Vikings loaded for track sectionals

by Eric Keppeler
Grand Island Dispatch, June 1, 2007

The Grand Island track team will be strongly represented at Saturday’s Section VI Championship at Starpoint Central High School, as the boys and girls both send a number of athletes to the state qualifier.

The team tuned up for sectionals with a strong showing at last week’s Niagara Frontier League Championship at Lockport High School. Top finishers this week will advance to the New York State Championship next weekend in Kingston.

At the NFL meet, the girls received a first-place finish in the triple jump from sophomore Jamie Raepple, the defending sectional champion in that event, who placed 12th in the state last year. Also finishing first was the 1,600-meter relay team of Jackie Coe, Jeannie Taylor, Ellen Betterson and Caitlyn Driscoll.

Also at the NFL meet, Taylor finished third in the 400, Amber Duda was third in the long jump, Jenna Raepple was third in the triple jump and sixth in the 100, Casey Carminatti was fifth in the 100 hurdles and Karen Bellanca was sixth in the 400 hurdles. Also, the 400-meter relay team of Raepple, Raepple, Driscoll and Mary Chiaravalle finished fourth.

So the 400 and 1,600 relay teams both qualified for sectionals, as did both Raepple sisters in the triple jump. Taylor qualified in the 400 but elected not to compete in that event to better concentrate on her relay. Also qualifying provisionally were Bellanca in the 400 hurdles, Duda in the long jump and Danielle Wegrzyn in the triple jump.

“We’re sending a lot of kids to sectionals, which is always nice,” said Grand Island girls track coach Craig Davis. “We’d hoped to be able to send all three relays, but the 4x800 just missed. But the girls are running very well right now.”

The boys also are sending good numbers.

Senior Tim Fargino is headed to sectionals in the 400, along with Eric Billica in the long jump, Mike Asbach in the triple jump, Evan Tsemblist in the steeplechase, Tim Boorady in the shot put, Adam Helman in the pole vault and Jordan Gibson in the pentathlon. Also, the 3,200-meter relay team of Fargino, Tsembelis, Ryan Hagen and Chris Carter has qualified for sectionals.

“These are my best kids, so I’m really not surprised,” said Grand Island boys track coach Don Sauer. “They work hard, and I’m very happy with the way they’re running right now.”

The boys also were solid at the NFL meet.

Fargino broke Justin Winstel’s school record in the 400, winning in 50.38 and also finishing third in the 800. The 3,200-meter relay team also set a school mark with a time of 8:14.56, breaking the old mark of 8:16, to finish second at the meet.

Asbach also won the triple jump with a jump of 42-feet, 2-inches, and Greg Feathers won the discus with a throw of 124-2. Helman took second in the pole vault, while Billica was second in the long jump. Tsembelis was third in both the 1,600 and the steeplechase and Gibson was third in the pentathlon. Ben Angelo wound up fifth in the pole vault.