The Batavia Girls Track and Field Team won its 18th sectional title in Class A2 on Sunday at Nazareth College.

The boys' team came in 3rd.

The girls' team finished with 161 points, 40 points ahead of the second-place Pittsford Mendon. 

Individual results:

• Maddi Smith - 1st place 55 Hurdles
• Campbell Riley - 1st place 1000m, 1st place 1500m
• Ava Wierda - 1st place Weight Throw, 1st place Shot Put
• Ella Shamp - 1st place Long Jump, 1st Place High Jump
• Ava Anderson - 2nd place 55 Hurdles, 4th Place Long Jump
• Miah Jones - 6th place 55 Hurdles
• Jadyn Boyce - 4th place 600m
• Izzy Scott - 4th place 1500m
• Karizama Wescott - 4th place 300m, 3rd place Triple Jump
• Ella Radley - 6th place 300m, 6th place Long Jump
• Libby Grazioplene - 3rd place Shot Put
• Jaimin McDonald - 5th place Shot put, 4th place Weight Throw
• Drew Stevens - 3rd place Weight Throw
• Sophia Moore - 6th place Weight Throw
• Isabella Walsh - 2nd place High Jump
• London Graham - 4th place High Jump
• 4x800 Relay - 1st place Jenna Higgins, Helaina Staley, Izzy Scott, Campbell Riley
• 4x400 Relay - 1st place Ava Anderson, Kylee Brennan, Jadyn Boyce, Karizma Wescott
• 4x200 Relay - 2nd place Kylee Brennan, Ella Radley, Maddi Smith, Ella Shamp

The girls won 9 out of 17 events on the day.

Batavia is the smallest school of 17 teams in the A2 classification.  The 18 titles for Batavia have come over the past 22 years.

The boys team picked up 85.5 points, good enough for 3rd place. University Prep won sectionals with 98.5 points.  

Boys results:

• Sheldon Siverling - 1st place Shot Put, 1st place Weight Throw
• Cole Grazioplene - 1st place 600m, 5th place 300m
• Cooper Konieczny - 1st place Pole Vault
• Mekhi Fortes - 2nd place Shot Put, 5th place Weight Throw
• Karvel Martino - 3rd place Shot Put
• Cameron Garofalo - 3rd place 1000m, 5th place 1600m
• Parris Price - 4th place 300m
• Josh Budzinack - 5th place Pole Vault
• Grant Gahagan - 5th place High Jump
• 4x800 Relay - 4th place Jamari Irvin, Nate Kinsey, E'Nhazje Carter, Donavin Solis
• 4x400 Relay - 3rd place Trevor Tryon, Grant Gahagan, Cameron Garofalo, Parris Price
• 4x200 Relay - 5th place Trevor Tryon, Emmanuel Richardson, Lakoda Mruczek, Cole Grazioplene

Coach Nicholas Burk said Batavia's teams continue to excel because the athletes understand what it takes to be competitive in every meet.

"The kids need to commit," Burk said. "The kids need to recognize that this is a process, and you continue to improve. It gets more and more difficult for kids with all the distractions they have in life. So, kids have to commit; they have to enjoy this feeling of wanting to win again. I don't mean to necessarily sound overconfident, but we're going to be in the midst of it. Our kids are gonna give effort, and they're gonna work their tails off, so we're in a position where we're a top two, top three team, and we're gonna get after it, and you know, we're gonna build that confidence to try to win."

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Brooke Kennedy of Oakfield Alabama High School (OAHS) is one of 20 women's track and field newcomers to continue their career at Baldwin Wallace University.

Head Women's Track and Field Coach Daniel Simpson returns 2023 Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor/Outdoor Champion and All-American junior distance runner Hope Murphy (Mogadore), along with eight All-OAC performers and 10 Academic All-OAC selections from last year's team that finished fourth at both the OAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Press Release:

On June 3rd-June 4th from Dusk to Dawn the Byron-Bergen Track & Field team hosted their second Over Night Relay. Students started running the track at 8:46 p.m. and stopped at 5:34 a.m.

Both boy's and girl's teams had a baton that they had to keep moving at all times throughout the night. Each hour there were fun activities occurring as well. 

The results:

• The girl's team ran 305 laps, totaling 76 1/4 miles
• The boy's team ran 356 laps, totaling 89 miles

Photo submitted by Ashley Hill

CORRECTION: A Reader informs me I've gotten Jadyn's accomplishment all wrong.  She was competing in the Pentathlon, which is five events, with competitors scoring points in each event and the winner being the athlete with the most points. Mullen was far and away the winner of the event.

In addition to the three first-place finishes noted earlier in our post (below), she finished second in the Girls High Jump and second in Shot Put, for a total of 3,334 points. Anna Varland of Batavia came in second with 2,389 points.

We apologize to Mullen for the error.

It was a big day for Alexander's Jadyn Mullen at the state qualifiers in track and field held at Van Detta Stadium on Friday.

Mullen's wins:

• Girls 800 Meter Run, 2:19.57
• Girls 100 Meter Hurdles, 15.25
• Girls Long Jump, 5.52m
• Girls Outdoor Pentathlon, 3334

Other individual winners on the day:

• Nathan Canale, Batavia, Boys 1600 Meter Run  4:26.73  
• Campbell Riley, Batavia, Girls 2000 Meter Steeplechase,  7:30.33  
• Batavia, Girls 4x100 Meter Relay, 49.77
• Batavia, Girls 4x800 Meter Relay,   9:50.96
• Laurel Kania, Alexander, Girls High Jump, 5-03.00 
• Connor Domoy, Oakfield-Alabama, Boys 3000 Meter Steeplechase, 9:47.45

For complete results, click here.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Submitted by Coach Nick Burk:

The Batavia Indoor Track Team competed at the Nike Nationals meet this past weekend in New York City at the Armory Track and Field and had many outstanding performances!

The Blue Devils' throwers were well represented at the national meet, with five athletes competing. 

Parker Kleinbach earned a second-place finish in the Weight Throw with a distance of 57' - 6.25" while Sheldon Siverling placed 16th (51' - 3.75") and Mathew Mcwethy placed 25th (48' - 4").  Sheldon also competed in the Shot Put and earned a ninth place finish as well with a distance of 50' - 1.25". Sheldon has thrown the Shot Put over 50' multiple times in the last four weeks, which is very impressive considering he is only a sophomore.

The Blue Devils had two girls qualify in the Weight Throw as well, with Ava Wierda medaling with a 4th place finish and a distance of 41' - 10" and Drew Stevens placing 22nd with a throw of 35' - 11.5".  Both of these ladies had over two foot personal best throws in this meet and definitely were excited about their performances.  

Once again, the Blue Devils have demonstrated that we are one of the premier teams for throwers in the State and have continued an impressive streak of fifteen years with State and National caliber throwers.  Coach Geiger does an amazing job in developing these athletes and has built a training structure that is second to none in our area for throws competitors.

Our Boys sprinters had a phenomenal showing at the Nike Nationals meet as well, with both our 4x200 and 4x400 Relays qualifying to compete.  The 4x200 with Fabian Vazquez, Aidan Anderson, Parris Price, and Cole Grazioplene finished in 13th place with a time of 1:34.20.   This was the second fastest time in program history and a very competitive race for these athletes.   Our 4x400 Relay, which was our last race, finished in fifth place, earning a medal with a time of 3:29.40.  This performance is a new school record, the first time we've had a team run under 3:30 in program history, and the fastest time of any team in Section V this season.  Relay members included Fabian Vazquez, Parris Price, Ryan Dillon, and Cole Grazioplene.  Finally, Fabian Vazquez was able to compete in the 60m Hurdles and add to his very impressive hurdle resume with a time of 8.84 and a 29th-place finish.

Our Girls were able to compete in multiple relays as well, with the Sprint Medley Relay (200m - 200m - 400m - 800m) earning a nineth place finish with a time of 4:25.07.  Relay members included Kylee Brenna (200m), Ava Anderson (200m), Abby Moore (400m), and Campbell Riley (800m).  This was a very competitive performance by these young ladies, three of whom return next season.  Our girls 4x800 had an incredible race running the 2nd fastest time in program history and only missing the school record by 1 second.  Nicole Doeringer, Jadyn Boyce, Izzy Scott, and Campbell Riley finished in 9th place with a time of 9:59.05.  All four of these young ladies ran very tough and were a great example of our Blue Devil pride during this meet!  

Not to be outdone, the Boys 4x800 Relay was able to have a similar bittersweet outcome with a phenomenal race as well.  Relay members included Cody Harloff, Donavin Solis, Noah Pickard, and Nate Canale.  These athletes earned a 17th-place finish in the boy's race in a time of 8:21.62 which is also only one second off the school record (from 1986) in this event.   The Blue Devils distance program led by Coaches Rich Boyce and William Buckenmeyer continues to have impressive results season after season.  Our distance athletes, time and again, display toughness and competitiveness, particularly in these big meets!

Mallory Boyce, our youngest team member competing at Nationals, was able to qualify in multiple events and had a fine showing as well.   She competed in the middle school Mile and 400m.  In the 400m she ran a new personal best time of 1:06.9 and placed 33rd.  In the Mile run, she had a time of 5:30.33 and placed 44th.  As an 8th grader, this was an outstanding opportunity to compete in a big showcase meet and gain valuable experience for the future.

Our biggest performance came from the mixed 4x400 Relay consisting of Ryan Dillon, Nicole Doeringer, Jadyn Boyce, and Nate Canale.  They ran a terrific race and competed in the top-seeded race finishing in 5th place with a time of 3:54.96.  This time established a new school record for this event but also earned these four athletes High School All-American Status for Track and Field. We are so proud to have had the opportunity to run in this race, and these athletes rose to the occasion.

Altogether, Batavia had 22 athletes compete at the Nike Nationals this season in a three-day competition with thousands of athletes from across the country.  This was a tremendous finish to our indoor season, which included two Sectional Championships, multiple qualifiers for the State Championships, and culminating with an unbelievable experience at Nationals in New York.  Congrats to all of the Blue Devils that participated during this incredible season!

Submitted photos.

Jadyn Mullen, of Alexander, placed first on Saturday in the Pentathlon at the Ocean Breeze Invitational in Staten Island.

She won with 3,352 points.

The Pentathlon consists of five events: 55-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, and 800-meter race. In the hurdles, she ran a 9.06, in the high jump, she jumped 1.55 meters, in the shot put, she threw 9.93 meters, in the long jump, she jumped 4.99 meters and finished it off with a 2:20 in the 800.

Submitted photo and information.

Article by Coach Nick Burk

The Batavia Indoor Track team competed at the A2 Section V championships on Saturday at Houghton College and the boys team came away with a 111 to 107 victory over 2nd place Newark and 13 scoring schools. This Sectional Championship is the 10th title for the Batavia Indoor boys team and the 26th Sectional championship for both the girls and boys Indoor teams.  Combined with our Outdoor Sectional championships, this makes 37 Titles for Batavia Track and Field!

The meet started out very strong with a 4th place finish in the 3200m by junior Nate Canale (10:28.56).  The 55m Hurdles was a big event for the Blue Devils with Junior Fabian Vazquez finishing 2nd (8.19), Junior Ifran Armstrong finishing 4th (8.62), and Senior Jesse Reinhart finishing 5th (8.79).  Next in the 1000m, Junior Cody Harloff crossed the line in 3rd place (2:45.96), and Junior Noah Pickard finished 4th (2:49.78), in the 1600m, Freshman Cooper Konieczny finished 6th (5:15.51), and in the 300m Sophomore Parris Price finished 6th (37.63).

In the Field events, Batavia had a dominant showing, specifically in Pole Vault with Junior Tyler Umlauf winning the event championship (11-0).  Senior Noah Burke finished 2nd (11-0), and Sophomore Owen Halpin finished 6th (9-0).

The throwers once again were well represented in this meet with Senior Austyn Fernandez taking 2nd in the Shot Put (44-2) and 4th in Weight Throw (47-10).  Senior Luke Geiger placed 2nd in the weight throw with a phenomenal toss (56-2). Senior Abel Hammer finished 3rd in the Shot (43-10) and Senior Dan Saeva finished 5th in Shot as well (41-7). Junior Parker Kleinbach finished 6th in the Weight Throw (44-9).  All together our throwers contributed 29 points in just two events towards our total score.

Other field event results included Fabian Vazquez finishing in 2nd in Long Jump with a new personal best jump (21-2), Jesse Reinhart finished in 4th in Triple Jump (40-10) and 4th in High Jump (5-7), and Senior Carter Havens finished 6th in Triple Jump (39-5).

All three relays were able to score demonstrating the depth and balance of our team this season.  The Boys 4x800 Relay of Cody Harloff, Noah Pickard, Dom Grillo (Junior) and Nate Canale finished 4th (9:30.32).  The 4x400 Relay of Carter Havens, Donavin Solis (Sophomore), Ifran Armstrong, and Cole Grazioplene (Sophomore) finished in 3rd place (3:42.87), and the 4x200 Relay of Fabian Vazquez, Aidan Anderson (Junior), Parris Price, and Cole Grazioplene finished in 3rd as well (1:36.46).

The strength of the Batavia program is that we've structured our team to be as competent across all of the events for track and field as possible.  We place great emphasis on developing hurdlers, vaulters, and throwers to compliment our accomplishments on the track.  Once again the depth of our team shined through in this meet and contributed directly to our 10th championship!

Not to be outdone, our Batavia Girls Indoor Track team had an incredible day and fell just 1 point short of their own championship. Canandaigua finished in first with 88 points, while our girls scored 88.  There were 13 total teams that scored for the girls as well.

On the Track Freshman Campbell Riley had an incredible meet winning the Sectional Championship in the 1500m (5:12.72) and placing a very close 2nd in the 1000m (3:10.43).  In the 3000m, freshman Izzy Scott finished in 5th place (11:44.19).  In the 55 Hurdles, Junior Abby Moore finished 4th (10.18).  In the 1000m Freshman Nicole Doeringer placed 4th (3:20.35), and Senior Olivia Halpin placed 6th (3:40.11). In the 1500m, 7th grader Mallory Boyce finished in 6th place (5:49.72).  All of our points besides one that was scored on the track were from girls who are underclassmen and will return next season.

In the Field events, specifically, the girls Shot Put we had arguably our best performance of the day from 8th grader Libby Grazioplene. Libby entered the meet seeded 15th in this event and ended up as the Sectional Champion with a personal best throw that was more than five feet above her previous best (30-5).  This was one of the most clutch performances we've ever had for Batavia Track.  Freshman Zenallah Simmons finished 2nd in Shot (29-6) and 6th in Weight Throw (32-2). Senior Emma Radka finished 4th in Shot Put (28-8),

Other field event results included Senior Gavin Konieczny finishing in 2nd in Pole Vault (8-6) and her sister, Junior Sydney Konieczny finishing in 4th in Triple Jump (31-0) and 6th in Long Jump (14-10). Sophomore Isabella Walsh finished 2nd in the High Jump (4-11).

The girls had a great showing in the relays also, demonstrating our team's depth.  The 4x800 Relay of Izzy Scott, Jadyn Boyce (Sophomore), Makayla Andalora (Senior), and Mallory Boyce finished in 4th (11:16.32).  The 4x400 Relay of Nicole Doeringer, Leigh LeFevre (Freshman), Noelia Ventura (Senior), and Campbell Riley finished in 3rd place (4:31.30), and the 4x200 Relay of Abby Moore, Layla Jones (Freshman), Sydney Konieczny, and Ella Shamp (8th grade), finished in 4th with a season-best performance (1:55.72).

The girls team came into this meet seeded to finish in 4th place by nearly 30 points to Canandaigua!  We ended up in 2nd place by one point and this was a truly amazing performance by our Lady Devils! So many of our girls contributors on this year's team are young and yet they displayed heart and determination like a much more veteran team would.  Our future is very bright with these young athletes.

Batavia track and field is proud to have competed so well in Sectionals and is looking forward to the State Qualifier meet this coming Friday at Houghton College.  Again none of our success would be possible without the dedication from our coaching staff including Dan Geiger, Bre Clark, Rich Boyce, Bill Buckenmeyer, and Amanda Mikiciuk. These coaches helped prep this team for success and were up to the task of continuing the strong traditions of Batavia Indoor Track. full results can be found at:
http://results.yentiming.com/2022/indoor/2-19-22-Class-A2.htm

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Article by Coach Nick Burk:

The Batavia indoor track team competed on Saturday in the Monroe County Championships at Brockport State College and had a phenomenal meet! The boys' team came away with the championship beating out 21 other schools, scoring 74 points with Rush Henrietta finishing in 2nd place scoring 63 points. The meet came down to the very end with one point separating the two schools with three events left to compete.

Austyn Fernandez earned the Monroe County Championship in the Shot Put with a throw of 43-8 and finished 4th in the Weight Throw (50-0).  The 4x200m Relay of Fabian Vazquez, Aidan Anderson, Parris Price, and Cole Grazioplene also won a Monroe County title and tied our school record with a time of 1:35.61.

Other scorers for the boys' team included Jesse Reinhart finishing in 2nd in the High Jump (6-0) and 6th in the 55H (8.9), Fabian Vazquez finished 2nd in the 55 Hurdles (8.19), and 4th in the Long Jump (19-10), Carter Havens finished 3rd in the Triple Jump (39-11), Ifran Armstrong finished 5th in the 55 Hurdles (8.82), Luke Geiger finished 2nd in the Weight Throw (51-2), and Dan Saeva finished 6th in the Shot Put (39-2).

The 4x800m Relay of Cody Harloff, Noah Pickard, Dom Grillo, and Nate Canale finished in 2nd place (8:44.39), and the 4x400 Relay of Donovan Solis, Carter Havens, Ifran Armstrong, and Cole Grazioplene finished 4th (3:42.99).  To have all three of our Boy's relays finish in the top four is a clear testament to the balance and depth of our program this season.

For our Boys to win the Monroe County Championship as one of the smallest schools, against some very tough competition can be considered with the finest accomplishments for our Batavia Track and Field Program to date.  The Monroe County league has so many gifted athletes and to earn this championship is very impressive for our Blue Devils.  The Batavia coaches, Dan Geiger (Throwers), Rich Boyce (Distance, High Jump), Bill Buckenmeyer (Distance, Hurdles), Breanna Clark (Pole Vault), and Amanda Mikiciuk (Sprints, Jumps) all did a tremendous job preparing our athletes to compete at such a high level.

The girls' team had some excellent individual performances led by Gavin Konieczny's 5th place finish in the Pole Vault (8-6).  Emma Radka finished in 5th place in the Shot Put (28-10), and the 4x800m Relay of Campbell Riley, Makayla Andalora, Jadyn Boyce, and Izzy Scott finished in 4th place (10:50.96)

The Blue Devils have two more prep meets before Sectionals and then will look to have significant success to close out the season at our additional championship meets in February.  Both the boys and girls have continued to improve this season and the team is embracing the opportunities to maintain and build upon the reputation and traditions of Batavia Track and Field.

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Photos by Steve Ognibene

By Head Coach Nicholas Burk:

So far the Batavia indoor track team has had a very competitive season in the Monroe County league this winter.  Both the boy's and girl's teams have had solid performances across the board and are gearing up for the Championship meets in the final month of our season.

On the boys' side, the Blue Devil throwers have once again asserted themselves as a force to be reckoned with.  Currently Batavia has four of the top ten performances in the Shot Put with Senior Austyn Fernandez currently seeded 2nd (43'-7"), Senior Dan Saeva seeded 3rd (42'-0"), Junior Parker Kleinbach seeded 5th (41'-6"), and Senior Abel Hammer seeded 7th (40'-5") in our A2 Sectional classification.  In the Weight Throw Batavia has six athletes with current top ten performances listed.  Senior Luke Geiger is seeded 2nd (49'-9"), Austyn Fernandez is seeded 3rd (49'-2"), Abel Hammer is seeded 4th (48'-8"),  Dan Saeva is seeded 6th (45'-11"), Junior Matthew McWethy is seeded 8th (44'-1"), and Parker Kleinbach is seeded 9th (43'-3") in class A2.  The top 16 in each event will qualify for the Sectional meet later this winter, so the Blue Devils will be well represented in these events.

The Batavia boys are off to a great start in the distance events as well with five athletes currently having Class A2 top ten performances.  Junior Cody Harloff is ranked 5th in the 1600m (4:49.26), 6th in the 600m (1:30.58), and 5th in the 1000m (2:47.05). Junior Nate Canale is ranked 4th in the 1000m (2:46.89), 6th in the 1600m (4:49.26),  and 6th in the 3200m (10:50).  Sophomore Donavin Solis is ranked 5th in the 600m (1:30.34), while Senior Carter Havens is ranked 10th in the 600m (1:32.81) and Junior Dom Grillo is ranked 10th in the 3200m (11:01.65).  Junior Noah Pickard is currently ranked in the top 16 in the 1000m and the 1600m and will contribute in our team's relays this season.  All of our distance athletes have been putting in the work and are committed to success in the final weeks of our season.  They are a tough and competitive bunch and I'm excited for their progress.

The Sprint crew is very young but has had some tremendous performances so far this season.  Junior Fabian Vazquez is having an incredible season to date with the current fastest time in Class A2 in the 55 Hurdles (8.21).  He is also currently seeded 4th in Long Jump (20'-5"), and 8th in the 300m (37.56).  Junior Ifran Armstrong is seeded 4th in the 55 Hurdles (8.77) and Senior Jesse Reinhart is seed 10th in the 55 Hurdles (9.59).  Jesse is having a tremendous season in the High Jump as well, currently seeded first (6'-0") as the defending champion.  Carter Havens is seeded 6th in the Triple Jump (38"-11") and 10th in the Long Jump (18'-11"), and Junior Lucas Crater is currently seeded 8th in the High Jump (5'-8").  In the Pole Vault , Batavia has five athletes currently seeded in top 10 led by Senior Noah Burke in 2nd (10'-6"), Junior Tyler Umlauf in 3rd (10'-6"), Sophomore Owen Halpin in 6th (9'-0"),  Freshman Cooper Konieczny in 8th (8'-6"), and Freshman Trevor Tryon in 10th (8'-0").  Other Sprinters that are contributing and will be vital for our team in relays at our championship meets are Juniors Aidan Anderson and Mekhi Pask-Richardson, and Sophomores Parris Price and Cole Grazioplene.

The Girls Indoor Track team is also having much Success this winter... Our top individuals are spread amongst the different events and we have exhibited significant improvement through the first half of the season.  Freshman Campbell Riley is having a great season and is currently ranked 2nd in the 1000m (3:13.24), 3rd in the 600m (1:43.12), 4th in the 3000m (11:37.73), and 3rd in the 1500m (5:15.67).  These are tremendous results so far and she will be vital to our team's success at the end of the season.

Our Throwers are led by Senior Emma Radka who is currently seeded 1st in the Shot Put (31'-0") and 6th in the Weight Throw (27'-9").  Not to be outdone, Freshman Zenallah Simmons is ranked 2nd in the Weight Throw (31'-3") and 6th in the Shot Put (27'-3").  The Girls and Boys Blue Devils throwers are amongst Section V's best every season under Coach Dan Geiger.  They will have ample opportunities to score in our big meets!

Other Girl runners who have top results are Freshman Nicole Doeringer who's seeded 7th in the 600m (1:48.85), and 6th in the 1000m (3:20.17).  Junior Abby Moore is seeded 7th in the 55 Hurdles and Izzy Scott is seeded 6th in the 3000m (11:51.17).  Also, Kayleigh Mayeu is currently seeded 5th in the 1500m Racewalk (8:55.30).

In the field events, Sophomore Isabella Walsh is ranked 4th in High Jump (4'-11") and 8th in Triple Jump (29'-1").  8th Grader Ella Shamp is ranked 9th in the High Jump (4'-7").  Senior, Gavin Konieczny is the defending Sectional Champion in the pole vault and is looking to repeat this season while currently ranked 2nd in our class for Sectionals (8'-6") and is also ranked 10th in Triple Jump (28'-4"). Junior, Sydney Konieczny is ranked 6th in Triple Jump (29'-7").

Additional girls who will contribute this season in our relays are Seniors Makayla Andalora, Noelia Ventura,  Olivia Hussar, and Doreace Higgins, Sophomore Jadyn Boyce, Freshman Leigh LeFevre, and 7th grader Mallory Boyce.  Our girls team has shown quality effort each day in practice and has been improving all season long.  They will be very competitive in our championship meets to close out this winter season.

The 2021/22 Blue Devil Indoor Track team is a very strong and balanced group and have shown the ability to compete with any team in the Section.  Coming up on the schedule in the next few weeks are the Monroe County Championships on January 29th and The Sectional Championships on February 19th.  All updated results can be found at: http://www.yentiming.com/

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Photos by Steve Ognibene

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.