Amherst boys beat South, 89-52

The Amherst Central boys track defeated Williamsville South, 89-52, last Tuesday at Amherst.

Amherst's Bert Smith won the 100- and 200-meter dashes and anchored the team's winning 4x100 relay. David Szymkowiak led off the 4x100 and also took first in the 1600 and 3200. Alex Bible ran the third leg of the 4x800 and anchored the winning 4x800 relay. Bible also placed first in the open 400. Vitaly Sergeyov won the 1600.

In field events, the Tigers' Dion Merrill was first in the shot put and discus and Roland Cook won the high jump and triple jump and took second in the long jump.

Dan Polis and Huron Hill led the Billies. Polis won the long jump (18-7) and took second in the 400 hurdles (1:05). Hill won the 400 hurdles (1:04) and placed third in the high jump (5-4).

Hill also joined Nick Helnick, Tim Krempa and Russ Scheiss to win the 4x400 relay in 3:51.2.

Krempa won the pole vault (9-6), took second in the high jump (5-4) and placed third in the 110 hurdles (15.9).

Scheiss came in second in the 400 (54.2) and third in the 800 (2:20.4).

Helnick went a season-best 57.6 in the open 400 to place third.

Yahs Williams came in second in the shot put (38-9) and third in the 100 (11.8) and 200 (25.2) dashes.

John Stark took second in the 1600 (5:02.5) and 3200 (11:06.7).

The 4x800 relay of Peter Galbo, Stark, Scheiss and Alex Podvezko did not win but broke nine minutes for the first time all season, racing a 8:45.5, to qualify for the Section VI Championships in June.

Nate Hall broke 60 seconds for the first time in the 400 (58.3). Alex Bock took third in the 400 hurdles in a season-best 1:07.5. Graham Taylor pole vaulted 7-6 for third place. It's the first time he's pole vaulted in a meet.

Amherst took seventh with 24 points at the Starpoint Team Challenge on Saturday at Starpoint High School.

Cook and Viron Hale won the triple jump and took third in the high jump. Szymkowiak and Sergeyov combined for a third in the 1600.

Amherst hosted Pioneer on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

South took second at the Holland Tulip Festival Invitational on Saturday at Holland High School with 47 points.

Williams was the team's only winner, taking first in the shot put (36-8.5).

Second places went to Nick Hoffman in the 110 hurdles (18.1), Hill in the 400 hurdles (1:15), Galbo in the 800 (2:18.9) and Podvezko in the 3200 (11:10.2). Third places went to Hill in the 110 hurdles (18.2), Podvezko in the 1600 (5:08.1), Scheiss in the 400 (personal best 53.3), Stark in the 3200 (11:12.3) and Hoffman in the triple jump (33-5.5).

Phil Michalowski and Chris Kraatz ran personal times in the 400 (1:10) and 800 (2:48.4), respectively.

South hosted Starpoint on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They will run in the Joe Paterniti Memorial Track and Field Classic on Saturday at Strider Field in Jamestown.

"They're times are coming down," said South coach Dan Syracuse. "That's what we're looking for. Running pr's (personal records) this early in the season is definitely a positive."

Williamsville East

East and Starpoint were tied at 68-68 going into the last event, the 4x100 relay, and the Flames took second to lose 73-68 last Tuesday at Starpoint.

Greg French was a triple winner in the 110 hurdles (15.8), 400 hurdles (59.5) and triple jump (n/a).

Scott Ryan won the 1600 (4:36) and 3200 (10:16) in personal best times. His time in the mile is the best time in the event at East in the last 10 years.

Colin Begy won the 800 (2:02) and Max Fogel came in a second (personal best 2:04.7).

At the Starpoint Team Challenge on Saturday, also at Starpoint, Andrew MacDonald and Ryan combined to take second in the team mile (4:36, 4:38 - 9:14).

"The team has a lot of spirit and it is showing in the results we are getting," said East coach Cameron Townsend.

East hosted Iroquois on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They will run in the Joe Paterniti Memorial Track and Field Classic at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Stride Field in Jamestown.

Sweet Home Andrew Hopkins and Nick Christman threw the shot put a combined 96-3.25 to win the event at the Starpoint Team Challenge.