The Amsterdam High School track and field program held a chicken parmesan dinner fundraiser on Tuesday evening at the Armory Grill in Amsterdam to help with their trip to North Carolina this weekend to compete in a national competition.
Members of the Amsterdam boys 4×400 meter relay team which includes senior David Graveley and juniors Omari Sturdivant, Edgar Maldonado, and Gabe Fernandez were on hand to welcome guests for the three-hour fundraiser.
The relay team that also includes AHS senior standout and Rutgers University bound Izaiah Brown finished seventh with a time of three minutes and 22.04 seconds at last Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) at the University of Albany, and is among the finest high school teams in the nation. Juniors’ Maldonado and Fernandez looked forward to the chance to compete at the highest level.
“It’s a big deal since we’re juniors,” Fernandez said. “It’s crazy that we’re going again. It would really be a big deal to win.”
“We’re excited to go and I want the best for our team,” Maldonado said. “I can’t wait for the experience. Even if we don’t win, I want to have fun with my teammates.”
The Rams relay team in no stranger to national competition, nor is their anchor leg runner Brown, who set a new state meet record in the 400 meter dash, and set a personal best and Section 2record in the 200 meter run with a time of 21.10 seconds. The Amsterdam 4×400 relay team finished 16th at this years’ New Balance Nationals Indoor Championships, and Brown finished second in the 400 meter run.
The team will be aiming for another trip to the podium this weekend June 19-21, at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the campus of North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, North Carolina.
