On Saturday, June 8, 2024, Ithaca High School junior Joshua Kwakye-Minott secured first place in the Division I boys long jump at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Kwakye-Minott achieved an impressive distance of 23 feet and 4.25 inches, earning the title of the NYSPHSAA Division I State Champion.
Kwakye-Minott is the second Ithaca athlete to win a state title this year, following junior Riley Hubisz, who won the boys 3,200-meter run at the NYSPHSAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March.
Other notable performances on Saturday include freshman Tsadia Bercuvitz finishing as runner-up in the girls 3,000-meter run, setting a new school record. Bercuvitz now holds nine of the top 10 times in school history for this event.
“We are beyond proud of this program and the accomplishments of Josh and Tsadia, not only this past weekend but throughout the entire season,” Samantha Little, ICSD Athletics Director, stated. “More importantly, we are thankful for the individuals they are. Both Josh and Tsadia possess humility, kindness, respect for themselves and others, and a love for their teammates and the sport of track.”
The final standings from the weekend are as follows:
Josh Kwakye-Minott: Long Jump Division I State Champion, 7th place in Federation
Tsadia Bercuvitz: State and Federation runner-up (2nd) in 3,000m run; 9th in Division I and 13th overall in 1,500m run
Sarah Foley: 27th overall in pentathlon, 14th in Division I
Noah Hilker: 4th in Division I steeplechase, 7th in Federation
Everett Shaw: 15th overall in steeplechase, 10th in Division I
Avery Whittaker: 23rd overall in 3,000m, 15th in Division I
Crosby Woods: 38th overall in 3,200m, 23rd in Division I
Maren Golden: 27th overall in pole vault, 17th in Division I
Eliza DeRito: 15th overall in 800m, 11th in Division I
Andrew Putnam: 27th overall in 800m, 16th in Division I
Hayden Cornell: 22nd in Division I discus
Ithaca Girls 4x800 (Tsadia Bercuvitz, Maren Golden, Avery Whittaker, Eliza DeRito): 21st overall, 11th in Division I
Ithaca Boys 4x800 (Will Boscia, Zoltan Nadasdy, Everett Shaw, Andrew Whittaker): 24th overall, 11th in Division I
Noah Hilker also received the NYS Sportsmanship Award and finished 4th in the Division I boys steeplechase. HIlker’s time was the second best in program history.
ICSD Athletics strives to empower all scholars to make the world a more loving and welcoming place. The department focuses on inclusive practices for all scholars, promotes every program in the department, and strives to provide the best experiences for scholars, families, spectators, officials, and the larger community. This spring, many ICSD sports teams earned the NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team distinction. Scholar-Athlete Teams are those with more than 75% of the roster earning a GPA of 90%+.
2024 Spring Scholar-Athlete Teams are:
Baseball
Girls Lacrosse
Boys Tennis
Boys and Girls Track and Field
Unified Basketball
Flag Football
The ICSD community celebrates these accomplishments and looks forward to continuing success in athletics.