Sports

Track & Field: Tuthill punches ticket to states

McGann-Mercy junior Meg Tuthill takes off at the start of the 1,000. (Credit: Robert O'Rourk)
McGann-Mercy junior Meg Tuthill takes off at the start of the 1,000. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

McGann-Mercy junior Meg Tuthill experienced the thrill of winning a state title at last year’s track and field indoor championship. But the victory came as part of a sectional relay team.

Coming into this season, Tuthill’s goal was to qualify for the states in an individual event. And on Sunday, she did just that, placing third in the 1,000-meter race at the Section XI Championships at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood. 

Last year, Tuthill finished fourth at the qualifying meet, which bumped her down to the sectional relay team. Now, she’ll be running in the state meet in her premier event after posting a time of 3 minutes 2.07 seconds Sunday.

Huntington senior Suzie Petryk won the race in 2:58.47. Tuthill previously owned the top time in the county for the 1,000. But Petryk has come on strong down the stretch of the season, running a faster time than Tuthill at the large school county meet last week and then again Sunday.

“It took pressure off me,” Tuthill said of coming into the meet without the top time. “Wearing a No. 1 on my chest, that would just stress me out.”

Tuthill also ran on the 4 x 800 relay team for Mercy that finished seventh in 10:02.23. She ran with the sophomore trio of Kaitlyn Butterfield, Maddie Joinnides and Devyn O’Brien.

Joinnides also ran the 600 and finished 10th in 1:45.55. Butterfield ran the 1,000 and was 10th in 3:12.36.

Tuthill will have plenty of time to prepare for the state meet, which is set for March 7 at Cornell University.

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