Sports

Track & Field: Udvadia, Wright key SWR to 3rd place finish

DANIEL DE MATO PHOTO | Shoreham-Wading River senior Ryan Udvadia was first in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600 Saturday at the Small School County Championship.

Shoreham-Wading River senior Ryan Udvadia won the 3,200-meter race for the second straight year Saturday at the Small School County Championship.

Udvadia ran 9 minutes 38.52 seconds at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood to outpace Mount Sinai senior Daniel Connelly by 1 1/2 seconds. Udvadia’s victory helped lead the Wildcats to a third-place finish, matching their best finish at a county meet since 2010. The Wildcats scored 51 points to finish behind Port Jefferson (73) and Huntington (63).

Udvadia was also a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay team. Udvadia ran with fellow seniors Keith Steinbrecher, Jack Kelly and junior Matt Gladysz. They finished in 8:37.95, well ahead of second-place Bellport (8:47.32).

It was the first 4 x 800 victory for Shoreham at a county meet since 2009.

It was a busy afternoon for Udvadia, who also ran the 1,600. He finished third in that race in 4:33.82 behind Port Jefferson junior James Burke and Islip senior Mike Watts.

Last year, Udvadia qualified for the state championship in both events.

Senior Jordan Wright was the only other Wildcat with an individual first-pace finish Saturday. He won the 55-dash in 6.7 seconds.

Wright also helped lead the 4 x 200 relay team to a victory. The Wildcats’ quarter of Wright, seniors Michael McDonnell, Max Maritato and junior Bryce Casey ran 1:37.21 for a photo-finish victory over Huntington. The Wildcats won by one-tenth of a second.

McGann-Mercy’s foursome of senior Luis Cintron, Riley Joininides and sophomores Dale Kelly and Alex Frabrizio was fifth in the race in 1:40.64.

For the Wildcats, it was their first 4 x 200 relay victory at an indoor county meet since at least before the 2006 season, which is as far back as records go on Just-In-Time Racing.

Steinbrecher had a fourth-place finish in the 1,600 in 4:35.64. Senior Jack Kelly was sixth in the 1,000 in 2:45.29.

Earlier Saturday in the girls large school meet, Riverhead senior Madison Blom finished second in the shot put with a top mark of 34 feet 10 1/4 inches. She was the only Blue Wave to record points with a top-six finish.

On Friday, at the girls small school meet, the Wildcats finished 11th with 14 points. Eighth-grader Katherine Lee had the best individual finish with a second-place in the 1,500 (4:55.69). She also ran on the fourth-place 4 x 800 relay team along with sophomores Kaitlyn Ohrtman, Makayla Meeker and seventh-grader Francesca Lilly. They ran 10:27.28.

Ohrtman was also fifth in the 1,000 in 1:44.89.

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