Both the Amsterdam girls and boys varsity track and field teams were victorious in Foothills Council action Tuesday afternoon. The Amsterdam Lady Rams defeated the Johnstown Lady Bills 89- 49 for their second league win, and the Rams toppled the Sir Bills 82.5- 57.5 for their first league win on a cold, windy afternoon at Knox Field in Johnstown.
Amsterdam girls 89 Johnstown girls 49
The Lady Rams came into the meet with their league rival after a week that saw several school and meet records fall. Amsterdam (2-0 Foothills Council) had 11 first place finishes at the Kiwanis Bi-County Meet, and the Lady Rams posted record times in three events. Amsterdam followed that success with a title defense at the recent Niskayuna Warrior Classic where AHS sophomore Gabby Stanavich set a new school best in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.05 seconds, besting the old mark set by Stanavich’s aunt, former AHS standout Marie Davey.
“I didn’t expect it,” Stanavich said about the race where she set he new school mark. “I hit one of the hurdles early in the race, and in the semi’s before that I ran a 15.4. To run a fifteen flat is crazy.”
Stanavich had been inching closer to the high mark since she joined the AHS varsity last year, and continued to post personal bests’ including a 15.3 run in the Bi County Meet hosted at Amsterdam High School back on April 15. Stanavich said that although many family members were in attendance at the Niskayuna meet her aunt was not present, but was pleased with Stanavich’s effort.
“She was really happy for me,” Stanavich said. “It felt good to have a lot of family there.”
Stanavich was true to form on Tuesday picking up wins in both the 100 meter and 400 meter hurdles events, posting a time of 15.20 seconds in the shorter distance despite the unpleasant weather. The AHS sophomore felt she could yet do better than her recent record time.
“I want to get better at it,” Stanavich said. “I’m more concerned with the 400 hurdles, that’s where I need to improve. I’m trying to get under fifteen seconds in the 100 meter hurdles.”
Stanavich wasn’t alone in picking up a pair of wins for Amsterdam. Lauren Santiago, Olivia Lazarou, and Haley Madej each won two events, and the Lady Rams swept all three relays. Santiago won the 200 meter dash with a time of 27.10 seconds, and took first in the 400 meter run with a time of 1:02.70. Lazarou was best in the 1500 meter run clocking in at five minutes and twenty seconds, and was first in the 3000 meter at 11:39.30. Madej helped AHS in the field events with wins in the shot put (25′ 2.5”), and discus throw (79′ 11”).
Overall the Lady Rams totaled 13 first place efforts out of 17 events. Brenda Santana won the 100 meter dash (13.10 seconds), Edena Sanchez took charge in he 800 meter run (2:35.00), the 4×100 relay team of Santana, Sanchez, Stanavich, and Charli Beekman crossed the line in 53.50 seconds, Amsterdam’s 4×400 relay team of Santana, Sanchez, Santiago, and Emma Gomez was best with a time of 4:19.50, and the 4×800 meter relay team of Lazarou, Kayla Sondrup, Skylar Grybos, and Brook Marshall was tops with a time of 10:48.40.
Johbnstown’s Briana Dean earned a pair of first place finishes, taking the high jump with a height of 4′ 6”, and the long jump with a distance of 14 ‘7”. Molly Sear topped the field in the triple jump at 33 feet, 8.25 inches, and Alayna Gray won the pole vault with a height of seven feet.
Amsterdam boys 82.5 Johnstown boys 57.5
The AHS boys varsity picked up their first league win of the season keyed by four event wins by senior Kevon Boucaud and a sweep of the three relay events. The Rams posted eight first place finishes and got a lot of help with second and third place efforts as well.
Boucuad took the top spot in each of the three sprint events posting a time of 11.40 seconds in the 100 meter run, 23.70 seconds in the 200 meter run, and 55,50 seconds in the 400 meter distance. Boucaud also topped the field in the long jump with a distance of 21′ 7.5”.
Marcos Santiago continued his success in the hurdles with a winning time of 16.20 seconds in the 110 meter event for the Rams. Santiago then raced Johnstown’s Erik Frank to the finish in the 400 meter events just as he did at the Bi-County Meet where the two runners finished in a dead heat for the top spot. Frank came out on top Tuesday with a 1:03.30 time, but Santiago picked up much needed points for AHS with his second place run.
The AHS boys relay teams took top honors in all three events. Luis Rordiguez, Angel Sanchez, Santiago, and Brett Forsey were best in the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 47.20 seconds, the team of Santiago, Rafael Ramirez, Ryan Kamanu, and Mikey Gomez were best in the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 3:53.80, and the Rams 4×800 meter relay team of Louis Dimanno, Gomez, Kamanu, and Ramirez were first across the line with a 9:05.20 time.
Johnstown got first place efforts from Brandon Mraz in both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs, from Nick Frasier in both the high jump and triple jump, Brady Van Aernum n the shot put, Thomas Lizio in the discus throw, Sebastian Mills in the pole vault, and Christian Solby in the 800 meter run.
Amsterdam got key runner-up efforts from Mikey Gomez, Trevor Dzikowicz, and Tim Kline in the distance events, along with Ryan Kamanu, who helped two of the AHS relay teams to victory and ran a strong race with Johnstown’s Christian Solby, finishing second in the 800 meter run. And, while no school records fell on Tuesday, the possibility for more to be broken could only be a day away.
“Racing becomes your work out,” Kamanu said after the meet. “A day like today helps us get ready for the invitationals. We can take the times from today and amplify that for a nice day on Saturday. Some of us hit our personal records. When I see my teammate Rafael Ramirez hit his personal best today in the rain and cold, that says we can really upgrade on Saturday.”
The AHS varsity teams will be in Cohoes on Saturday for the Cohoes Relays, but before that Amsterdam will hold its senior night on Thursday when they host Foothills Council rival Broadalbin-Perth at Amsterdam High School. Start time of the meet is scheduled for 4:30pm.
