Pearl River Pursues Section Track Titles

Pearl River's runners may be best known for their streak of section cross country titles, but the Pirates have also won the last five Section 1 Indoor Girls Track and Field Championships. 

Pearl River dominated the girls meet in 2011, winning with 134 points, more than double the total of second-place Somers, giving the Pirates 25 of the 33 titles since 1979. 

Pearl River should be a contender again, in both the boys and girls meets, in the Section 1 Indoor championship 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory in New York City.

"We should be in the thick of it," Pearl River Girls Track and Field Head Coach Dan Doherty said. "We are the defending champions, so hopefully we can repeat. Hopefully we are h ealthy and can go in at full strength. Then it is just a matter of performing ot our capabilities."

Doherty said he expects Somers to again be among the top girls contenders alonkg with Harrison and Nanuet, which finished a distant second behind the Pirates in the league finals. Pearl River won the boys and girls League 4B championships Jan. 21. 

Pearl River was not far off from sweeping both section titles in 2011. The Pirates took third in the boys competition with 80 points, just seven behind champion Harrison's 87.