THE SPORTS REPORTS: WAVERLY'S BECHY, JOHNSON SHARE ALL-REGION BOYS TRACK & FIELD 'ATHLETE OF THE YEAR' HONOR; WILLIAMSON RELAY, COACHES ALSO EARN TOP HONORS (2023-07-06)

The Sports Reports
It was a historically good year on the boys’ side of track and field, with gold medals and new sectional records.

Waverly had two sprinters who stood out in senior Kayleb Bechy and junior Ralph Johnson. Both were part of the record-setting 4-x-100 relay team that was second in the state, while both placed fifth individually at States, Bechy in the 100 and Johnson in the 200.

The relay ran a Section IV record time of 42.03 at States, while Bechy ran a school-record 10.79 seconds in the 100, and Johnson ran a school-record 21.95 seconds in the 200. That makes the Waverly duo the overall “Track and Field Athletes of the Year.”

Corning’s Tevin McLaren is the “Track Athlete of the Year,” anchoring his team’s state medal-winning 4-x-800 relay, which ran 7:54.01. McLaren had personal bests of 1:54.32 in the 800, 4:21.17 in the 1,600, and 9:27.52 in the 3,200.

Canton’s Kyle Kapichok is the “Field Athlete of the Year.” Kapichok took eighth at States in the discus with a throw of 159-feet, 6-inches, while also claiming the District 4 title in the event.

There are “Co-Newcomers of the Year” — Elmira’s Nasir Bradford and Wyalusing’s Dylan Johns. Bradford jumped 6-feet, 2-inches in the high jump, while running 11.50 seconds in the 100. Johns cleared 6-feet, 4-inches in the high jump, while being a part of Wyalusing’s NTL-best 4-x-100 relay.

There are also “Co-Relays of the Year,” with Corning’s 4-x-800 and Williamson’s 4-x-800.

Corning’s 3,200-meter relay of McLaren, Marcus Homa, Gabe Cornfield, and Jaxyn Mahoney had an area-best time of 7:54.01 to take fifth at states.

Williamson’s foursome of Kristian Mizdail, Duncan Kerr, Owen Cummings, and Nicholas Welch won the PIAA, Class AA title in the 3,200-meter relay in 7:59.73.


2023 BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD ALL-REGION TEAM
Overall Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Waverly’s Ralph Johnson and Kayleb Bechy
Track Athlete of the Year: Corning’s Tevin McLaren
Field Athlete of the Year: Canton’s Kyle Kapichok
Newcomer of the Year: Elmira’s Nasir Bradford and Wyalusing’s Dylan Johns
Relay of the Year: Corning 4x800 and Williamson 4x800
Coach of the Year: Williamson’s Steve Hepfer and Aaron Wooster

FIRST TEAM
Waverly’s Ralph Johnson
Waverly’s Kayleb Bechy
Waverly’s Jerrell Sacket
Waverly’s Micah Chandler
Corning’s Zuri Ruffin
Corning’s Gyasi Ruffin
Corning’s Tevin McLaren
Corning’s Joseph Caruso
Corning’s Marcus Homa
Corning’s Ashton Bange
Corning’s Douglas Cornfield
Owego’s Jace Stuart
Canton’s Kyle Kapichok
Horseheads’ Bradock Salisbury
Horseheads’ Noah Ruffer
Williamson’s Kristian Mizdail
Williamson’s Owen Cummings
Owego’s Gabe Snyder
4x100: Waverly (Johnson, Bechy, Sackett, Chandler)
4x400: Corning (Caruso, Gyasi Ruffin, Nick Schneider, Anthony Mendoza)
4x800: Corning (McLaren, Homa, Gabe Cornfield, Jaxyn Mahoney)/Williamson (Mizdail, Cummings, Duncan Kerr, Nicholas Welch)

SECOND TEAM
Athens’ Jaden Wright
Wyalusing’s Dylan Johns
Wellsboro’s Kyle Mosher
Wellsboro’s Aiden Gehman
Elmira’s Nasier Bradford
Sayre’s Marcos Quiros
Wyalusing’s Jacob Palfreyman
Corning’s Hugo Mazzali
Corning’s Joshua Beres
Corning’s Gabe Hogue
Corning’s Dylan Rose
Corning’s Brady Hughes
Corning’s Nathaniel Jennings
Tioga’s Gavin Albrecht
Troy’s Colin Loveland
Towanda’s Logan Lambert
Elmira’s Alex McKerrow
Owego’s Caleb Hoover
Tioga’s Valentino Rossi
NPM’s Zack Wilcox


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