CLIFTON PARK — Etching her name in the Section II record book in the 2,000-meter steeplechase has been a season-long goal for Sheridan Wheeler.
Since an official sectional record can only be achieved at the sectional championships, the state qualifier or the state title meet, Wheeler had her second chance to fulfill her goal Friday night on the second day of the state qualifying meet at Shenendehowa.
After creating room on the track between her and her competitors, Wheeler overcame a spill in the water pit on her fourth lap before recovering to finish the race in 6 minutes, 34.24 seconds, good enough to eclipse the standard of 6:36.05 by Blue Streaks alum Lindsey Ferguson in 2006.
Wheeler ran a Section II all-time best 6:27 at the Loucks Games in mid-May and felt confident heading into the race that she could better Ferguson’s mark.
“When I first started doing steeple, I made it a goal to break our school record and at the Loucks Games, when I ran that time I felt super proud of myself,” Wheeler said. “Today, I wanted to make sure I broke the Section II record. My fourth lap on the water jump, my foot fell off and I fell in. It happens. I don’t worry too much about the fall, I fall in practice sometimes too. You get back up. Everyone falls.”
Wheeler, who has committed to compete at Iowa State with twin sister McKinley, is hoping to finish up her highly decorated distance running career at Saratoga on a high note at states.
“I don’t think it has completely hit me yet that I’m almost done,” Wheeler said. “I’m proud of myself and my team, and my coaches, for all the accomplishments we’ve had for the past couple of years. All the work we put in paid off.”
Guilderland sophomore Tatum Cramer won the 100-meter dash in Division I and also took honors in the long jump.
Just more than a week after helping her team win its first Section…
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