Fargino to compete in state meet

Grand Island Dispatch, March 2, 2007

The Grand Island Viking indoor track team completed its season in style with the crowning of another Section VI champion in senior captain Tim Fargino.

Fargino was undefeated this season in two events: the 600-meter run and his specialty, the 1,000m. His time was 2:36.23 on a tight 160m Fredonia State College track. He won the RIT Invite, the Southern Tier Invite and all league divisional races in the 1,000m.

This is Fargino’s second trip to the state indoor championships, placing third last year on an intersectional relay for Section VI.

“Tim continues to impress me how he has been so dominant this year,” said GI coach Don Sauer. “He’s finally healthy, but still fighting a nagging cold. He will certainly be challenged at the state championships this weekend.”

Fargino is the seventh GI athlete to compete at the state championships for indoor track in only the team’s fourth season. Previously, Mike Feathers (fifth in the long jump), Kara Black (55m), Glenn Bird (55m), Cory Angelo (pole vault), John Connors (300m int. relay) and Fargino (1,000m int. relay) last season all competed at the state championships.

Both the boys and girls 1,600m relay squads placed an impressive fourth to earn sectional patches in Fredonia.

The girls relay was led off by Caitlyn Driscoll, followed by Bridget George, Kelly Cich and anchored by Ellen Betterson, who again ran impressively in a come-from-behind race to secure a win in their heat. Their overall time was fourth best overall.

The boys relay also ran an impressive time in their heat. The Vikings’ lead-off runner ran an extra lap as the official didn’t direct the second runner on to the track. Though they were second in the race, their time was off by some 30 seconds. After a protest was lodged by Sauer, GI was allowed to compete in the slower heat in the finals. In the finals, Fargino was added to anchor the relay. Their time was fourth fastest of the day, earning the team a sectional patch.

“I was very pleased with how our relays ran. Placing fourth overall was very impressive,” noted Sauer. “Ellen ran a terrific finish to catch the lead runner to win the race.”