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North optimistic of state qualifying chances Coach Julian Blake is excited about the indoor track program at Williamsville North. And why shouldn’t he? Last year, the North boys’ team sent three athletes to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships – Richard Wong, John Bauman and Matt Losi. Another two athletes – Mike Dobmeier and Andrew Mikulski - should have qualified but were injured. Out of the five, only Losi returns. Others who graduated from the boys’ team were Kurt Wende, Jeff Nelson, William Du, Varun Dewan, Mike Brown and James O’Leary and Jessica Lemmon and Angella Anello on the girls’ side. Boys This season, Blake thinks the boys and girls team should be competitive on the track and in field events, led on the boys’ side by Matt and Greg Losi. Both are senior co-captains. Matt qualified for states last year in the triple jump after edging his brother, Greg, by five inches, for second at the Section VI Championships. “The Losi’s are four-year veterans with state competition experience,” said Blake. “They both lead the division in the long jump and were among the top three triple jumpers, just behind Wong. They will defend their rankings again this year and be a pivotal part of the sprint team.” Blake said Greg is also a 5-5 high jumper. Matt came in five seconds shy of the 55m-hurdle sectional qualifying time, he added. Also returning to this lineup for the boys team will be seniors David Johnson, Jake Fortine, Jerry Gao, Justin Casselmen, Miah Hildreth, Richard Weiss, and Alexander Weiser, juniors Max Esenbaum, Ryan Casselmen, Sean Felton, and Steve Oehler, sophomores Evan Hughes and Nathon Benamoz and eighth grader from Casey Middle School, Collin Preston. Blake is looking for Johnson, Gao, Eisenbaum and newcomers senior Geoff Stallman, sophomores Michael Thelman and David Roberts and freshman Ryan Perry to compete in distance events, and Weiser, the Casselmen brothers and Benamoz as well as newcomers, seniors Ben Demerath and David Woods, juniors Tim Gavigan, Will Fritzinger and Matt Flemming, sophomores Chris Colletti, Joe Seitz, Justin Shade and freshman Nick Otinger, in middle distance. The boys’ sprint teams will feature Fortine, Felton, Preston, Hughes, along with senior Arthur Collins, sophomore Andrew Svisco and freshman Robert Golightly. Weiss, Svisco, and sophomore Greg Schwake as well as Golighty and other freshmen Raj Shah and Anthony Cimato will throw. Girls Junior Meredith Kirby and senior Ashley Redino will lead the way for a deep and talented field of Lady Spartans. “Redino is a sectional qualifier in the 55 hurdles and a school record pole vaulter,” said Blake. “Kirby is one of the top long jumpers in the section and a versatile sprinter who can competitively race 300 and 400 meters.” Kirby was nudged out of states last year in the long jump by a half inch. She finished third at sectionals. Returning senior runners for the North girls’ team includes seniors Kim Dohn, a 2005 state finalist in the 300, Nicole Steszewski, a sectional qualifier in the triple jump, Cristina Irizarry, Emma Donathen, Lauren Howell, and Jill Frenning. Returning juniors include Emily Curry, who advanced to the triple jump sectional finals, Dawn Hu, Kim Schueler, and Sarah Mikulski, who recorded her best time in the 55 hurdles at sectionals. Other returning girls include sophomores Amy Loud, a sectional qualifier in the 55 hurdles, Alex Nero, Caitlin and Lauren Triantafillou, Sana and Sarah Khan, and Anya Giarraffa. Blake likes Lemmon and Giarraffa and new additions junior Kayla Maxwell, sophomores Kim Berus, Leslee McGee, and Caitlin Curry and freshman Natalie Worley in distance events and Dohn, Hu, Schueler, Nero, Sana Khan and the Triantafillou’s and newcomers juniors Katie Palka and Michele Bauman, sophomores Katie Dowdell, Kearsten Renzi, and Rosie McCarthy, freshmen Bailey Lamson and Molly Mitchell and eighth grader from Casey Middle, Ashley Fillmore in middle distance events. The girls’ sprint teams will feature Redino, Irizarry, Emily Curry, Kirby, Mikulski, Loud, and Sarah Khan, along with sophomores Amanda Sheriff and Megan Stasio and freshmen Kate Herbst and Shelby Gray. Donathen, Frenning, Giarraffa, and Howell will throw. North has already competed in a varsity meet at Fredonia State College and a JV meet at Lancaster High School.
“The boys will have some very big shoes to fill and are more than willing to step up to the challenge,” said Blake. “On the other hand, the girls team is coming off of one of their most competitive outdoor seasons thus far and are pumped to see what sort of mark there team can make on the indoor circuit.” |
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