Keira Wood Resets Two North Records at New Balance Games

As North's girls winter track made its final stands before the League II championship Sunday, its top runners were also consistently competing, and improving, against their early-season selves. The largest team in the county once again split its competition this past weekend - this time, between the New Balance Games and the Art Mitchell Memorial Meet.

One of those runners, Keira Wood, reset two school records on Jan. 22 at the New Balance Games held at New York City's Armory track facility. Wood timed 1:18.36 in the Invitational 500-meter run, placing sixth and breaking Erika Schramm's 2006 record of 1:20.67 by two and a half seconds.

Six hours later at the day-long event, she anchored the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay team that included (in order) Kayla Cataldo, Shanice Futrell, and Stephanie Richer, combining to reset a new indoor school record of 4:17.75, placing third overall. Cataldo ran the opening leg of 400 meters for a split time of 1:11.6. Futrell's split in the first 200-meter leg was timed 27.2 seconds; Richer ran the following 200-meter leg in 27.6 seconds. Wood finished out the 800-meter last leg in 2:21.2.

The reset record improves on the old record by nearly six seconds, which Wood, Cataldo, Richer, and Samantha Swift had set in the event at last year's Nationals (4:23.45). As of this article, North's new time is also the fifth-fastest time in the state.

Also at the Armory that day, Cataldo and Jess Heymach shared a third place finish in the pole vault relay, clearing a combined 16' 6". Futrell placed ninth out of 97 entrants in the individual long jump, with a distance of 16' 1 3/4". Richer also had some success in the field, landing 34' 3 1/2" in the individual triple jump, placing 15th out of 67 entrants.

At the Art Mitchell Memorial Meet, held at the Suffolk County Community College campus in Brentwood, Katie Michta won the freshmen 1,500-meter race walk with a time of 7:34.11. Teammate Patricia Romano placed third in the event, timing 9:52.82.

Melissa Michels won the freshman the 55-meter dash, finishing in 7.96 seconds. In the sophomore 55-meter, Carly Swinford took fifth with a time of 8.21 seconds, and also had a second-place finish in the sophomore high jump with a clearance of 4' 8".

Other second-place finishes included Kelly Lavan in the sophomore 1,500-meter run (5:10.36), Marysa Mullen in the sophomore 3,000-meter run (12:07.10), Gabriella Czerw in the freshmen high jump (4' 8") and Kaitlyn Okvist in the freshmen shot put (26' 1"). Oriana Howell grabbed sixth place in the freshmen 3,000-meter run, timing 12:36.50.

North traveled to SCCC Brentwood January 30 for the League II championship meet at 9 a.m. A field event contest at Shoreham Wading River High School, originally scheduled for Jan. 27, was rescheduled for Jan. 31 on account of inclement weather.