleve Hill coach Glen Graham said. “He has a lot of natural ability. He’s understanding, what it’s like to work hard. This is a culmination of that understanding.”
Double-winners in Division II included Allegany-Limestone’s Michael Wolfgang (110 and 400 hurdles), JFK’s Shevaughn Allen (long jump and triple jump), Cheektowaga’s Art Jordan (discus and shot).
After a couple near misses, Maple Grove’s Michael Peppy, a multi-time Section VI Class D champion in cross country, won his first sectional track title in the 1,600.
Other Division II champions were: East Aurora’s Ian Russ (3,200), Lewiston-Porter’s Andrew Perreault (steeplechase), Clymer-Sherman-Panama’s John Swabik (pentathlon) and Cameron Barmore (high jump), Olean’s Grant Fox (pole vault), Cheektowga’s 4×400 relay team of Robert Bragg, Noah Williams, Seth Fonda and Seth Conner, and Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s 4×800 relay of Bryce Bagliua, Collin Barmore, Andrew Young and Rayven Sample as they barely edged Lew-Port for the crown and Alden’s Josh Jeziorski (800).
Champions and those who met in-season criteria and placed high enough in Saturday’s meet advance to the state meet.
Iroquois’ Rachel Donner throws retirement party for coach Scott Rollo with dual victory at sectionals
Section VI Track & Field Championships
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