By ADAM SHINDER

@RecorderShinder

CLIFTON PARK — Gabby Stanavich didn’t run the exact race she wanted to run. Kevon Boucaud did. They both ended up with the same result – a place in the national track and field championships.

Stanavich became the first Amsterdam High School girl in more than two decades to qualify for the outdoor state championships Friday in Shenendehowa when she placed second in the Division 1 100-meter hurdles at the Section II state qualifying meet. Although Stanavich finished 0.2 seconds behind winner Mimi Liebers of Saratoga Springs, she had already met the qualifying time for a spot in the general meet earlier this season — and did so again Friday with a time of 15.13 seconds — punching her ticket to next weekend’s state championships at Union-Endicott High School just outside Binghamton.

“I wish I would have finished first, but I hit a hurdle near the end,” Stanavich said. “It’s still nice to be able to go (to States).”

“I probably hit hurdle six or seven and was a bit scared because I thought others would be ahead of me,” she added. “It’s the kind of thing that can cost you the race, but luckily I was able to recover and still be in the race.”

Boucaud, who already secured a trip to states on Thursday on the first day of qualifying in the long jump, doubled his lead by winning the Division 1 boys’ 100-meter dash. Despite a false start by another competitor that put the field in a tight spot, Boucaud ran his race perfectly, quickly taking the lead, putting the pedal to the metal and cruising to victory in 10.82 seconds, while Matthew McLaughlin of Shenendehowa took second.

“The false starts made me a little nervous, but I still managed to do what I had to do,” said Boucaud. “I had a good start. My start was much better, I was more focused and I got the job done.”

Boucaud wanted to work fast and get ready for the state championship next week. In fact, right after his 100-meter dash, it was time for him to put on a tuxedo and head to the AHS Senior Ball.

“I was really focused on the state meet because the state meet is what really matters,” Boucaud said. “My main goal was to come here, run my race and just win. I wasn’t trying to get a crazy time or anything like that because that wouldn’t matter.”

Stanavich and Boucaud weren’t the only area athletes to secure their spots at the state championships on Friday. Fonda-Fultonville junior Brittany Castelluccio won the Division 2 girls long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 11 inches, easily outpacing Glens Falls’ Kasey Gorton to secure a third consecutive state championship berth. Also qualifying was the Broadalbin-Perth boys 4×100-meter relay team of Chris Wagner, Jake Bunker, Zach Johnson and Ivan Roberts, which outran the Division 2 field to win in 44.53 seconds.

The girls’ 4×400 relay team from Amsterdam, which had hoped to repeat its success from the winter indoor season in the States, was unlucky to settle for second place behind Shenendehowa in a crowded Division 1 race.

After strong stages from Brenda Santana and Edena Sanchez, Amsterdam was in the lead halfway through the relay, but Shenendehowa took the lead just before Olivia Lazarou of Amsterdam handed the baton to Lauren Santiago for the final stage, and Santiago was unable to catch Alexandra Tudor of Shen on the final lap.