As the first heat of the boys 400-meter preliminaries came to a close, six competitors waited at the finish line for nearly a minute cheering on Frewsburg sophomore Nolan LeBaron.

Before the clock could reach the 2-minute mark, LeBaron finished the race and walked toward the infield where his father, Mike, and Bears head coach Adam Loftus were waiting.

Nolan’s time of 1:57.21 was more than a minute slower than the top qualifier in the race, but that didn’t matter to Nolan’s family or anybody else in attendance.

More than nine months ago, LeBaron was diagnosed with leukemia and has been getting treatment ever since. In fact, even as late as Friday afternoon, Nolan was on his way back to the Southern Tier from an appointment in Buffalo.

Frewsburg’s Cody Kent leads teammate Xander Pitts and the rest of the field during the boys 3,200-meter final at the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Track & Field Championships on Friday at Bill Race Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Tim Frank

“That was his first athletic anything of his sophomore year. That’s been his goal since about January, was to do something his sophomore year. This one lap has been his goal,” said Mike, who is also the girls head coach for Falconer/Cassadaga Valley. “Two hours ago he was at Roswell Park with a needle in his chest getting a platelet infusion.”

Nolan, who competed Monday in a meet at Chautauqua Lake, arrived in Falconer in time to compete in the 400 meters.

“That boy has walked through hell … and hell is probably the kind word,” Mike LeBaron said. ” … We wear these bracelets that say ‘Nolan Strong’ and that’s what he wants to be. He’s anxious to get back and just be done … be back to being a normal kid.”

Nolan has about four more weeks of front-line treatment before 18 months of maintenance.

“When he’s feeling up to it, he’s come down to practice. We started off slow where he’d just kind of hang out and watch how practice went … then we slowly introduced him to stretching and running,” Frewsburg head coach Adam Loftus said. “The last few practices we put him in the 400 … he was eligible Monday so we put him in. He’s already cracked his goal of 2 minutes.”

Southwestern’s Emma Lewis leads the field in the girls 3,000 meters. P-J photo by Tim Frank

His efforts are not lost on his Frewsburg teammates and the community.

“It’s amazing. He’s been through a fight and his family has been through this battle these last few months. It’s awesome to see a kid who loves the sport and loves to compete be able to get to do it again after the fight he’s been through,” Loftus said. “I know this was an important moment for his family. His whole entire family was here to watch him. … I know his family is proud of him and we’re all proud of him down in Frewsburg.”

Ten champions were crowned Friday with preliminary races held in every other event to set up today’s finals.

Randolph’s Caden Inkley was the last champion Friday as he and teammate Clayton Crouse welcomed darkness at Bill Race Field with a duel in the pole vault. Inkley, a sophomore, ended up on top with a vault of 13 feet, 4 inches, while Crouse, a senior, took second at 12 feet, 6 inches.

Randolph junior Roan Kelly cruised to a win in the first final of the day, overtaking Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton’s Elias Quintero in the home stretch to win the boys 800 meters in 1:57.53.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton’s Jada Cole won the girls high jump at 5 feet, 1 inch at Friday’s Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Track & Field Championships at Bill Race Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Tim Frank

Allegany-Limestone senior Ashlyn Collins won the girls 800 meters in 2:24.48.

The other finals on the track were the boys 3,200 meters and the girls 3,000 meters. Frewsburg sophomore Cody Kent finished in 10:04.93 to win the 3,200 by nearly 11 seconds over Southwestern senior Nate Lewis. Trojans eighth-grader Emma Lewis, Nate’s sister, won the 3,000 in 10:49.56, nearly 4 seconds faster than West Valley freshman Olivia Harmony.

Maple Grove’s Jonah Foley and Randolph’s Mattie Evans-Brown took home the boys and girls triple jumps, respectively. Foley, a Red Dragons senior, reached 41 feet, 3.25 inches, while Evans-Brown, a Cardinals junior, leaped a distance of 32 feet, 11 inches.

In the girls discus, Franklinville/Ellicottville sophomore Elizabeth Price outdistanced her competitors by 8 feet with a heave of 99 feet, 3 inches.

Randolph senior Jaiden Huntington won the boys shot put by more than 2 feet with a toss of 47 feet, 7.5 inches.

Chautauqua Lake sophomore Jada Cole edged Clymer/Sherman/Panama sophomore Isa Kioko by 1 inch to win the high jump at 5 feet, 1 inch.

Finals on the track will begin with the boys and girls 3,200-meter relays at 10 a.m. today while field events will begin at the same time with finals in the boys and girls long jumps.

BOYS

Finals

Pole vault: Caden Inkley (R), Clayton Crouse (R), Matt Pannes (So), Nathan Bailey (F/CV), Jacob Herbert (A-L), John Conley (So) and Blake Kinnaird (O) and Noah Collins (Frew). H–13-4

3,200m: Cody Kent (Frew), Nate Lewis (So), Maxwell Knight (J), Jack Tharnish (WV), Lucas Dunnewold (C/S/P), Lucas Peterson-Volz (O), Grant Cornell (F/E), Xander Pitts (Frew). T–10:04.93

Triple jump: Jonah Foley (MG), Quanyay Thomas (D), Jase Smith (F/CV), Chris Miller (So), Vincent Sanfillipo (Frew), Riley Houghwot (F/CV), Jaylen McMichael (D), Connor Young (So). D–41-3.25

Shot put: Jaiden Huntington (R), Will Hoden (So), Mitchell Pike (So), Ryan Carpenter (R), Ahren Faller (A-L), Zach Trietley (Sa), Kyle Gonska (A-L), Anthony Cipolla (C/S/P). D–47-7.5

800m: Roan Kelly (R), Elias Quintero (CL/W/B), Greg Brumagin (J), Donavin Brown (So), Juvenal Diaz-Cortes (Frew), Alex Redeye (A-L), Ethan Verbosky (MG), Lucas Lawrie (D). T–1:57.53

Preliminaries

400m hurdles: Declan Kennedy (So), Michael Hanlon (D), Mahtis Baehr (F/CV), Benjamin Edwards (F/E), Ty Kraft (MG), Brendan Devereaux (Frew), Carson Conley (R), Sam Kautman (So). T–59.75

200m: Landon Stormer (Frew), Michael Butterfield (So), Talon Rowland (R), Noah Burch (J), Jordan Lockett (D), Jacob Constantino (Frew), Jayden Yerico (Fred), Mathew Burlingame (So). T–22.74

400m: Talon Rowland (R), Johnee Thomas (D), Landon Stormer (Frew), Alex Procknal (SC/F), Jacob Constantino (Frew), Jayden Yerico (Fred), Isaiah Sanchez (J), Jesse Hill (Sa). T–51.90

100m: Michael Butterfield (So), Cole Otto (CL/W/B), Jarren Cotter (J), Mathew Burlingame (So), David Speagle (CL/W/B), Connor Goudie (A-L), Carlos Gonzalez (Fred), Jacob Herbert (A-L). T–11.58

110m hurdles: Declan Kennedy (So), Zayne Cline (Frew), Carson Conley (R), Mathis Baehr (F/CV), Mason Kilmer (F/CV), Benjamin Edwards (F/E), Lenieth Velez-Olmo (Fred), Joshua Nolder (A-L). T–16.71

400m relay: Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, Frewsburg, Southwestern, Jamestown, Allegany-Limestone, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley, Fredonia, Olean. T–44.10

GIRLS

Finals

3,000m: Emma Lewis (So), Olivia Harmony (WV), Lilianna Peters (A-L), Elexa Duggan (A-L), Lucy Brown (So), Leah Mays (SC/F), Hannah Schauman (C/S/P), Lily Elliss (MG). T–10:49.56

Triple jump: Mattie Evans-Brown (R), Ella Ekstrom (F/CV), Madilynn McIntyre (So), Gracie Conlan (Frew), Lauren Cotter (So), Lily Borowski (C/S/P), Michaelynn Lecceradone (Sa), Ava Borer (O). D–32-11

High jump: Jada Cole (CL/W/B), Isa Kioko (C/S/P), Gigi Ferro (Fred), Leighanne Swan (C/S/P), Eve Adams (R), Madeline Saunders (Fred) and Isabella Milks (Sa), Ava Haynes (P) and Abby Chudy (F/E). H–5-1

Discus: Elizabeth Price (F/E), Renee Waterman (R), Leigha Sischo (So), Paiden Wittmeyer (F/CV), Alivia Wofford (J), Hallie Zalwsky (O), Autumn Lynn (F/CV), Mikayla Johnson (So). D–99-3

800m: Ashlyn Collins (A-L), Belle Johnson (J), Tryniti Card (So), Lilly Coulter (A-L), Alysa Williams (F/E), Solki Martin-Lacayo (C/S/P), Ava Haynes (P), Sara Smith (R). T–2:24.48

Preliminaries

400m hurdles: Hannah Madonia (F/CV), Lizzie Lai (MG), Marcella Seekings (F/CV), Lilly Coulter (A-L), Aryanna Hatch (P), Tayden Persons (C/S/P), Olivia Hallenbeck (Frew), Molly Shaw (SC/F). T–1:11.26

200m: Tyyetta Herman (F/E), Julia Wyant (P), Madison Burgess (J), Alexis Grijalva (So), Gigi Ferro (Fred), Caitlyn Kellogg (A-L), Grace Lennon (Frew), Emma Gassman (C-LV). T–26.13

400m: Tyyetta Herman (F/E), Jenna Wyant (P), Alexis Grijalva (So), Emma Gassman (C-LV), Ava Borer (O), Emylia Hallberg (J), Marlana Cresanti (So), Siera Jacques (D). T–59.49

100m: Tyyetta Herman (F/E), Madison Burgess (J), Grace Lennon (Frew), Caitlyn Kellogg (A-L), Paiden Wittmeyer (F/CV), Gigi Ferro (Fred), Ava Cook (Fred), Ella Propheter (J). T–13.09

100m hurdles: Leighanne Swan (C/S/P), Olivia Hallenbeck (Frew), Dakota Rammelt (CL/W/B), Jez Fayson (O), Abby Roth (Fred), Aryanna Hatch (P), M’Kenzie Zavala (So), Tayden Persons (C/S/P). T–17.22

400m relay: Jamestown, Southwestern, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley, Portville, Frewsburg, Olean, Allegany-Limestone, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton. T–51.15