1981-83 Ramapo Girls' Sprint Relays
Kim McDole, Suzette Francois, Michelle Irby, Debbie Grant, Cheri Siler, Jackie Capers, Lisa Johnson
Two-time New York State champion, 4x400-meter relay – Spring 1982 and Winter 1983. (McDole, Francois, Irby, Grant in both.)
Ramapo's girls sprint relays' claim to fame is that they dominated a very loaded sprint era from spring 1981 to spring 1983. Hall of Famers Kim McDole and Debbie Grant teamed with Suzette Francois, Jackie Capers, Michelle (Irby) Ervin and Lisa Johnson to win two state championships in the 1600 relay and win silver and bronze medals on still all-time ranked 400 relay after 40-plus years.
1983 400 relay
PSAL Championships, 1st, 49.2, Meet Record (M/G/F/Cheri Siler)
County Meet record for over a decade; still standing in 1994.
Sun, 5/22/83 - JN: D9
Fri, 5/20/94 - JN: D3
Section 9A Championships, 1st, 49.7 (M/G/F/Cheri Siler)
Sat, 5/28/83 - JN: C6
State Qualifiers, 1st, 49.1 (M/G/F/Cheri Siler)
Sun, 6/5/83 - JN: D8
NYS Intersectional, 2nd, 48.81 (not conclusive who 4th leg was between Cheri Siler and Lisa Johnson)
Closed on 48.58 champion of PSAL.
All-County writeup included McDole, Francois, Grant, Siler and Johnson.
Sun, 6/25/83 - JN: D5
#2 All Time in 1983; #10 All Time, today.
1982-83 1600 relay
PSAL Championships, 1st, 4:16.8y (Siler, Irby, Francois, Grant)
Fri, 2/4/83 - JN: B9
West Point Invitational, 2nd, 3:58.9y (Irby, Jackie Capers, Francois, Grant)
"Ramapo girls mile relay team placed second in a school-record clocking of 3:58.9."
Sun, 2/6/83 - JN: D8
Section 9A Championships, 1st, 4:12.0y (Siler, Francois, Grant, Irby)
Sat, 2/12/83 - JN: C5
State Qualifier, 1st, 4:21.3y (McDole, Francois, Irby, Grant)
Sun, 2/27/83 - JN: D9
Vitalis U.S. Olympic Invitational, 4th, 4:00.12y (McDole, Irby, Franois, Grant)
-"Ramapo's mile relay team finished fourth in the All-East Girls invitational race."
Mon, 2/28/83 - JN: B3
New York State Intersectional, 1st, 4:02.8
-"[Kim McDole] combined with teammates Suzette Francois, Michelle Irby, and Debbie Grant to capture first place in the 1600-meter relay in 4:02.8. That's the same Gryphons' quartet which won the 1600-meter outdoor title last spring."
Sun, 3/13/83 - JN: C1
1982 1600 relay
Penn Relays, 13th, 4:00.2, SR
-"The Ramapo girls 1600-meter relay team of Debbie Grant, Suzette Francois, Kim McDole and Micelle Irby set a school record of 4:00.2. The quartet finished 13th out of about 140 teams."
Sat, 4/24/82 - JN: C5
PSAL Championships, 1st, 3:58.6, SR (Grant, Francois, Irby, Capers)
Sun, 5/16/82 - JN: D7
Section 9A Championships, 1st, 4:06.3 (Francois, Grant, Irby, Lisa Johnson)
Sat, 5/22/82 - JN: C5
Section 9 State Qualifying Meet, 1st, 3:56.7, SR (Francois, Grant, Irby, McDole)
Sun, 5/30/82 - JN: D7
New York State Intersectional, 1st, 3:55.9, School Record
Ramapo's girls 1,600 relay tops in state
-"The Gryphons' foursome of Kim McDole, Suzette Francois, Michelle Irby and Debbie Grant completed the race in 3:55.9" to win Rockland's only championship of the meet.
Sun, 6/6/82 - JN: D1
All-County First Team
-"'In the beginning of the season, we knew that if we would have any chance at the state level," said (Gary) Schoonmaker, 'We pointed to the state meet all season.'"
Sun, 6/27/82 - JN: D8
1981 400 relay
Section 9A, 1st, 49.1 (McDole, Capers, Grant, Francois)
Sat, 5/23/81 - JN: C5
Section 9 State Qualifier, 1st, 48.1, Championship Record (McDole, Grant, Capers, Francois)
-Record stood for 26 years (Suffern, 2007); #4 All-Time today.
Sun, 5/31/81 - JN: D5
New York State Intersectional, 3rd, 49.3
-"Grant followed up her (400h) victory with a share in Ramapo's third place finish in 49.3 in the 400-meter relay. Hempstead High of Long Island broke the previous meet record of 49.2 with a 48.2 clocking."
- New York State, 2nd place, Spring 1983, 4x100 relay, 48.81 (McDole, Siler, Grant, Francois)
- New York State, 2nd place, Winter 1981, 4x200 relay, 1:47.8 (Capers, Francois, McDole, Grant)
- New York State, 3rd place, Winter 1982, 4x200 relay, 1:46.1 (Capers, Francois, McDole, Grant)
- New York State, 3rd place, Spring 1981, 4x100 relay, 49.3 (Grant, McDole, Capers, Francois)
- Best 4x400 time of 3:56.7, winning State Qualifier in Spring 1982
- In Spring 1983, 4x100 won County, Section 9 Class A and State Qualifier meets
- In Spring 1982, 4x400 won County, Section 9 Class A and State Qualifier meets
- In Winter 1983, 4x400 was undefeated against Rockland competition and posted a best time of 3:58.9, at West Point Invitational.
- Ramapo won the girls' team titles in the spring County and Section 9 Class A meets in both 1982 and 1983.
Ramapo's girls sprint relays' claim to fame is that they dominated a very loaded sprint era from spring 1981 to spring 1983. Hall of Famers Kim McDole and Debbie Grant teamed with Suzette Francois, Jackie Capers, Michelle (Irby) Ervin and Lisa Johnson to win two state championships in the 1600 relay and win silver and bronze medals on still all-time ranked 400 relay after 40-plus years.
1983 400 relay
PSAL Championships, 1st, 49.2, Meet Record (M/G/F/Cheri Siler)
County Meet record for over a decade; still standing in 1994.
Sun, 5/22/83 - JN: D9
Fri, 5/20/94 - JN: D3
Section 9A Championships, 1st, 49.7 (M/G/F/Cheri Siler)
Sat, 5/28/83 - JN: C6
State Qualifiers, 1st, 49.1 (M/G/F/Cheri Siler)
Sun, 6/5/83 - JN: D8
NYS Intersectional, 2nd, 48.81 (not conclusive who 4th leg was between Cheri Siler and Lisa Johnson)
Closed on 48.58 champion of PSAL.
All-County writeup included McDole, Francois, Grant, Siler and Johnson.
Sun, 6/25/83 - JN: D5
#2 All Time in 1983; #10 All Time, today.
1982-83 1600 relay
PSAL Championships, 1st, 4:16.8y (Siler, Irby, Francois, Grant)
Fri, 2/4/83 - JN: B9
West Point Invitational, 2nd, 3:58.9y (Irby, Jackie Capers, Francois, Grant)
"Ramapo girls mile relay team placed second in a school-record clocking of 3:58.9."
Sun, 2/6/83 - JN: D8
Section 9A Championships, 1st, 4:12.0y (Siler, Francois, Grant, Irby)
Sat, 2/12/83 - JN: C5
State Qualifier, 1st, 4:21.3y (McDole, Francois, Irby, Grant)
Sun, 2/27/83 - JN: D9
Vitalis U.S. Olympic Invitational, 4th, 4:00.12y (McDole, Irby, Franois, Grant)
-"Ramapo's mile relay team finished fourth in the All-East Girls invitational race."
Mon, 2/28/83 - JN: B3
New York State Intersectional, 1st, 4:02.8
-"[Kim McDole] combined with teammates Suzette Francois, Michelle Irby, and Debbie Grant to capture first place in the 1600-meter relay in 4:02.8. That's the same Gryphons' quartet which won the 1600-meter outdoor title last spring."
Sun, 3/13/83 - JN: C1
1982 1600 relay
Penn Relays, 13th, 4:00.2, SR
-"The Ramapo girls 1600-meter relay team of Debbie Grant, Suzette Francois, Kim McDole and Micelle Irby set a school record of 4:00.2. The quartet finished 13th out of about 140 teams."
Sat, 4/24/82 - JN: C5
PSAL Championships, 1st, 3:58.6, SR (Grant, Francois, Irby, Capers)
Sun, 5/16/82 - JN: D7
Section 9A Championships, 1st, 4:06.3 (Francois, Grant, Irby, Lisa Johnson)
Sat, 5/22/82 - JN: C5
Section 9 State Qualifying Meet, 1st, 3:56.7, SR (Francois, Grant, Irby, McDole)
Sun, 5/30/82 - JN: D7
New York State Intersectional, 1st, 3:55.9, School Record
Ramapo's girls 1,600 relay tops in state
-"The Gryphons' foursome of Kim McDole, Suzette Francois, Michelle Irby and Debbie Grant completed the race in 3:55.9" to win Rockland's only championship of the meet.
Sun, 6/6/82 - JN: D1
All-County First Team
-"'In the beginning of the season, we knew that if we would have any chance at the state level," said (Gary) Schoonmaker, 'We pointed to the state meet all season.'"
Sun, 6/27/82 - JN: D8
1981 400 relay
Section 9A, 1st, 49.1 (McDole, Capers, Grant, Francois)
Sat, 5/23/81 - JN: C5
Section 9 State Qualifier, 1st, 48.1, Championship Record (McDole, Grant, Capers, Francois)
-Record stood for 26 years (Suffern, 2007); #4 All-Time today.
Sun, 5/31/81 - JN: D5
New York State Intersectional, 3rd, 49.3
-"Grant followed up her (400h) victory with a share in Ramapo's third place finish in 49.3 in the 400-meter relay. Hempstead High of Long Island broke the previous meet record of 49.2 with a 48.2 clocking."