GREAT SCOTT: Wellsville’s Xavier Scott crowned New York State Champion in 110 hurdles, 1st male in program history to win State title; will join Howard in National track meet in Philadelphia next week

[PHOTOS PROVIDED]

By John Anderson/Wellsville Sun

MIDDLETOWN — Wellsville's Xavier Scott may have been the first athlete in history to win a state title by simply winning a Friday night heat.

The Wellsville junior breezed to a personal best in the New York State Track and Field Championships with a time of 14.41 at Middletown High School.

When the other heats ended, Xavier's time was a half-second faster than anyone else.

His veteran coach, Dean Giopulos, was stunned.

"His time was about half a second better than anyone else, and in track? That's quite a large margin," Giopulos said Friday night. "He has to go out there, win his race (Saturday) and we will see what happens."

What "happened" on Saturday was some rain. Despite the conditions, Scott ran another blistering 110M high hurdles event and won the New York State Class C state title with a time of 14.43.

"It has not sunk in yet ... I'm still a little in shock. I did not expect to be that far ahead after pre-lims going into the finals," Scott said Saturday night. "In the finals, I was determined, I was going to have that state title no matter what, I was going to do what it takes."

He also sprained an ankle a week ago while qualifying.

"Sprained an ankle during state qualifiers. 

"I went into this and I was not at 100 percent, so that meant a lot ot me, being able to complete and still win a state title," Scott said.

Giopulos said the toughest thing that happened was one of the runners in the finals had a false start.

"His start was conservative because there was a false start in his race, and that makes everyone jumpy. But he went out and he delivered," Giopulos said. "He works awfully, awfully hard and goes out and attacks his event with everything he's got."

Scott was actually in last place as the race began.

"I started really slow after that slow start and I was in last place after the first hurdle, but I was determined and made a quick comeback to get myself to first and I pulled through in the end," he said.

That victory and his time earned him a shot to run with 10 of the best hurdlers in all of New York State. His "regular" time would have placed him fourth, but he finished 8th and good enough for a federation medal. The Federation title is the best times from Class A, Class B, Class C, the NYC champions, Long Island champions and the Private School state champions.

"It was really crazy, I was the only small school kid in Federations, I didn't know where I would place," he said. "These kids have competed against the best of the best everywhere. I felt I was competing for all the small schools and letting people know we can still come out on the top."

Scott also qualified for New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia (Along with teammate Jayvontay "J.J." Howard in the high jump). They will be in Philadelphia Thursday to Saturday competing at  Franklin Field at University of Pennsylvania on Saturday.

What did Scott do to improve his times of the year?

"I had to work 10 times harder than I did last year. I had to focus more on the off-season. I lost coach (Isaiah) Brooks who assisted me, so I had to work harder in the off-season and during the season," he said. "You can't just rely on Coach G to help hurdlers only. He has to be there for everyone."

Giopulos is in his 41st year with the track and field program in Wellsville. This is the first male to win a state title.

"He made history, he's only the second male in school history to win a state title, the only other one is Brian Gray in wrestling," he said.

Xavier added, "That was the craziest part, to start a legacy right there. And now one of two guys to win a state championship. It definitely added to the shock factor of it all, to set myself apart from everybody else."

Watching Scott run the hurdles is interesting. There are times he looks like a hot knife through butter and times he looks like a bull in a China shop knocking down hurdles yet finishing in first place. Giopulos said it's all part of him perfecting his style.

"He treats hurdling like a science. I remember times this year he slowed down at the end because he wasn't happy with how he managed the last three hurdles in a race," Giopulos said. "I told him 'you don't get style points here, you just have to get over them.' But he really does style his craft."

Here are his results from the two-day event:

NEW YORK STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 110m high hurdles Class C

1 Class C Xavier Scott, Wellsville-C [11] 14.43 4

2 Class C Evan Monaghan Port Jefferson-C [12] 14.69 5

3 Class C Hunter Gillmore Cato-Meridian-C [12] 15.23 2

4 Class C Rowan Fox, Lansing-C [12] 15.27 1

5 Class C Tyler Smolinski Corinth/Hadley-Luzerne-C [12] 15.31 3

6 Class C Daniel Bluman James I. O'Neill [12] 15.48 6

7 Class C Colin Rea Byron-Bergen-C [11] 15.49 7

8 Class C Heath Miller Albertus Magnus-C [11]

FRIDAY RESULTS

PLACE ATHLETE RESULT WIND HEAT LN/POS

1 Xavier Scott Wellsville-C [11] 14.41 Q 0.1 m/s 1 (1) 4

2 Evan Monaghan Port Jefferson-C [12] 15.11 Q -0.6 m/s 2 (1) 4

3 Tyler Smolinski Corinth/Hadley-Luzerne-C [12] 15.19 Q 0.1 m/s 1 (2) 5

4 Daniel Bluman James I. O'Neill [12] 15.28 Q -0.6 m/s 2 (2) 3

5 Hunter Gillmore Cato-Meridian-C [12] 15.37 q -0.6 m/s 2 (3) 7

6 Colin Rea Byron-Bergen-C [11] 15.38 q -0.6 m/s 2 (4) 6

7 Rowan Fox Lansing-C [12] 15.52 q 0.1 m/s 1 (3) 3

8 Heath Miller Albertus Magnus-C [11] 15.63 q 0.1 m/s 1 (4) 2

9 Timothy Pratt Granville-C [12] 15.65 0.1 m/s 1 (5) 6

10 Landon Powers Saranac-C [12] 15.79 -0.6 m/s 2 (5) 2

11 Davion Douglas Cleveland Hill-C [12] 16.09 0.1 m/s 1 (6) 7

12 Alexander Wenk Cold Spring Harbor-C [10] 17.58 -0.6 m/s 2 (6) 1

13 Noah Wooten St. Raymond's-C [11] 18.00 -0.6 m/s 2 (7) 8

14 Ethan Zacarolli Taconic Hills-C [12] -0.6 m/s 2 5

15  Shiloh Hay Riverdale Country Day-C [12]

FEDERATION FINALS (all three classes, NYC champions, Long Island Champions, Private School state champions)

1 Class A Jordan Peck North Bablyon-A [11] 14.32 14.313 5

2 Class A Jonathan Bailey Fordham Prep-A [12] 14.32 14.320 1

3 Class A Quillar Baidy Middletown-A [12] 14.34 7

4 Class B William Hawken Brockport-B [12] 14.53 8

5 Class A Devin Hemraj Ballston Spa-A [12] 14.62 2

6 Class A Jonathan Browne Gates-Chili-A [12] 14.69 3

7 Class C Xavier Scott Wellsville-C [11] 14.90 6

8 Class A Camron Ingram Cicero-North Syracuse-A [11]