On the fast track to success

By LANDON JOHNS

Special to The Millerton News  

WEBUTUCK — The Webutuck Track Club registered another impressive showing at the O.C.I.A.A. Championship Track Meet on Friday, Feb. 20. 

Tiere Spruill began the afternoon in the 55-meter dash preliminaries by easily qualifying for the finals by winning his heat with a time of 6.81 seconds. 

Jim Boeding was next to run for the Warriors.  Jim has diversified this season. Formerly only a distance runner, he is now rapidly improving as a middle-distance runner and is beginning to demonstrate that he is a force to reckon with in the Hudson Valley. Jim easily bested his heat in the 600-meter winning by 30 meters in a time of 1:32.17. Unfortunately, the meet was arranged so that the fastest runners did not run in the same heat and, after all four heats were finished, Jim’s time only allowed him third place overall.

Tiere had to make his way through the 300-meter preliminaries next. The winner of each of the five preliminary heats was guaranteed a spot in the finals of the event. Nationally ranked in the 300 meters, Tiere was able to cruise to a first-place finish in his preliminary heat and post the fastest qualifying time for the finals.

The finals in the 55 meters was a real tantalizer for sprinting fans, with some of the finest Class B speedsters in New York assembled on the same track. Tiere Spruill, once again, showed why he is considered one of the finest sprinters in the state as he recovered from a poor start and walked away from the rest of the field in the last 20 meters of the race.

Jim Boeding completed his evening’s performance with an outstanding showing in the 1,600 meters (metric mile). A talented field of milers began the strategic race keeping pace with defending New York state champion Colin Seidl (Sullivan West). The first 800 meters of the race was run in a cautious 2:31. Everyone in attendance knew that they were in for a dash to the finish line. Jim kept pace in a huddle of the fastest six runners throughout the race. When everyone made their break for the finish line, Jim, an 11th-grader, held on to finish third, closely behind the two seniors who took first and second.  Jim’s second 800 meters was run in 2:23 for a final time of 4:54. 

The evening was capped off with the running of the boys 300-meter finals. Tiere Spruill was awarded the middle lane for the event as a result of his preliminary performance. He ran a near-perfect race, without being pushed. He won the event with 25 meters between him and the second-place finisher.

Tiere Spruill was one of only three competitors (two men and one woman) to win multiple individual events at the O.C.I.A.A. Championship Track Meet. Tiere has earned an invitation to run in a very select field of runners at the 72nd Eastern States Championship Track Meet, held at the (Manhattan) Armory on Tuesday, Feb. 24. This meet will feature some of the top ranked high school runners in the United States.  Tiere has been invited to run in both the 200 meters and the 400 meters in the meet.

Landon Johns is the Webutuck track coach.