Five greater Niagara region athletes left the first day of the Section VI state qualifier with championships. Three of them stood atop the podium for the second time.
Grand Island’s Brooke Christensen, Niagara Wheatfield’s Nicholas Morgan and Jonah Goldman, Starpoint’s Shannon Zugelder and Wilson’s Ryan Hough all won individual events Friday at Falconer High School.
Champions in each event get an automatic berth to the state meet, while runners-up must have hit the qualifying standard at some point during the season to advance.
Christensen captured the Class B championship in the shot put a year after winning the event in Division 2 as the state has gone to three classes this year. Christensen’s heave of 37 feet, 2 inches nipped Hamburg’s Isabella Caparco by 2 inches.
Morgan was back on top of the podium in the 800 meters after winning a narrow race in 2024. This time Morgan gave himself some breathing room, taking the Class B title in 1 minute, 53.93 seconds, ahead of Lewiston-Porter’s Leo Clark, who qualified for states with a time of 1:54.36.
Goldman captured his first Section VI championship and state berth by winning the Class B discus throw with a toss of 140-1. The senior’s throw won by more than 6 feet and no other thrower came within 10 feet of his top mark.
Niagara Wheatifeld’s Brielle Peterson placed second in the girls 800 to Williamsville East’s Lilly Ascone by 2 seconds. But Peterson’s time of 2:14.89 qualified her for states.
Two years after winning in a photo finish, Zugelder again claimed the 3,000. The Class B champion won in 10:08.09, 48 seconds faster than Iroquois’ Kaylee Booker, who was the only competitor to come within a minute of Zugelder.
Class A
Niagara Falls has a whole bunch of runners in championship races Saturday, particularly the sprints.
On the girls side, Natilya Dewberry was third in the 100 prelims in 12.77, one of four Wolverines who qualified for the finals. Innocense Scott (13.02) was fourth, T’Mya Jenkins (13.06) was fifth and Cherish Walker was eighth (13.39).
Dewberry was also second in the 200 (26.33), Jenkins was third (26.33) and Scott was eighth (27.38). Lockport’s Mahkaya Beverly is seventh (26.86)
Jenkins, Dewberry, Kamari Simmons and Walker also led Niagara Falls to the top 4×100 time in the prelims (49.47). Lockport’s Icess Britton, Beverly, Leah Gaskill and Arden Anterline were fourth in 50.20.
Niagara Falls’ Kyasia Hall is second through three pentathlon events with 1,462 points. Williamsville North’s Gabby Hovak leads with 1,715.
For the boys, Niagara Falls’ Donovan Jackson was third in 100 hurdle prelims (16.28), while teammates Chase Lowery (17.27) and Shiah Kennedy (17.28) also advanced to the finals. Durelle Crittenden was third in the 400 hurdle prelims (59.89).
James Smith ran the third-fastest time in the open 400 (51.24), while teammate Jackson Barg was sixth (51.80).
Lockport’s Tray Thompson was third in the 100 prelims (11.47) and teammate Camrhyn Chinn was seventh (11.67), while Niagara Falls’ Kaleb Pool was sixth (11.61). Thompson was also fourth in the 200 (22.98), while Poole was fifth (23.05) and Barg was sixth (23.10).
The Lockport quartet of Sterling Pierce, Thompson, Matthew Towns and Chinn are fourth heading into the 4×100 relay final (44.31), while the Niagara Falls group of Poole, Dylan Hinks, Kayden Feagin and Jackson are sixth (44.60).
Class B
Starpoint’s Sophia Waliszewski is aiming for a state berth in the 110 hurdles after placing third in the prelims in 16.09. Niagara Wheatfield’s Gabrielle McKenzie was fourth (16.53) and North Tonawanda’s Audrey Stringfellow was seventh (17.23).
All have a tough task because Lake Shore’s Braeann Stender was first in 15.01.
Niagara Wheatfield’s Harrison Barrett is second in the boys pentathlon after three events. His 1,691 points trail Depew’s Landen Hibbs (1,858), while Barrett’s teammate Hayden DeSantis is third (1,493).
Class C
Hough has a chance to qualify for states in multiple events, including the 110 hurdles. His time of 15.99 seconds was the second-fastest in the preliminary races, behind Cleveland Hill’s Davion Douglas (15.58).
Hough and Wilson teammates Keegan Herrmann, Michael Ruble and Aidan Neumann won their preliminary heat in the 4×100 relay in 44.35 seconds, which was fourth overall. Newfane’s Brandon Aldridge, Isaiah Gerstung, Mike Henning and Nasir Spencer had the third-fastest time in the prelims at 44.31.
Royalton-Hartland’s Braden Ricker also has a chance to make a return trip to states after placing fifth in the 100 prelims (11.55), 0.06 seconds ahead of Aldridge. Ricker was also first in the 200 prelims, finishing with a time of 22.38, almost 0.3 seconds faster than anyone else.
Ricker’s teammate Zachary Schultz was also first in the 400 hurdle prelims. His time of 58.28 was 0.2 seconds faster than anyone.
On the girls side, Wilson’s Savanna Jones will compete Saturday in the finals of two events after placing fifth in the 100 and seventh in the 200 prelims.
The Section VI state qualifier resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday at Falconer.