The Amsterdam High School track and field teams got a look at some of the teams they will be facing next year when they join the Foothills Council at the Bi County Meet on Saturday at Broadalbin -Perth High School. Amsterdam’s Olivia Lazarou and Izaiah Brown both took home honors as Track Athletes.
“He won every event he was in,” said AHS boys head coach Kevin Wilary of Brown, a junior who broke the school record in the 200 meter run for the second time this year with a time of 21.60 seconds, and set the meet record in the 400 meter(48.10 seconds). “He gets better every week. He pushes himself to run better. A kid from Johnstown pushed him in the 400 meter. That motivated him to run faster.”
Brown took first place in the high jump, and his victory in the 200 meter was also a meet record. However, he wasn’t the only one to set a new high mark. Brown’s teammate Lucas Dorr’s time of 11.0 seconds in the 100 meter was also a meet record.
“He had a really good day,” said Wilary of Dorr’s efforts. “He had a personal best in the one hundred meter. He was the favorite to win it last year and he ran much better this year.”
Dorr and Brown were both part of winning AHS relay teams. Dorr teamed with Bryan Stanavich, Omari Sturdevant, and Shane Derose in the 4×100 relay, and Brown ran anchor leg on the team with David Graveley. and Jared and Julian Gallup. Graveley earned first place in the 400 meter hurdles and Sturdevant was first in the triple jump. Julian Gallup took top honors in the long jump with Sturdevant in second. Gabe Fernandez finished second in the 800 meter run.
The Amsterdam girls team was led by Lazarou who captured a pair of first place finishes in the distance events.
“She did a great job,” said AHS girls head coach Stu Palczak. “She’s becoming a premiere distance runner. Our distance runners did a great job today.”
Lazarou hustled to wins in the 800 meter (2:31.9, and the 1500 meter (5:17.20), and was part of the winning 4×800 meter relay team with Caitlyn Adamchick, Ilenis Quinones, and Chantel Dopp.
“I didn’t expect this,” said Lazarou after winning the girls track athlete award. “I knew I had to run hard. All of my practices and meets have come up to this.”
While Lazarou earned top honors with her efforts, one of her teammates is getting closer to a school record.
“Maddie Janetsky finished third in the triple jump,” said Palczak. “She’s only three inches away from the record. It’s going to fall soon.”
Along with Janetsky’s finish, Illenis Quinones finished second in the 1500 meter and third in the 3000 meter. Amsterdam’s 4×100 relay team also finished third. Lazarou teamed with Adamchick, Dopp and Gianna Derosa for third in the 4×400 relay. Dopp (3000 meter), McKenna Palczak (100M hurdles), Abby Wollman (long jump), and Amber Richardson (shot put) all earned fourth place finishes.
The AHS track teams will return to action on Tuesday for the final home meet of the season when they take on Catholic Central and CBA at Amsterdam High School. Start time for the meet is 4:30pm.
