Smallwood Drive excels at district track meet

The Smallwood Drive Elementary fourth-grade girls 440 relay team placed first at the 32nd annual Amherst Elementary Schools Track and Field Meet. Members of the team, pictured from left, are Kathryn Yoder, Lacey Woite, Ellie Ferra and Angelina Simon.

A select group of fourth- and fifth-grade students from Smallwood Drive Elementary School recently participated in the 32nd annual Amherst Elementary Schools Track and Field Meet.

The Smallwood students qualified to participate during their physical education classes.

The team earned 38 total ribbons, including 15 for first place, and set four district records.

The fourth-grade team produced 21 of the 38 winners. Kathryn Yoder placed first in the girls 50-yard dash, followed by Angelina Simon in third. Jaelin Marong was third for the boys.

In the girls 75-yard dash, Lacey Woite captured first and Leanne Orlowski earned third. Joe Suk won the boys division.

The girls and boys 440-yard dash teams swept the competition with Olivia Pace, Ellie Ferrara and Laura Staff earning first through third for the girls and Marong, Brad Pohlman and Joshua Menegaux earning first through third for the boys.

The fourth-grade sprinters continued to impress in the 440 relay, with the team of Ferra, Simon, Yoder and Woite placing first for the girls and Huibo Guan, Brad Kejmanowski, Jamie Tullamello and Suk winning for the boys.

In the field, the fourth-grade girls dominated the standing long jump with Yoder, Malasia Stalworth and Megan Bassel sweeping places one, two and three. Katie Lesswig won the girls softball throw and Maddie Aston earned third. Marong earned second for the boys. Austin Ballard was third.

The fifth-grade team was equally impressive, earning 17 ribbons. In the girls 50-yard dash, Breanna Jackson, Taylor Balser and Joslynn Saffron finished first, second and third while Kevin Waller earned third place for the boys. Emily Smith, Saffron and Kaitlyn Peti took first, second and third in the girls 75-yard dash. Jimmy Kirkpatrick was third for the boys.

In the 440-yard dash, Aleza Epstein and Kirkpatrick each earned first place. Additionally, the girls 440 relay team of Balser, Epstein, Jackson and Smith won first and the boys team of Gavin Cummings, Joey Fahey, Tyler Larwood and John Quinlivan earned third.

In the field, Jackson led Smallwood to victory in the girls standing long jump and Epstein placed second. Harriet Hernandez placed second in the girls softball throw and Balser and Jenna Battaglia tied for third. Ryan Byrne was second for the boys.

The Smallwood students competed under the direction of Kristy Grossman, Jennifer Higgins and Mark Mobus.