SECTION 4 BOYS' TRACK AND FIELD: LOCALS HAVE BIG DAY AT STATE QUALIFIERS (24 PHOTOS) (June 4, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
ENDICOTT — In his first year doing outdoor track and field Horseheads senior Patrick Laney is a state qualifier with a school-record time in the 100 meters. 

A year ago Laney was the starting center fielder on the Blue Raiders state title baseball team. On Thursday he was winning the 100 meters in his division in 10.89. Laney was also part of two winning relays on the day to make states in three events. 

“It feels amazing, it’z a blessing,” Laney said. It’s very special, it was a hard decision to step away from baseball, but at the end I had to do what benefited me. I came out here and there were a lot of great competitors out here. I respect everybody in the field, I just got the better of them today.”

For Laney he has still been there supporting the Blue Raiders baseball players this year, while they have also supported him. 

“I have been supporting these boys all season,” Laney said. “I was there for their sectional game, there game tomorrow I’m going to be there. They are still my boys. I have nothing but love for them. I know they are supporting me, they are texting me, wishing me luck and everything. It’s a special thing to have that brotherhood still and be so close with all of them.”

For Laney, who started doing indoor track as a junior, he decided to do outdoor track after getting offered a chance to run at Geneseo next year.

“When I go to Geneseo they are going to have the right facilities, they are going to have the training for me. I know it’s nothing but up from here, this is just the start,” Laney said. 

And, while he’ll miss both baseball, and football, he knows that doing just track will make him even better in the sport.

“It sucks to walk away from football,” Laney said. “It ended right here (at U-E). That was a hard goodbye, but now the sole focus being on track, I think it’s just special things to come.”

Now it’s off to the state meet for Laney.

“It’s going to be electric man,” Laney said. “It’s going to be fast, it’s going to be quick. I’m hoping we can get that podium, but we’ll see.”

Corning’s Ashtyn Stark made states in the 3000 steeplechase, winning his division in 10:13.58 followed by Elmira’s James Lovell (11:23.11) and Britton Chapman of Corning (11:35.51). Jameson Duggan of Edison was third in his division in 10:57.37. Evan Soccio of Corning was fifth at 12:13.31. 

Sebastian Boutwell of Corning won the 1600 in 4:18.74 to make states. Nicholas Ferratella of Corning was fourth in 4:23.77, but had the super standard to make states. 

Nicholas Kowal of Horseheads was second in the 1600 in 4:19.41 followed by Corning’s Bryce Hammond in 4:19.68. Allen Wetmore of Horseheads was fifth in 4:30.93 with Graham Wightman of Corning seventh in 4:35.74 followed by Horseheads’ Jack Sydlansky (4:41.63). Gavin Hornsby of Horseheads was next in 4:44.36 followed by Corning’s Andrew Wilkerson (4:52.79).

Ethan Wentzel of Corning won his division in the 110 hurdles to make states in 15.28 with Joshua Fajardo of Corning third in 15.95. 

Chase Luangsuwan of Horseheads made states in the 200, winning his division in 22.64 followed by teammate Baraka Schmidt in 22.68. 

Corning had the super standard in the 3200 relay to make states. They took fourth in their division in 8:55.44 with a team of Christopher Lawson, Hammond, Ferratella and Boutwell. 

Horseheads was second in 8:40.91 with a team of Jack Sydlansky, Max Williams, Wetmore and Dominick Marino. Elmira was next in 8:44.83 with a team of Mathias Carpenter, Igby Coker, Lovell and Gianni Page. Edison was fifth in their division in 8:54.15 with a team of Carson Balash, Duggan, Augustus Ector and Zachary Sternfels. 

Horseheads won the 400 relay in 42.73 to make states with a team of Marco Cipolla, Laney, Schmidt and Luangsuwan. Corning was second in 44.67 with a team of Liam Krebs, Grayson Timmons, Zac Radnitz and Wentzel. 

The Blue Raiders won the 1600 in Tyler Sherry, Kowal, Carver Robbins and Laney in 3:23.93 to make it to states. Corning was second in 3:25.60 with a team of Adrian Blouin, Charles Warner, Dylan Currie and Ryan Calkins. 

John-Charles Walton of Elmira won the triple jump to make states at 44-feet, 4 3/4-inches. Chase Smith of Elmira was next at 42-feet, 1 3/4-inches with Fajardo fourth at 41-feet, 2-inches. Bryson Williams of Elmira was fifth at 40-feet, 11 1/4-inches. Edison’s Mark Cornacchio was 11th at 38-feet, 2 1/4-inches. 

Drew Clearwater of Elmira was third in the high jump at 5-feet, 10-inches followed by teammate Darien Coprew at 5-feet, 8-inches. Darien Harris of Elmira was fifth at 5-feet, 6-inches. Rashid Brown of Notre Dame was eighth in his division at 5-feet, 8-inches. 

Freddie Collins of Corning was fourth in his division in the discus at 124-feet. 

Ethan Wentzel and Maxwell Jennings of Corning both made states in the pole vault. Wentzel won at 13-feet and Maxwell was second at 12-feet, and had the super standard. Connor Harrington of Corning was third at 11-feet, 6-inches.

Abdiel Basabakwinshi of Horseheads was third in the boys’ pentathlon at 2,224 points. 
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE STATE QUALIFYING MEET:

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