Our first track meet of 2026 is in the books! We hosted 191 athletes with 408 event participations from 9 teams, including the Mustangs Track Club, Groton Project TC, Troy Track & Field, North Penn-Mansfield, Odessa-Montour, GIAC Navigators, SOAR Running Club, Trumansburg Track Club, and the Syracuse Track Club. Among many great performances, athletes notched two new top-10 spots on the FLRC Track leaderboard: Chelsea Benson in the 5000m and Dafydd Williams in the long jump. Full results and a link to the fabulous meet photos—lots of you are in there!—are available on the FLRC website.
5000m
The 5000m opened the meet with a competitive field braving the 25 laps around Barton Hall. Although Shane Fraser led for the first half, Lucas Baker took over and pulled away for the win in 16:23, while Fraser secured second in 16:32. Steve Esposito rounded out the podium with a 16:44 showing. For the women, Chelsea Benson took first with an impressive 18:24 that moves her into fourth on the FLRC Track leaderboard, while Odessa-Montour’s Lexi Strobel followed in 26:04. Of special note, 13-year-old Alden Morseman turned in a remarkable 18:01 to finish seventh overall, while 77-year-old James Miner completed the distance in 31:54.
In the racewalking sub-competition, Matthew Wombacker led the way in 25:29, followed by Madigan White in 29:02 and Madison Tuttle in 29:18.
60m
The 60m dash featured an impressive 93 finishers across numerous heats. Dafydd Williams blazed to victory in 7.02 seconds, with the Mustangs Track Club’s Thando Shezi close behind in 7.08. Nicolo Christian claimed third with a 7.33 clocking. Among the women, Odessa-Montour’s Aspyn Skinner took top honors in 8.68, followed by the Groton Project’s Karson Mackey in 8.94 and 10-year-old Amari Morrone of the GIAC Navigators in 9.07.
The toddler heats were once again a crowd favorite, with 2-year-old Alexander Kozik completing his 60m toddle in 36.76 seconds, and fellow 2-year-olds Senyo Nti-Addae and Caspian Whetten following in 49.49 and 51.19.
1 Mile
The 1-mile run saw numerous lead changes after a slow first lap, but in the end, Alexander Simpson threw down an impressive kick to win in 4:25. While that time would rank seventh all-time on the FLRC Track leaderboard, Simpson already holds the top spot with his 4:19 from a previous meet. Brian Kenny followed in 4:35, with Alexander Evans just a tick behind in 4:36 for third. On the women’s side, Hailey Whetten claimed the win in 5:29, with 43-year-old Liz Hartman taking second in 5:47 and Cher Armstrong finishing third in 6:11.
The mile also showcased solid performances across the age spectrum. The Groton Project’s Scott Weeks, 53, turned in a strong 4:51 for seventh overall, nine-year-old Layne Johnson ran a 6:25, and 72-year-old Ken Hodges crossed in 7:05.
200m
The Mustangs Track Club’s Siyel Bowman flew to victory in the 200m with a 23.35 showing. Nicolo Christian grabbed second in 23.48 for his second top-three sprint finish of the day, while the Mustangs’ Thando Shezi—also doubling back from a podium finish in the 60m—rounded out the top three men in 24.33. Odessa-Montour’s Janne Anderson, just 14 years old, led the women with a 29.39 clocking. The Groton Project’s Karson Mackey claimed her second top-three sprint of the day with a 30.45, and Troy Track & Field’s Harper Lee, also 14, secured third in 31.72.
At 78 years young, Carl Feuer completed the 200m in 58.71, while 67-year-old Timothy Christian crossed in 38.40.
4x200m Relay
The college-aged Mustangs Track Club dominated the relay competition, taking first and second with times of 1:45 and 1:55. North Penn-Mansfield claimed third in 1:58, just ahead of Troy Track & Field in 1:59. All told, four teams broke the 2:00 barrier.
High Jump
Dylan Johns cleared 5 feet, 10 inches to win the high jump, with Kole Heyer reaching 5 feet, 8 inches for second and John Kerin jumping 5 feet, 6 inches for third. Among the women, North Penn-Mansfield’s Nora Furry led with a clearance of 4 feet, 4 inches, while the Mustangs Track Club’s Jaidon Brodie and North Penn-Mansfield’s Moira Wheeler tied for second at 4 feet, 2 inches.
Notable among the masters athletes, 65-year-old Mike Thompson cleared 4 feet, 6 inches, and the Syracuse Track Club’s Leander Boreland, 59, jumped 3 feet, 10 inches.
Long Jump
Dafydd Williams capped off a dominant day in the sprints and jumps, soaring to victory in the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 7 inches—a result that vaults him into third place on the FLRC Track leaderboard. The Mustangs Track Club’s Siyel Bowman, also doubling back from his 200m win, landed second with 19 feet, 1¾ inches, and North Penn-Mansfield’s Brayden Johnson took third at 18 feet, 8½ inches.
In the women’s competition, 14-year-old Jenna Morningstar led the field with a jump of 14 feet, 5¾ inches. The Mustangs Track Club’s Jaidon Brodie claimed her second top-three field event finish of the day with 14 feet, 4 inches for second, and Troy Track & Field’s Harper Lee—notching her second top-three of the day after her 200m podium finish—took third at 13 feet, 5½ inches.
The youngest competitors also got in on the action, with 5-year-olds Oliver Nelson and Owen King, both of the SOAR Running Club, jumping 6 feet, 10½ inches and 6 feet, 10 inches, respectively.
Thanks to Our Volunteers
As always, FLRC track meets are the result of the efforts of numerous volunteers. Ian Golden, Lizzy Rayle, Dirk Swart, Robert Swizdor, and Bob Talda arrived early to help with setup. Tonya Engst managed the registration desk and answered questions with Rebecca Lambert. Patrick Boyle did a bang-up job as starter, and Bob Talda recorded all the times as head timer. Molly Doruska counted laps and ran the backup timer, while Chris Mellor recorded bib numbers for the longer races. Lizzy Rayle and David Rossiter coordinated the heats, and Jesse Koennecke kept HyTek Meet Manager running smoothly for results with help from Charlie Fay. Our sprint timing team consisted of Amy Dawson, Scott Dawson, Molly Doruska, Marlene Kwee, Christopher Petroff, and Robert Swizdor. On the field event side, Brett Shelton managed the long jump with assistance from Leo Nakaranuruck, Ted Boscia, and Ayla Maggard, while LJ Lansdowne coordinated the high jump with help from Phil Johnson. Paul Houle took photos, and Heather Cobb sold FLRC clothing.
Thanks for coming, and we’ll see you at the February Flash Dash and the Strides of March!