NYSPHSAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD: CORNING'S MCLAUGHLIN WINS 55 HURDLE STATE TITLE, 4TH IN LJ; RUFFIN & CIMO ALSO EARN MEDALS (2025-03-08)
Southern Tier Sports ReportSTATEN ISLAND — Cella McLaughlin brought home a state title in the 55 hurdles and was fourth in the long jump to lead the locals at the NYSPHSAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Ocean Breeze.
McLaughlin won the public school title in the 55 hurdles, tying her PR of 8.03. She was second in the federation championship behind Taylor Foster of Brearley School (7.94).
Corning’s Zuri Ruffin was fourth in the long jump and Sophia Cimo was seventh in the weight throw, while Jaxyn Mahoney just missed a medal by one spot in the 600.
“It feels amazing to be state champ,” McLaughlin said. “I remember my freshman year I decided that I was going to hurdle at states, but I would have never expected this.
“I am so happy I was able to come here today and compete against these amazing girls.”
McLaughlin, a junior, was at states for diving in the fall, and that didn’t go the way she wanted, as she missed the cut. But, that experience in the fall just made Saturday even more special.
“Coming from a bad diving states makes this experience all the more special,” McLaughlin said.
And, now that she’s got this state title the Corning standout is ready to see what she can do during the outdoor season.
“I’m really excited for the outdoor season, especially because I was injured last year,” McLaughlin said.
The Hawks often practice for the indoor season on the track above the gym in the field house. Right up on those walls are banners of all the school’s state champions, and now McLaughlin will have her own banner up there.
“I am so excited to have a banner on the wall,” she said. “It’s really an honor to know I will be up there with all of Corning’s greats.”
Corning coach Ray Lawson was impressed with what McLaughlin did on Saturday.
"We are very proud of her," Lawson said. "We knew going into the state meet she had a really good chance to medal. She went in having made some big improvements. this season. It's such a technical event. Everything has to go right.The top maybe 10 athletes are separated by tens of thousands of a second. In the trials she ran conservatively and then she came back in the finals and ran great. Anytime you can go to the state meet and win, that's awesome."
While McLaughlin won the state title in the hurdles, Notre Dame’s Makenna Keough was 24th overall in the federation in 8.76.
McLaughlin was fourth in the long jump at 18-feet, 10 1/4-inches. Keough was 18th for Notre Dame at 16-feet, 9-inches.
Ruffin was fourth in the boys’ long jump at 22-feet, 10 1/4-inches, just .25 behind third place. Ruffin was 14th in the 55 meters in 6.58.
Cimo was seventh in the weight throw at 48-feet, 3/4-inches.
"Cella coming back in the long jump, that was her personal best of the season," Lawson said. "In the 55 the tied her personal best, in the long jump that was a new personal best by 4 1/4 inches. Zuri had a really good first jump and that was enough to carry him through. Sophia made tremendous progress this year. Each state meet has gotten better for her."
Mahoney finished seventh in the public school in the 600 in 1:22.24. He was seventh in public school and ninth in the federation and the top six in public school and eight in federation medal.
Olivia Martinec of Corning was 18th in the 3000 meters in 10:13.54.
The Hawks were 17th in the girls’ 1600 relay in 4:24.52 and they were 18th in the 4x200 relay in 1:49.99. Corning’s boys were 18th in the 4x200 relay in 1:36.96.
Bryce Hammond finished 17th in the boys’ 1000 in 2:34.61.
Leila Ianovici finished 27th in the 600 meters in 1:43.42. Gregory Homa finished 23rd in the 1600 in 4:28.09.
Reese Conway of Corning was 19th in the pole vault at 10-feet. Maxwell Jennings was 17th in the boys pole vault at 12-feet.
Keough was 15th in the triple jump at 36-feet, 1/2-inches.
Freddie Collins was 21st in the boys’ weight throw at 54-feet, 9 3/4-inches.
Corning was 19th in the girls’ 3200 relay in 9:55.67.
"We had some other people with good PR's today," Lawson said. "I know Greg HOma had a personal best in the mile. Jaxyn had a really excellent 600. That's number two all-time for Corning. Bryce Hammond in the 1000 that was a personal best.
"It's always exciting to use to have athletes go down there on that stage. You hope to have your best there, but under that pressure it's not easy, so a lot of good things happened there today."
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PHOTOS BY SHEILA SUTTON.
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