CICERO — Throughout the season, Skaneateles junior Kyla Palmer and Westhill senior Ashley Bolesh have competed in the 400 meters, posting two of the fastest Division II (small school) times in the state.

So he only figured the pair would fight again at last Friday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships, with Palmer finishing first.

“It’s awesome,” Palmer said. “That’s what I’ve worked for all year.”

Capping off a stellar junior season after traveling thousands of miles east of Idaho, Palmer battled both Bolesh and gusty winds that made conditions difficult on an afternoon of otherwise perfect June.

During the season, Palmer had run 56.32 seconds in the 400m, and Bolesh in 56.92. The winds kept the championship heat from that kind of speed.

But finishing in 56.74, Palmer still claims the state title, while Bolesh, in 57.29, beat Académie Montfort’s Jayla Johnson (57.59) for second place.

Moving on to the 200 metres, Palmer, a top-10 qualifier at 25.65 seconds, improved significantly, improving by half a second to 25.15 and entering Saturday’s final as the second qualifier on faster behind Gianna Locci’s 25.10 of Stillwater.

In that 200m final, Palmer would finish in 25.21 seconds, third overall but second in the NYSPHSAA race behind only Stlllwater’s Gianna Locci, who took the win in 25.08.

There was one more race left – the final of the Federation at 400 meters. Palmer broke her own school record and, in 55.59 seconds, finished third only to Paul Robeson’s Anissa Moore’s 54.53 and John Adams’ Jadah Fitzgerald’s 55.02. Bolesh also ran and finished sixth in 57.44.

Returning Friday, Bolesh joined Angie Mesa-Espinosa, Kate Bendall and Elle Herrera in the Division II 4×100 relay, where she was the top seed 49.27 seconds before the final.
Together, the Warriors quartet ran pretty well and finished in 49.63 seconds, beating everyone but Stillwater, who won in 49.15.

There was also the 100 meters where Mesa-Espinosa qualified fifth in 12.32 seconds. A run of 12.38 put Mesa-Espinosa second heading into the final, where she ran 12.80 and took eighth place.

Jordan-Elbridge senior Vassianna Klock also medaled in the 800 meters, her time of 2:14.92 fourth among Division II runners and eighth overall, the title won by Angelina Napoleon of Allegany- Limestone in 2:08.58.

A day later in the 2000 meter steeplechase, Klock, who had qualified in 7:13.74, but here she went much faster, finishing in 7:06.15 to grab third place of Division II and eighth overall. Napoleon won here too, with a record time of 6:30.59.

West Genesee had junior Peter McMahon in the 3,200 meter race, looking to improve on his 9:25.69, but he only managed a 9:30.31 to finish 17th overall, 14th among runners in Division I.

In the women’s 4×400 relay, the WG quartet of Chloe Fietze, Sarah Fettig, Grace McInerney and Andrea Conklin went in 4:14.95 to finish 10th, a race won by Paul Robeson in 3:52.41.

Skaneateles also featured Maddie Wright in the high jump, looking to improve on 5ft, but she could only manage a 4’9″ here as Gloversville’s Zoie Tesi moved past 5’5″ for the title of state.