Rockland Track & Field Hall of Fame To Induct Eight

BY JAMIE KEMPTON  

The Rockland County Track & Field Hall of Fame will enshrine eight new members during its 11th induction ceremony on Saturday, May 16, beginning 6 p.m., at the Minisceongo Golf Club in Pomona.

The class of 2015 includes a pair of state-champion pole vaulters, Charles Serra of Spring Valley and Rob Ossman of North Rockland; state titleholders Misty Scott and Taneisha Cantave of Suffern and Paul Joyce of Clarkstown South, who was also a national champion; Darryl Brown of Nanuet, a former county record-holder in two events; North Rockland coach Gene Dall, one of the most successful coaches in Rockland history; and William J. Miller of Pearl River, a track and field journalist for more than 60 years.

Serra, class of 1952, shared the New York State pole-vault crown in 1952 and became the first Rockland schoolboy to clear 12 feet. He went on to a standout career at Manhattan. Ossman captured the state indoor and outdoor titles in 1992. His personal best of 15-3 ranks third all-time in Rockland.

Joyce, class of 2000, won the 2000 national indoor title at 800 meters and state Federation crowns in the 1,000 meters indoors and 800 outdoors. He holds the Rockland indoor 800 record of 1:51.98 and ranks No. 2 outdoors at 1:50.96.

Scott, class of 1999, won the state Federation championship at 300 meters. She ranks No. 2 all-time in Rockland in the outdoor 400 at 54.9 and No. 3 indoors at 56.54. Cantave, class of 2003, won state titles in the triple jump both indoors and outdoors and ran on three indoor state-champion 800-meter relays for Suffern from 2001 to 2003.

Brown, class of 1971, set Rockland records in the high jump (6-4 ½) and triple jump (46-1 ½) and placed third at the Penn Relays in the triple jump. He was undefeated in those two events in Section 9 competition in 1970 and 1971. Dall, in his 45th year as North Rockland coach, has led the Red Raiders to 47 County and 40 Sectional team titles in track and cross country and has coached 18 state champions. He has been named Rockland Coach of the Year 41 times.

Miller, 91, reported on high school track & field for The New York Times from 1947 until 2010. He covered the prestigious Penn Relays each of those years and earned track & field’s highest journalism honor, the Jesse Abramson Award, in 1993.

Tickets for the dinner are $65 at the door and $25 for children 12 or younger. For ticket information, contact Bill Dailey at 845-323-0976 or [email protected], or visit the hall of fame’s website at www.rctfhalloffame.org.

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