LOCKPORT —
Who knows what her senior season will bring in the field, but Lockport High School athlete Keeley Ralyea has already made the most of her sophomore and junior years, advancing to the prestigious state meet.
Ralyea recently qualified for her second consecutive New York State Public High School Athletic Association Track & Field Championships, after heaving the discus a career-best 120-feet, 6-inches at the state qualifier last week at Lewiston-Porter High School.
The 2012 state meet is slated for this Friday and Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse.
“It’s definitely a lot better going back this year,” said Ralyea, an honor student in the classroom and a pre-med hopeful in the fall of 2013.
“Last year in Rochester, my nerves were flying. There are just so many amazing people who I got to watch compete. This year, I know what to expect.”
Ralyea, the daughter of Christopher and Becky Ralyea, began throwing the discus in ninth grade.
“I think it was just something to do. I never knew anything about throwing in middle school,” she said.
Keeley, who also competes in swimming at LHS, said she’s received several letters from interested colleges, but has not made up her mind where she will go.
“I’m just really excited to go and compete as a Section VI team,” Keeley said. “Normally, we compete against them. Now, we’re all one big team. It’s an amazing experience.”
Ralyea is the only LHS athlete to qualify for states, however several earned runner-up finishes at last week’s state qualifier. Both the Lions and Lady Lions finished this past season as undefeated Niagara Frontier League champions.
On the boys’ side, the Lions’ 400 relay quartet of Tyler Chapman, Ryan Shaw, Ezra Nwachukwu and Josh Beshaw finished second in 43.35 seconds, its 3,200 relay of Matt Kaczmarek, Mitch Loiacano, Dan Jones and Mike Feeney was second in 8:17.13, Alex Reid was second in the long jump, Ezra Nwachukwu was runner-up in the 400 dash (:50.53),
The Lady Lions’ 400 relay foursome of J’Vonna Clark, Casey Oliphant, Elizabeth Ellis and Faith Heal placed second in 50.43 seconds.
Also for the Lockport girls, Kailyn Szymanski was runner-up in the 400 dash (:59.37) and Heal was second in the high jump (5-2).
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Related Photos
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Lockport High School junior discus thrower Keeley Ralyea is headed back to the state track & field championships for a second straight year. John Lang/Contributor
Ralyea returns to state meet
Lockport High School junior will compete in the discus.
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