Track and field athletes from Fulton and Montgomery county schools gathered at Broadalbin-Perth High School on a brutally cold Saturday morning for the annual Kiwanis Bi County Track and Field Meet. The event turned out to be the first meet of the spring sports season for most of them. Lingering snow that had postponed several meets last week was still visible in patches at the Broadalbin-Perth sports complex. But the track was clear and there was enough green space to get the quest for school records and bids to sectionals and beyond under way. Among the teams present were the Amsterdam High School varsity boys and girls squads. And while the meet was not scored, both teams turned in standout performances and got a look at the upcoming competition.
The Amsterdam Rams boys team placed two on the podium at the end of the seven hour competition. Omari Sturdivant took home the award for Field Athlete of the Meet, garnering first place finishes in the long jump and the triple jump, and as part of the winning 400 meter relay team with Ryan Farley, Kevin Boucuad, and Luis Rodriguez. Amsterdam senior Izaiah Brown added to his trophy case taking home the boys Overall Athlete of the Meet award. He finished first in the 400 meter dash, the high jump, and was the anchor leg in the winning 1600 meter relay team.
The Rams also got first place finishes from Gabe Fernandez in the 1600 meter run and Andrew Druziak in the 200 meter dash. Amsterdam took the top three spots in the 200M with Edgar Maldonado coming in second, and David Graveley close behind in third. Maldonado was also second behind Brown in the 400M with Druziak placing fourth.
David Graveley added a second place finish in the 400 meter hurdles behind Track Athlete of the Meet winner Broadalbin-Perth’s Jake Coveney. Amsterdam’s Michael Johnson had a top ten finish coming in seventh.
Austin Brock finished third in the pole vault, and Kevin Boucaud came in fourth in the long jump for AHS. Jose Perez (third), and Gehrig Garner (fourth) placed in the high jump. Jose Perez grabbed fourth place in the discus throw and placed tenth in the shot put to round out the field events for the Amsterdam boys.
Jonathan Knack and Tim Kline took the third and fourth spots in the 1600 meter run. Pablo Almodovar, (fifth), Antonio Mercado (eighth), and Misha Murdoch (tenth) all placed in the top ten in the 800 meter run, and the Amsterdam 3200 meter relay team took home a fifth place finish completing the track events for the boys.
The Amsterdam girls got a first place finish from Brenda Santana in the 100 meter dash. Lady Rams senior Maddie Janetsky earned second place in the long jump, fifth in the high jump, and ran the anchor leg in 400 meter relay team that finished second. Janetsky’s teammate and fellow senior McKenna Palczak took home fourth place finishes in the long jump and the 100 meter hurdles, and came in seventh in the triple jump.
The Lady Rams got a third place finish from rookie Emma Patrei in the 800 meter run. Patrei was also part of the fourth place 1600 meter relay team. Amsterdam’s 3200 meter relay team anchored by senior Alyssa Turo also finished fourth.
Another Lady Rams rookie, Giuliana Pritchard finished fourth in the 100 meter dash, her first event as a member of the varsity track team. Pritchard, along with Emma Patrei are also playing softball on the Amsterdam junior varsity team this spring.
Aneysha Gonzalez placed ninth in the shot put and twelfth in the discus for Amsterdam. Isabel Gonzalez finished eleventh in the 400 meter hurdles, and Emma Gomez came in the eighth in the 800 meter run to round out the top finishes for the Lady Rams. Both Amsterdam teams will return to Broadalbin-Perth High School on Tuesday afternoon for their first meet as part of the Foothills Council. Both the Broadalbin-Perth Patriots girls and boys teams also fared well at the Bi County meet.
Jake Coveney added a second place finish in the triple jump and a third place finish in the long jump to add to his top finish in the 400M hurdles. Doug Sutter earned first in the shot put with Brandon Akey coming in fourth. Sutter also added an eighth place finish in the discus throw.. The Patriots got a first place finish in the 3200 meter steeplechase, a second place finish in the 400 meter relay event, and a third place in the 1600 meter relay. Andrew Gorzycki recorded a fourth place finish in the 200 meter dash, as did the Patriots 3200 meter relay team. Lance Jennings was fifth in the 1600 meter run, and Jordan Holik was sixth in the 800 meter run.
The Lady Patriots’ Celina Onzo was named the girls Track Athlete of the Meet. Onzo won the 800 meter and 1500 meter run events, and was part of the winning 1600 meter relay team with Christa Decker, Kaitlyn Sala, and Coreena Monroe. The Lady Patriots also topped the field in the 400 meter relay. Sala dashed to first in the 200 meter run, Monroe was the top finisher in the 400 meter hurdles, and Decker was fourth in the long jump and fifth in the 100 meter hurdles.
Lexi Eipp (pole vault), and Jordyn DeNeuville (3200 meter steeplechase) also took home first place finishes. DeNeuville finished second in the 300 meter run with teammate Cadey Nolan coming in fourth. Nolan finished second in the steeplechase event. The Lady Patriots 3200 meter relay team also placed second. Broadalbin-Perth got third place finishes from Eipp (400 meter run), Joanna Tavolaro (pole vault), Madison Macfarland (high jump), and Kelly Makarowsky (100 meter hurdles). Tavolaro also grabbed a fourth place finish in the triple jump, while Makarowsky took home fourth in the 400 meter hurdles. Danielle Landers was seventh in the discus throw and eighth in the shot put for BPHS.
Joining Onzo on the podium for the girls were Gloversville’s Sierra Fancher who was the girls Field Athlete of the Meet, and Fonda-Fultonville’s Emma Rhodes who was named the girls Overall Athlete of the Meet. Fancher placed second in both the high jump and pole vault, and was third in the triple jump. Rhodes was the top finisher in the long jump and the 100 meter hurdles.
The Kiwanis Bi County Meet has provided a positive step forward to the new season. If the young athletes can handle the frigid weather from Saturday’s meet they will be ready for anything. For many of the teams they got a look at the competition to come. Amsterdam, Broadalbin-Perth, Gloversville, and Johnstown are all members of the Foothills Council and in the same division. So, take your marks and let the season begin!
(Photos by Scott Mulford)
