Pearl River Sports: Muldoon Falls in State Semis; Four Pirates Advance in Track

Pearl River junior John Muldoon and Ossining junior Alex Delacruz continue to battle for supremacy at 120 pounds. 

Muldoon beat Delacruz for the Section 1 Diviision 1 championship Feb. 12, but Delacruz pulled out a 6-4 decision in the semifinals Saturday at the New York State Wrestling Champinships.

Delacruz went on to beat Lancaster's Steven Michel to become one of only two state champions from Section 1.The other was Edgemont's Steve Aslanian, who won the 120 pound title in Division 2.

Muldoon finished fourth in his first trip to the state championship meet. North Rockland's Blaise Benderoth took sixth in Division 1 and Nanuet senior Anthony Calvano finished fifth in Division 2, giving Section 1 five placewinners among the two divisions at 120 pounds.

Four Pirates Run to State Track

Four Pearl River athletes earned trips to the state finals with their performances Friday in the Section 1 Qualifier at the New Balance Armory, with three of them setting new school records in the process.

Brian Cook earned the lone spot for the Pearl River boys by taking third in the 3200 meter run in a school-record time of 9:20.

Kelly Hayes, Meghan Keetley and Amanda Moroney will join Cook in the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships March 2 at Cornell University's Barton Hall.

Hayes won the 1500 meter run, establishing a new school record with her time of 4:39.73. Maroney's third-place time of 8.63 seconds in the 55 meter hurdles also broke a Pearl River standard. Keetley earned her trip to Cornell by taking second place in the 1500 meter walk in 7:12.67.

Full results from the meet can be found at http://ny.milesplit.com/meets/126487/results/234142.

Pearl River Faces Familiar Foe in Basketball Semifinals

The top seeded Pearl River (18-2) girls basketball team faces a very familiar path through the Section 1 Class A quarterfinals, taking on league rival Albertus Magnus (13-7) 8:15 p.m. Thursday at the Westchester County Center.

Aside from two regular-season meetings each year, the teams will now meet in the semifinals for the third consecutive season. Pearl River won last year on the way to the Section 1 championship and in 2011. 

Their game follows the other Class A semifinal, in which No. 11 Peekskill (12-9) plays No. 15 Pelham (13-8) to wrap up a side of the bracket that was dominated by upsets.