CICERO – Linnea Neureuther already had state champion and valedictorian on her resume, but she wanted more.
The Springville senior had a chance to become a Federation pentathlon champion Saturday morning at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.
She entered the 800 meters in second place, trailing by 83 points, and needed a victory in the race to win the Division II and Federation championships. With a time of 2:22.21, Neureuther, a University at Buffalo signee, achieved her dream in her final high school competition.
“It’s definitely super-rewarding and gratifying,” Neureuther said. “Obviously, you win the small state titles, but you look at the overall picture and you’re like, ‘Darn.’ Coming out as the overall champion is really awesome. It was a challenge, but I saw the finish line and gold medal and I was just like, ‘I want it more than they do.’”
People are also reading…
![060824-buf-spts-track](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/buffalonews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/b4/6b47e302-2eb8-5cfc-b9cf-fd98cab69a6f/6664a5ca204af.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
Springville’s Linnea Neureuther celebrates after winning the State Division II and Federation titles in the girls pentathlon at the NYSPHSAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday.
Neureuther also won the 100 hurdles (14.86 seconds) and the long jump (5.46). She placed sixth in the high jump (1.50) and eighth in the shot put (8.40). Due to her performance in the high jump, Neureuther woke up Saturday crying because she believed she could have performed better and had cost herself a Federation title.
Self-doubt crept in, but she knew the event wasn’t over until someone crossed the finish line one last time. She made sure it was her.
When she won, Springville coach Mark Heichberger shed a few tears. When Neureuther was in the fifth grade, he had first discovered her. Neureuther claims she ran the 400 in 59 seconds and he had visited Lulu Belle’s Gifts, the store her mother owns, and told her, “Your daughter is going to be on my team.”
Seven years later, Neureuther arguably has become Springville’s most decorated athlete. She won the Division II state triple jump and 100 hurdles as a junior, and added a Federation championship to her hardware collection on Saturday.
“I know they were tears of joy,” Neureuther said. “I know we have a couple more tears to cry over my last high school race, with it being my last time wearing this Springville jersey. It’s sad, but it’s an amazing journey with him, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my coach.”
Bogdan wins steeplechase
Frontier’s Lillie Bogdan captured the girls Division I and Federation 2,000-meter steeplechase title. She won by 13 seconds with a time of 6:39.09.
“I was really excited to go out there and have fun,” Bogdan said. “I had to see how things played out, and I was really happy with how things turned out.”
Frontier High School's Lillie Bogdan talks to The Buffalo News about winning the Division II and Federation championship in the girls steeplechase.
Bogdan’s win marks the third straight season a Section VI girl has won the Federation steeplechase title. Allegany-Limestone’s Angelina Napoleon won the event in 2022 and 2023. She currently competes for North Carolina State.
Bogdan believes the races she had against Napoleon prepared her to take the next step and become the Federation champion.
“I was really happy having girls like Angelina to help push me forward,” Bogdan said. “She was definitely an inspiration for steeplechase, and I’m grateful she kept me going and I’m happy where it got me to today.”
Sohel first in 100 meters
The Division II boys 100 had a weird start. Waverly’s Ralph Johnson, who had the best preliminary time, along with Peru’s Sawyer Schlitt, were disqualified due to false starts, and Rochester Academy’s Raziel O’Meally scratched.
With three runners down, it left an opening for Maryvale’s Sohel Ahmad Peran, who was supposed to run with Johnson and Schlitt next to him. Instead, he had nobody on his left or right and he had the highest preliminary time of the remaining racers.
It was an opening Peran seized, winning the championship in 10.95 seconds.
“It feels good, I’ve been working for this for a whole year,” he said. “This wasn’t natural, and I can celebrate this because it feels good. It felt like I was running against nobody and that there was just somebody in the corner. I was like, ‘Who am I running against?’ but it felt good and it felt like I had no competition.”
Peran also finished fourth in the 200 in 22.15.
Maryvale High School's Sohel Ahmad Peran talks to The Buffalo News about his Division II 100-meters championship win.
Smith wins hurdles
Cheektowaga’s Myonna Smith won the Division II girls 100 hurdles in 14.84 seconds, beating Dalton School’s Nyla Blake-Soden, who came in second in 14.87 seconds.
“This hasn’t processed yet,” Smith said. “It took a lot to be here, and it’s very hard, but I worked to get here, so I’m proud of myself. In the beginning of the race, I was kind of nervous, but once I got toward the middle, it got better, but once I got toward the end, it got rocky again. But in the end, it paid off. This isn’t going to hit until I get home.”
Cheektowaga's Myonna Smith talks to the Buffalo News about her Division II championship win in the girls 100-meter hurdles.
East Aurora’s Addie Miller took third in 15.14 seconds, and Lake Shore’s Braeann Stender placed fourth in 15.29.
Here a look at how other athletes from Western New York fared:
Boys
Division I
Starpoint’s Timothy Lukasik placed 13th in the 1,600 in 4:25.68.
Clarence’s Noah Holden finished 23rd in the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:05.59
Hamburg (Andrew Donner, Kristopher Mihallofski, Alan Whittemore and John Neudeck) was 14th in the 4x800 in 8:13.50.
Sweet Home’s Brenton Baker finished fourth in the high jump at 6 feet, 6 inches.
Coming in 15th of the pole vault was Orchard Park’s Anthony Mancabelli at 13-0.
Division II
Randolph’s Roan Kelly, a Virginia Tech signee, finished fifth in the 1,600 in 4:21.74. Lewiston-Porter’s Leo Clark was sixth in 4:23.32, and Bishop Timon-St. Jude’s Padraig Hart was 16th in 4:46.56.
Lackawanna’s Julius Arias took third in the 110 hurdles in 15.22. Iroquois’ Cole Silliman was seventh in 16 seconds.
Frewsburg’s Cody Kent’s finished 24th in the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:11.82.
Dunkirk’s Michael Hanlon (56.60) placed third in the Federation 400 hurdles, and Southwestern’s Declan Kennedy (56.62) was fourth.
East Aurora (Ryan DeFries, Max Fraser, Gus Hoak and Owen Rung) placed second in the 4x800 in 8:06.18. Bishop Timon (Padraig Hart, Alex Rudnicki, Joseph Enko and Tim Moore) was 15th in 9:06.07.
Nathan Carlson, Hanlon, Lucas Lawrie and Johnee Thomas led Dunkirk to fifth place in the Federation 4x400 in 3:29.10. Randolph (Maverick Adams, Domanik Clark, Gavin Stearns and Talon Rowland) was eighth in 3:38.33. Dunkirk and Randolph were the only Division II teams in the race against Division I schools. Randolph won the Division II title on Friday.
Jonah Foley of Maple Grove took seventh in the high jump at 6-0. Medina’s Gordon Young tied for eighth at 6-0. Taking 13th was Cheektowaga’s Daniel Richardson at 5-10. Foley was third in the triple jump at 42-4.25.
Holland’s Ryan Oleksy finished second in the discus (167-1).
Seth Wyzykowski of Iroquois took third in the pole vault (14-0). Randolph’s Caden Inkley finished seventh at 13-6 and Falconer’s Nathan Bailey was 13th at 13-0.
Girls
Division I
Williamsville North’s Melia Kupchanko (4:40.70) was 12th in the 1,500.
Grand Island’s Brooke Christensen took third in the shot put (36-2.50).
Aria Catrabone of Williamsville North took fifth in the triple jump (38-2.25).
Division II
Health Science’s Mia Finch finished second in the 100 in 12.59 seconds. Franklinville’s Tyyetta Herman was fifth in 12.66 seconds. Finch also finished fourth in the 200 in 25.46, and Herman was third in the 400 in 58.57.
In the 1,500, Springville’s Kirsten Melnik placed third (4:39.30), and West Seneca East’s Ella Krumpek finished 12th (4:51.23).
Orchard Park (Annabelle Czekanski, Anneliese Henrich, Alexis Sanelli and Noel Barlette) finished eighth in the Division I 4x800 in 9:29.82.
Southwestern (Emma Lewis, Kate Miller, Tryniti Card and Marlana Cresanti) took third in the 4x800 in 9:32.59. East Aurora (Kailyn Houghton, Emilia O’Leary, Hope Owens and Reiley Pierce) finished fourth in 9:37.62.
Chautauqua Lake’s Jada Cole finished second in the high jump (5-5). East Aurora’s Addie Miller tied for seventh (5-2) and Kaleigha Kosek was 10th (5-2).
Tapestry’s Nyla Wilson-Epps took fourth in the discus (112-4). Franklinville’s Elizabeth Price was fifth (109-4).
Tapestry’s Janee Long was second in the long jump (18-6).