By TIM TAYLORValley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Tioga’s Dominic Palmer competed at the state level in track & field last year (and hopefully this year also) is ready to compete at the next level. He signed his National Letter of Intent to compete in track & field at Alfred State College here Tuesday.
With that commitment, Palmer will join classmate Talon Wood as a Pioneer in a few months.
“I chose Alfred because out of all the colleges that I visited, Alfred State felt like the most at home,” he said. “They were very good people, all nice.”
He thinks he has what it takes to compete there.
“For their track and field program, I have to offer my athleticism and the pent (pentathlon) and I can work towards being their decathlete and heptathlete for outdoor and indoor,” he said.
Palmer, who does quite well in hurdles and jumps, placed 12th in the state in the pentathlon last year — and it was only his third time attempting the event.
In the past 2 ½ weeks he won the South Seneca Track & Field Invitational and placed third at the IAC championships.
“Starting off when they were barely able to put their feet in front of each other and head down the runways and jumps and everything that they do, to now being known by all their competitors and the coaches who are on the other teams, but they are known by all,” said coach Eric Gutierrez of Palmer and teammates Gavin Albrecht, James Miller and Talon Wood, who also signed to continue their track & field careers.
“These four represent some of the best that Tioga has ever had. All of them are on our records list for multiple events in different places, in relays, in individual events, and they have put in the hours and the work that it takes to be top competitors in their respective events, and almost any event that is in track and field if they decide to jump or run in it.
“It has been a privilege, as I said before, because not only are they good athletes, but they have been coachable,” he added. “They have set goals for themselves that they have hit along the way, and it is amazing to see how they've grown, both as people and as athletes as well. I know that they're going to go on to do great things in college, both academically and on the track.”
Athletic director Jim Wood praised all eight of the athletes who signed.
“It's a culmination of their hard work and their dedication, and the culmination of their high school careers,” he said. “It's also the beginning of another phase in their life, which is something that's going to be more meaningful than Tioga, and I don't say that lightly. Those of you that are up here today, congratulations. All that hard work, the extra hours you put in, the time that mom and dad have taken to travel to get you to where you need to be and get you to this point, it's all been worth it.”
“It is not by coincidence that you hear about leadership, extra effort, all the different dedications across time from all of these up here,” said principal Jim Howey. “It is a statistical fact that only seven percent of high school athletes go on to play in college.” Almost double that number, 13 percent of the Tioga Central Class of 2026, have chosen to compete at the collegiate level.
Howey went on to ask those in attendance to applaud the athletes and for the athletes to return the applause to their parents and other supporters for their contributions. He also reminded the athletes they can always count on the people back home for support.
“When it gets tough, don't be afraid to reach home and say, ‘Hey, I need a little bit of loving.’ But stay where you're at. It's going to get tough. Just like it was tough here, you just don't remember those times. Okay? The final thing I want to tell you here is you're excellent.
“You've already excelled. The roof is yours to decide on. I wish you all the best. You're always welcome to come home, and you better stay where you're at and succeed because that's what we expect of you.”
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
