Jun 15, 2026
OBSERVER Photo by Tim Frank Silver Creek/Forestville’s Nate Mays clears the bar in the high jump during the pentathlon at the NYSPHSAA Track & Field Championships on Sunday in Webster.
WEBSTER — Entering Sunday’s competition, Silver Creek/Forestville senior Nate Mays was the overall leader in the pentathlon at the New York State Track & Field Championships and was in good position to secure the Class C public school title courtesy of first-place finishes in the high jump and shot put Saturday.
The pressure to finish strong did not faze Mays as he added a fifth-place long jump finish and took 18th in the 1,500 meters to cruise to the Class C title and second overall in the state at Webster Schroeder High School.
“I’m really happy, because last year I got second,” Mays said about improving his senior year and winning the Class C state title. “It’s very exciting, finally.”
The University at Buffalo commit finished with an overall score of 3,523 points and cracked the top 10 in four of the five events.
“I felt amazing,” Mays said about his Saturday performances. “I really needed the first place in Class C and I’m happy I got that.”
OBSERVER Photo by Tim Frank Silver Creek/Forestville’s Nate Mays competes in the long jump during the pentathlon at the NYSPHSAA Track & Field Championships in Webster on Sunday.
Mays took eighth in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.73, first in the high jump at 1.9 meters, first in the shot put at 13.63 meters, fifth in the long jump at 6.43 meters and 18th in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:50.17.
“All my coaches have been really good,” Mays said about his time at Silver Creek/Forestville. “I’m just so happy that I finally got this.”
Purdue-commit Nathaniel Johnson of John Jay-East Fishkill completed the pentathlon three-peat with an overall and Class A-winning score of 3,636.
Mays capped off a weekend where four area athletes brought home state championships, including one Federation title from Southwestern senior Mikayla Johnson.
While the bulk of success was had Saturday, Fredonia sophomore Alyse Bugaj made her states debut in the Class C triple jump Sunday, Maple Grove senior Ethan Verbosky placed third in the Class C 1,600 meters, the Trojans had two podium placements from throwers, and Maple Grove boys and Southwestern girls saw relay teams make the podium.
OBSERVER Photo by Tim Frank Fredonia’s Alyse Bugaj competes in the long jump during the NYSPHSAA Track & Field Championships on Sunday in Webster.
Bugaj just missed out on the podium in her states debut with a jump of 35 feet and 1.5 inches for eighth.
Verbosky was unable to double the 800 meters and 1,600 meters for a second straight year, but along with winning the Class C 800 on Saturday, he took third in the 1,600 with a time of 4:15.50 on Sunday.
Verbosky ran a personal-best time of 1:51.27 to win the 800 meters and was joined by teammate Ty Kraft on the podium in fifth place at a mark of 1:56.49.
“I knew it was going to be really close coming in,” Verbosky said Saturday. “There was the kid from Groton that PR’d by 2 seconds and after I saw that I was a little nervous. But I knew I had to trust my training and go after it and that’s exactly what I did.”
Not only was Verbosky able to defend his 800-meter championship, but he made the podium in all four events in which he competed.
“It feels so great, especially being able to defend my state title from last year,” Verbosky said about winning his third state championship. “Since I’m a senior, someone new will be getting them next year, so it’s great.”
The Maple Grove team of Ty Oste, Kraft, Owen Erlandson and Verbosky finished third in the Class C 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:24.33.
Southwestern secured two state championships Saturday, including a Federation championship. Then, on Sunday, saw Johnson and Tyler McIntyre make the podium in their throwing events, while two relay teams had strong showings.
Johnson wrapped up her terrific career with the Trojans claiming the overall discus title Saturday with a throw of 136 feet, 8 inches.
“I was very nervous throwing the last throws,” Johnson said about her Saturday final. “But I threw my big one and I knew I won it. I saw my coach crying and I bawled. I’m very grateful for everyone that has told me what I need to know.”
Johnson was back on the podium a day later when she took fifth in Class C shot put with a throw of 35 feet, 11.5 inches.
After missing the podium a day before in shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 10 inches, good for eighth in Class C, McIntyre snagged the sixth and final spot on the discus podium with a throw of 150 feet, 8 inches.
Southwestern’s Tryniti Card surprised herself with a Saturday win in the Class C girls 800 meters. Watching two girls pass her in her heat and finishing with a time of 2:15.90, Card thought she just missed out, but with those girls being different classes and private schools things came up her way as the Class C state champion.
“It’s so exciting,” Card said about winning the state title. “I thought I didn’t win it, but when my teammate told me I almost started crying.”
Ryan Ohl nearly made it three state titles for the Trojans, coming in second in the Class C 400 meters with a time of 48.16. Ohl crossed just before Oxford Academy’s Keegan Waltz who posted a time of 48.17, Berne/Knox/Westerlo’s Kole Irwin won the championship at 47.74 and Silver Creek/Forestville’s Sam Bowers took 10th with a time of 50.88.
Jamestown sophomore Beckett Lumia made a great states debut in the Class A 400 meters taking third place with a time of 48.08.
Southwestern junior Marlana Cresanti just missed the podium in the girls Class C 400 meters with a time of 58.24 for seventh place.
Falconer/Cassadaga Valley senior Mary Lundmark matched Ohl with a second-place finish by improving her spot in the girls Class C pole vault. Lundmark reached a height of 10 feet, 6 inches, while Lansing’s Ava Kobylarz won the title with a final height of 12-3.
Frewsburg senior Noah Erickson also finished his high school career on a high note taking third in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 54.32. Erickson missed out on the championship by a thin margin with Byron-Bergen’s Colin Rea winning at 54.14. Cattaraugus-Little Valley’s Bransen Gabel finished 10th in the race with a time of 58.17.
Salamanca’s Xazavier Escobar missed qualification in both the Class C 100-meter and 200-meter finals.
Southwestern’s 1,600-meter relay team of M’Kenzie Zavala, Katie Bishop, Card and Cresanti placed seventh in Class C with a time of 4:04.64.
“It’s amazing to see what this team can do,” Johnson said about Southwestern track and field. “I think we have all worked so hard, I can see it in Tryniti; she puts in her hard work and I am so proud of her, and our whole team. Sending 11 people to states, that doesn’t happen very often.”
Both the Southwestern girls and Maple Grove boys 3,200-meter relay teams waited through a weather delay to finish up the weekend’s championships.
The Maple Grove quartet of Kraft, Erlandson, Jacob Lewis and Verbosky placed sixth in Class C with a time of 8:11.04.
Southwestern’s group of Lillian Weikel, Johnson, Card and Cresanti finished seventh in Class C with a time of 9:47.76.
“I’m so proud of my team,” Card added. “We are one big family and we love each other. It’s just amazing.”
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