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Fonda senior Alessandro Saltsman poses after winning Division II state titles in the shot put and discus. on Friday at the state meet Cicero-North Syracuse.

La Salle's Gitch Hayes won the 800 on Friday and will go for a title in the 1,600 on Saturday at the state meet Cicero-North Syracuse.

CICERO — Alessandro Saltsman waited three years for Friday to materialize. The Fonda senior track and field standout exceeded his own expectations in one event and was less than enthused in the discipline he is most known for. Saltsman will never forget what the final results showed: the senior would be departing Cicero-North Syracuse with a pair of state championships.

Saltsman shocked himself by taking top honors in the Division II shot put in a spirited three-way fight for the championship. The senior, who has set record after record during the Section II season throwing the discus also won the Division II state title in that event. He was hardly enamored with his winning distance of 176 feet, 1 inch, but the smile on his face at 7 p.m. when the final event of the first day of competition was finishing showed he gladly accepted the championship.

"Shot put surprised me. It is a little more meaningful than discus," Saltsman said. "Discus, I had the Division II record, so I was expecting to win it. I went in there with new shoes. I wore a hole through my other pair and I had to get a new pair and had a day to practice with them. ... I didn't perform the way I wanted to, but I will take the 'W'."

Saltsman said he will use sand paper on his new shoes in the hotel as he gears up to capture the Federation title in the discus Saturday, hoping to eclipse 200 feet.

"I am very happy to represent my home town with two state titles," Saltsman said. "I don't cry often. It would be hard not to if I could hit 200 feet Saturday. That is a life goal – a benchmark number."

Friday's first of two days of competition at C-NS proved to be quite rewarding for many of the area's elite performers. La Salle senior middle distance star Gitch Hayes, a senior bound for the University of North Carolina, captured the Division I 800-meter championship in 1 minute, 53.69 seconds in edging Ward Melville's Julian Smith.

"I went pretty slow the first 300 because the wind was terrible on the backstretch," Hayes said. "I took the lead with 56 (seconds in the first 400). I thought if I did another 56, no one would catch me. (Smith) passed me around the 700-meter mark. He kind of cut me off to be honest, but I had something left for those final 100 meters."

Hayes, who came away disappointed with finishing third in the 3,200, has his sights set on winning a second state title Saturday in the 1,600.

"I am happy that we had this year," Hayes said. "I was able to prove I am the top guy in the 800 and 1,600. It has been a blessed year. I am still not satisfied. I have a couple of more meets (after Saturday). I want the double in the 1,600."

Saltsman, who will continue his throwing career at the University at Albany, was joined as a Section II shot put state champion by Amsterdam's Garrett McLeod, who secured the Division I crown (56-3 1/4). Taconic Hills sophomore standout Neil Howard secured the Division II long jump crown with a winning effort of 23 feet.

On the girls' side, Ravena senior Uchenna Uba continued her stellar season by taking the Division II title in the discus (132-10) and finishing second in the shot put (38-2 1/2). Stillwater senior Kelly Moran's spring season, much like the end of winter season, has been marred battling injuries. Friday, the Indiana University commit secured the Division II triple jump title (38-0). She also joined sister Kara Moran, Skyler Rich and Gianna Locci in helping the Warriors win the Division II 400 relay championship.

"This feels so good, especially after missing out on so many seasons for COVID and injury," Moran said after her win in the triple jump.

Shenendehowa's 400 relay squad comprised of Tyler Dedrick, Jason Gillan, Michael McElrath and Carter Curkerstein earned the Division I title in 42.33

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake captured the 1,600-meter relay in Division I.

James Allen has covered Section II athletics since 1989. He also works as a broadcaster for local radio and television outlets. He joined the Times Union in 2006. He covers high school sports. Contact him at jallen@timesunion.com or 518-454-5062.