Top 7 Athletes To Watch At NY Indoor State Championships

State championships continue to roll on throughout the country.

This weekend in New York -- the home to an array of nationally-ranked prospects -- teams and athletes will look to capture state titles at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility.

Photo Credit: Derrick Dingle / MileSplit

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Kate Putman, Cicero-North Syracuse

Event: 1,500m

Photo Credit: Todd McDonoughh / MileSplit

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Collin Gilstrap, Monroe-Woodbury

Event: 3,200m

This indoor season, six boys across the nation dipped under 9-minutes in the 3,200m.

One of them is from New York.

Gilstrap of Monroe-Woodbury made a breakthrough as he stopped the clock at 8:57.39 in his Section 9 state qualifier.

Last season, he finished eighth at the outdoor state championships in the 3,200m, where he was the second junior to finish in 9:17. Nine months later, Gilstrap will toe the line at his first-ever state indoor championship and he is in position to earn his first crown. 

Keep in mind the state meet record is 8:57.49. 

Photo Credit: Todd McDonoughh / MileSplit

Baloga has had a busy last few weeks. She competed at the World U20 Cross Country Championships in Australia in early February, finishing 13th overall.

A week later, she hit the indoor track to qualify for her third indoor state championships.

The Colorado signee will look to put together another performance and could be crowned champion for the third consecutive time in the 3K. 

The Section 9 state qualifier's performance points to her being the top athlete in this event. Her 9:23.80 personal best ranks her No. 2 in the country and No. 5 all-time in New York history. 

Also in the field will be Ella Cohen of Hunter College Campus and the cross country regional champion Lillie Bogdan of Frontier. 

Photo Credit: Mary Ann Magnant / MileStat

Cole's resume cannot go unnoticed.

The defending high jump champion has three of her performances over 5-10 in the high jump. At the Section 5 Sectional Championships, the senior cleared 6-0 to earn a U.S. No. 1 ranking and a new state record. 

However, Cole isn't just looking to add another high jump gold medal to her collection. 

Cole has the opportunity to double in the long jump as well.

This season alone, she's consistently hit 19 feet. She's even gone 19-7.75 to set a new personal best at the sectional championship and earn a New York No. 1 ranking. This will be Cole's first time competing in the long jump at the indoor state championships. 

As an eighth-grader in 2022, Kaulder wasn't the top seed going into the state championships.

That didn't matter as he still won the title. 

Similar to the previous season, Kaulder isn't the top-ranked jumper going into the state championships. But as a freshman, he's looking to defend his title and improve on his leap of 22-7.5, which is ranked No. 6 in the state.

He will face LaDuke Harris of William Floyd and Putu Sutayasa of Nyack who already jumped over 23 feet in February. 

Photo Credit: Tony Morales / MileSplit

There are three boys who have thrown over 70 feet this year, including Matthew Auble of Warsaw and Dustin Swartwood of Auburn. 

While leading the state and having thrown one of the country's top 10 marks, Kim is the boy who threw a best of 70-6.75 from the Long Island Elite Meet last week. 

Kim enters the state championship as the top returner from the previous season after he finished fifth behind graduating seniors. 

One of the most competitive relays will come from the boys 4x800m, which will feature the second and fourth-fastest teams in the nation. 

Chaminade and Monroe-Woodbury will enter the state championships with bests of 7:50.39 and 7:52.21, respectively. 

However, you can't count out Saint Anthony and Saratoga Springs, as they are two other teams who dipped under eight minutes this year.