By Ziaire Ferrell
At the 2025 SUNYAC Outdoor Championships in Cortland, the Plattsburgh States men’s and women’s track and field teams made a splash with a weekend full of notable performances, personal bests, and moments of camaraderie.
The women’s team finished sixth overall with strong performances in the 400 meter race and the men placed fourth, their best finish since 2006.
At Plattsburgh, junior Grace Yarkosky maintained her legacy by earning gold in the 400-meter dash in 57.89 seconds and leading the 4×400-meter relay team, featuring first-years Isabella Scott, Emma Mahoney and Brianna Wise, to a championship victory in 4:03.45.
“Going into the SUNYACs as a freshman was truly was an exciting experience,” Scott said
“The anticipation surrounding the championship was palpable, and it felt as though every team shared in that excitement. I knew that in the events I participated in, the competition was tough with many sprinters holding close times to each other. The pressure to perform well was intense but it ultimately helped me achieve the personal bests I was looking for all season,” Scott said.
After winning the indoor SUNYAC this year, it was the group’s second SUNYAC title. The women continue to show determination and grit as they progress on.
“Mid-distance races are all about trusting your training, being willing to take risks and knowing that you will most definitely be hurting by the end of the race,” Yarkosky said. “In the last few hundred meters of the 400 and the 800, it comes down to who is most willing and able to experience the discomfort and still execute.”
Additionally, Scott placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles and won gold in the 400-meter hurdles with an overall time of 1:06.00. She was one of the team’s leading scorers with 24 points from her contributions.
“My primary event in track is the 400 meter hurdles. What I love about this race is how precise one can get with breaking down the race strategy. I am able to know how many steps I need in between which hurdle, which leg is going to lead/trail, and more,” Scott said.
“Every meet leading up to SUNYACs I am able to work with Coach Willmont to decipher and tweak my technique which helps me learn new performance knowledge. Going into finals for the 400 hurdles the only plan I had was to push it as hard as I could and trust my body knew what it was supposed to do and in real time this laid out the path to a new personal best and a result place I was extremely excited about,” Scott said.
The Cardinals’ success was fueled by a spirit that transcended well beyond the rack.
“The atmosphere at this year’s SUNYAC Championships was supportive, encouraging, and exciting across the entire team,” Yarkosky said. “Whether it be racing up to one another after setting a PR or standing around the track and cheering each other on during the race, being able to feed off of our teammates energy can be a game changer to push just a little more during the race.”
Among the women’s achievements were Ellie LeRoy’s seventh-place steeplechase finish, Grace Estus’s SUNYAC Elite 20 Award for academic merit, and Marissa Colvin’s silver in the 5,000-meter run (18:28.84). With a time of 55.28 seconds, the 4×100-meter relay team finished eighth as well.
“In the past two years I’ve been on the team, the atmosphere has only grown more supportive and connected,” Yarkosky said. “The distance crew, the throwers, the jumpers, and the sprinters have grown together as athletes and as people, and it is evident in the energy brought to practice and competition.”
The men’s team started off day one with the men obtaining awards and breaking records.
SUNY Plattsburgh Isiah Ritter took home a second place medal in the long jump which highlights one of his personal best performances.
Junior Charles Cypress set a personal record of 10.67 in the 100-meter dash.
“Running that time in the 100 was kind of like a sigh of relief,” said junior Charles Cypress. “Throughout the season I haven’t been running good times, so running a PR in the 100 was something I had been waiting to do, and I’m glad that I ran it when it counted.”
The success of the men’s track and field team was also aided by Jordan Williams, who also hit a personal best in the 100 meter-dash. The success of the team highlights their close-knit family.
“I think our team is a very fun and supportive environment. We are always playing around and dancing, especially the sprints/jumps/throws crew and I think that helps us keep a good mindset,” Cypress said. “On the first day there were so many personal bests and people heading to finals, so the morale was high and I think it was a great way to set us up for day two.”
On day two of the SUNYAC championship the team continued to push forward earning them fourth place overall.
The excitement filled the air as the boys continued on making tremendous efforts made by the hands of, junior Samuel Van Auken , senior Faris Webber and first-year Jackson Hooper.
Samuel Van Auken with his personal best in the 10l run with the time of 32:27:30. Weber earned second place in the decathlon, and Jackson Hooper won a silver medal in high jump.
The Cardinals’ fourth-place finish served the team as a symbol of growth.
“I think this obviously means that the team is showing growth and improvement. Like I said earlier I have always wanted to share success,” Cypress expressed.
“Since I got on the team I have always wanted to have a successful relay, and to have a successful team finish. I came from a high school where these were big goals of ours and so team success has always been on my mind. With the recruiting class that we have coming in, I have high hopes for an even higher finish next year.”
As the Cardinals train for regionals and beyond, their results at SUNYACs represent not only athletic excellence but also a team culture based on resilience, joy and mutual respect.
“My hope going into next season is to lead by example and help to push my teammates in practice just as they push me. SUNYACs was a prime example of what this team is capable of when we put the work in and support each other, and I am very excited to see where this continued effort leads us next season,” Yarkosky said.
