Yesterday at Pinnacle Athletic Complex in Victor the Batavia Blue Devils indoor track squad set the bar higher with new personal records in multiple events.

Since announcing the start of the season in January the double-digit Section V squad for both boys and girls have had challenges to overcome.

Head indoor track Coach Nicholas Burk said “Our athletes have now been practicing for five weeks and we're just starting to see the results of consistent training. It takes time to see results from our workouts, but we're reaching that point of our season where our athletes times and performances are going to start improving.”

In a phone interview after the meet, Burk spoke about new rules with COVID-19 for student athletes, training and the outlook this season.

"We've been very fortunate for the opportunity to practice and honestly besides keeping small separate groups in practice, we've been able to have pretty consistent and productive training," the coach said. "We've been utilizing the weight room, Van Detta, the high school gyms, and running outside for practice.

"With approximately 80 athletes involved, we've had to use multiple locations to keep our groups small. We have two remaining league meets but are looking for some event specific meets to go to as well. Some of our pole vaulters went to a pole vault meet at Gates, and we're hosting a high jump/shot put meet this week.

"Sectionals is on March 7th and our girls’ team will be competing for their 17th Sectional Championship and our boys are looking for their 10th. We don't have all of the information for Sectionals yet, but we expect it will be a very tough meet with great competition. We'll keep working towards our goals try to be ready to compete March 7^th.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Team Highlights

Boys

Jacob Long / 44' 2" Shot -- (First Place)

Austyn Fernandez / 41' 8.5" Shot – (PR) (Second Place)

Dan Seava / 40' 10.75" Shot – (PR) (Third Place)

Fabian Vazquez / 55 Hurdles -- 8.63 (First Place)

Jesse Reinhardt / High Jump -- 5'10" (Second Place)

Jamarion RIchardson / 55m -- 7.01 (Third Place)

Jamarion Richardson / 300m -- 40.80 

Jonah Epps, Cody Harloff, Nate Canale, Dom Grillo / 4x8 team -- 9.33.30 (First place)

Girls

Rebekah Daniszewski / 37' 10.75" Shot -- (First Place)

Emma Radka / 28' 9.75" Shot – (PR)

Elizabeth Kingston / 25' 10" Shot – (PR)

Samantha Davis / 19' 10.25" Shot – (PR)

Campbell Riley / 1,000m -- 3:35.82 (Third Place)

Melanie Quinones / 3,000m -- 13:25.92 (First Place)

Melanie Quinones / High Jump -- 4' 6" (Second Place)

Team information provided from coaches Buckenmeyer, Boyce and Geiger.

For all results click here.

Frank Gioia, of Batavia, was photographed in Buffalo in September when he won first place in his age group in the USA Track and Field Championships. 

Frank Gioia has been serious about running since he was young. He's 65 now.

A son of Babe and Dolly Gioia, Frank was born and grew up in Batavia, where he ran all through high school, he said. He was the first one from Batavia to qualify for cross country in the state championships, he said. 

He attended Genesee Community College for two years, and for about five years took a break from running to play softball.

“Back then, everybody was playing softball,” Gioia said. “There were ball teams then all over town.”

As a young man, he had married the former Pattie Walker and had three children, during which time his running took a back seat. He went to work as a welding foreman for the railroad, retiring from CSX Transportation.

Now, as a senior citizen, with time to devote to his love of running and the desire to keep fit, he is chalking up some wins on the USA Track and Field circuit.

In 2016, Gioia placed eighth in a USA National 5K Championship road race in Massachusetts. This past August, he was third our of 15 in the nation in a 5K road race in Atlanta, with a time of 21 minutes 6 seconds.

In his most recent victory, he finished first among 14 in the nation in September in the USA Track and Field Championships in Buffalo with a time of 21 minutes 36 seconds.

His first-place finish was 30 seconds longer because it was in the grass in Delaware Park, Gioia said, while the Atlanta race was on pavement. All races were in age groups. 

He has also traveled to races in San Francisco and Virginia.

He thinks what attracted him to running was because you don’t have to be a member of a team to run. 

“I always enjoyed running, and I could just go run any time I wanted to,” Gioia said. “And when you do good, that makes it all the more pleasurable.”

Although all of his children and three grandchildren are serious about sports, none shared his passion for running.

During good weather, he runs nearly every day, but during the winter he runs on the treadmill at the YWCA four days a week.

He is going to take a break for three or four weeks while he waits for next year’s schedule for the national races to come out.

“I have accomplished everything I really wanted to do, and I’m happy now just maintaining what I’m doing,” Gioia said.

Gioia just learned he has been named The Buffalo News “Runner of the Year” in the 65 to 69 age group. Out of the seven races in the series, he won the first six and placed second in the last race.

He also recalled several other honors to his credit, including running the 1983 Philadelphia Distance Classic half marathon in one hour and nine minutes. That placed him 55 out of more than 3,000 runners.

In 1984, he ran the Skylon International Marathon in two hours and 29 minutes, placing seventh out of 1,153 runners.

And, in 1985 and 1986, he won gold medals at the New York Empire State Games in the 10K on the track.

Photo below: In August, Frank Gioia, of Batavia, placed third in the nation in the Masters 5K USA Track and Field Championships in Atlanta.

Batavia High School Indoor Track Team won the boys and girls Section V -- Class C Titles last night at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester.

This makes 31 sectional titles for the batavia track team and back-to-back indoor titles in the last two years.

Seniors Anthony Ray won both shot put and weight throw. Eric Davis won the 55 hurdles, Kiaya Franklin won the 300 and took third in the 600m. Kaitlin Ange took third in weight throw.

Juniors Emily Caccamise won the 1500m race walk, Briana Bromley won the 3000meters. Evan Bartz came in third in weight throw. Elizabeth Cohen took second in the pole vault and third in the 55 hurdles. Jalesa Smith took third in the long jump.

For more results click here: http://live.yentiming.com/#/results/meet/364

Photos submitted by Donna Tourville-Kabel.

This morning the Batavia Kiwanis Club hosted its annual 5K race at Centennial Park in Batavia. More than 150 people participated. More than 30 sponsors locally contributed to the event with signs, food, drinks, T-shirts and prizes for top two finishers in each age group.

Pictured below is Nick Guarino who won the overall race with a time of 16:39 and his sister, Kristen Guarino, who was the first woman to win with a time of 20:26.

Top two finishers in each age group:

Male:

19 and under – Zak Jantzi 18:08, John Bruggman 19:43

20-29 – Nick Guarino 16:39, Collin Mulcahy 16:46

30-39 – EJ Boyce 16:54, Dave Bateman 19:43

40-49 – John Kirkwood 19:46, Joseph Ciecierega 20:55

50-59 – Kevin Sheenan 16:02, James Lane 18:29

60-69 – Frank Gioia 17:35, Rich Kutter 19:16

Female:

19 and under- Maggie Anderson 24:03, Emily Caccamise 26:40

20-29 – Kristen Guarino 20:26, Amanda James 24:03

30-39 – Ann Ball 21:02, Kristen Smith 23:49

40-49 – Heather Brondolillo 23:59, Nikki  Mikos 26:15

50-59 –Mary Scoins 26:20, Mary Nanni 26:28

60-69 – Janice Spiotta 20:39, Rosemary Cowan 24:04

This is the third 5K as part of the Genesee County Race Series sponsored by the United Way.

The next race is The Oatka on July 15^th and remaining races are:

Don Carroll Aug.19^th, Jaycees Labor Day Sept 4^th, Friends and Family Sept. 16^th, Run for the ACORNS on Oct. 1^st and YWCA Stiletto and Sneaker on Oct. 5^th.

For more photos click here: http://steveognibenephotography.zenfolio.com/p508367717

For the second year in a row, the Batavia Blue Devils boys outdoor track team captured the Section V title at the host school, Honeoye Falls Lima, yesterday evening. Batavia finished with 110 points over second place rival U-Prep, which scored 88 points.

Highlights of their success include junior Anthony Ray winning both the discus throw event at 43.81 meters and shot put at 16.54 meters, setting a new school shot put record. Senior Frederick Cunningham took third place in both the triple jump and high jump. Senior Andrew Mruczek took first in the long jump with 6.64 meters.

Boys relay teams placed third in both 4x100 and 4x400 and took second in the 4x8. Senior Campbell Anderson finished fourth in both the 800-meter run and pole vault and senior Sam Bartz took fifth in the pole vault. Julio Vazquez took second in the 110 meter hurdles and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles. Eric Davis took took in both the 400-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash. Andrew Mruczek took second in the 200-meter dash.

Last year sectional winners Batavia girls outdoor track team finished last night in third place overall with 63 points. Iaya Franklin finished second place in the 100- and 400-meter dash and first in the 200-meter dash. Claire Zickl finshed fourth in the 800-meter run. Batavia girls took first in the 4x400-meter relay. Sophomore Lizzie Cohen placed first in the pole vault. Senior Tanner Kolb finished third in the discus. Edmarie Calderon-Torres finished fifth in the pentathlon.

This marks Batavia track and field with their 29th Sectional Championship in program history.

The Notre Dame Girls Team prior to racing

The lady Irish finished in 6th place in the small school division with 137 points.  Laurie Call ran the 3.1 mile course in 20:25 to place 6th with teammate Anna Warner in 10th place with 20:34.  Emily McCracken placed 40th (23:06), Shelby McGinnis 43rd (23:33) and Abby Bleier 52nd (24:01) to score for the Irish.  Also in the race was Emily Sherman placing 80th and Rose Flumerfeldt 90th.

Anna Warner and Laurie Call at the start

Emily McCracken, Abby Bleier and Emily Sherman

Shelby McGinnis

Rose Flumerfeldt on her way to the finish

Anna Warner and Laurie Call with their top ten medals

The Irish also had representation in the Freshman/Sophomore race with Serena Strollo-DiCenso placing 16th in 24:20 and classmate Isabelle Bliss in 17th with 24:21.

Serena Strollo-DiCenso and Isabelle Bliss

The boys finished in 11th place in the small school race behind the tight 4-pack of Ryan Fuller in 56th (19:50), Justin Carlson in 59th (20:02), Dylan Fix in 61st (20:03) and Dennis Bleier in 66th (20:17).  Bryan Moscicki closed the gap to finish 97th in 22:01.  Caleb Nellis (24:30) and Ryan Shormann (28:30) also represented the Irish.

Justin Carlson and Ryan Fuller at the start

Dylan Fix and Dennis Bleier

Brian Moscicki

Ryan Shormann

Caleb Nellis

The girls relay of Laurie Call, Emily McCracken, and Anna Warner finished 3rd among the small schools.  Laurie Call had the 2nd fastest time among the 16 competing small schools and ove 60 runners, running 12:29.40 and Anna Warner was the 5th fastest running 12:49.18.  Emily ran 13:58.42.  The 'B' relay of Shelby McGinnis (14:27.26), Emily Sherman (15:43.59) and Serena Strollo-DiCenso(15:14.15) finished in 12th.  Abby Bleier (14:56.34) and Rose Flumerfeldt (16:12.73) also represented the Irish.

The boys team split up to have a little inter-team competition, with the relay squad of Ryan Fuller (12:12.95), Dennis Bleier (12:44.22), and Bryan Moscicki (14:02.83) taking 12th place among the small school and the relay of Jusitn Carlson (12:17.17), Dylan Fix (12:36.85), and Caleb Nellis (16:10.98) finishing 22nd.  Ryan Shormann also completed his first XC race covering the 2 mile in 16:30.

The Irish open up their regular season Tuesday at Genesee County Park Course 2 at Area A off Raymond Road.