NEW YORK STATE BOYS TRACK & FIELD: WAVERLY'S CHANDLER CAPTURES BRONZE IN POLE VAULT, QUALIFIES FOR 110 HURDLES FINALS (6 PHOTOS) (2019-06-07)
BY TIM TAYLORValley Sports ReportMIDDLETOWN - Friday wasn't a bad day for Waverly's Isaac Chandler. The Wolverine junior placed in the top three in the pole vault and qualified for the finals in the 110-meter hurdles to lead the Waverly effort at the NYSPHSAA Track & Field Championships here.
Chandler cleared 14-6 in the vault and just missed on his final attempt at 15 feet. In his final attempt at 15, he had the height, but grazed the bar just enough on his way up to knock it to the mat. He would end up third in Division II and fifth in the Federation competition.
"I wasn't necessarily happy, but I do have another meet, so that's kind of riding on my shoulders that I have another chance to go up higher," Chandler said, "but it definitely would have been a confidence booster if I had made it.
"I kicked it on the way up, but my standards were too close, so if I push them back, hopefully I can go over it a lot easier."
He was also involved in the 110-meter hurdles, where he placed eighth following the heat races. His time of 15.03 seconds was good enough to earn a spot in Saturday's finals, beating out 10 other competitors.
"I wasn't expecting to make the finals," said Chandler. "I saw all the kids in my heat were pretty fast and I was just excited to race. I'm just excited to be here for two events."
Chandler is hoping to beat the Section IV record (14.6) in the finals. He ran a 14.87 at class sectionals.
"We're all really excited to see what he can do tomorrow, and I know his head is in the right place," said Waverly boys coach Dave Hogan. "He'll come to perform tomorrow for sure."
Hogan said he looked "excellent" in the pole vault.
"He was clean through the bar," Hogan said. "He was clean at 13-6, he was clean at 14. I was very proud of that last jump at 15."
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
