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Familiar faces returning to compete at state meet
 | | STRONG-ARMED EFFORT...Depew senior Phil Tardivo turns and fires during the shot put event Saturday at Starpoint High School during the Section VI track and field championships. (photo courtesy of Section6runs.com) |
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A trio of local athletes are making a return trip to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association track championships this weekend after stellar performances on Friday and Saturday at the Section VI championships at Starpoint.
Cleveland Hill's Ray Peoples (senior) and Taylor Eldridge (freshman) are headed back to states in the 100- and 200-meter runs, as well as the shot put, respectively.
Peoples, who led Cleve Hill's 4x100-meter relay team to a statewinning performance in 2006, qualified in his events at sectionals with times of 11.01 (100-meter run) and 22.59 seconds (200-meter run).
Eldridge, who qualified for states in the shot put last season, guaranteed a return in that event with a firstplace winning, 37-foot, 2.5-inch throw on Friday. She also made states in the discus, hurling a top distance of 124'9" on Saturday.
Cleve Hill girls head coach Ken McKracken said Eldridge has continued to make remarkable strides as a youngster.
"She's really impressed me," McKracken said of the freshman. "I've gotten to see her perform more and more. She's learned to do what she has to do to win."
John F. Kennedy senior Corey Knox is also making a return to states in the discus event, hurling a qualifying (second-place) distance of 152'3" on Friday. He is currently ranked fifth among New York State small school entrants and 14th overall among state athletes.
"Corey really has had an amazing year thus far," said JFK head coach Pete Szymanski. "Not too many people can accomplish what Corey has done this outdoor season...We talked about the opportunity of going back to the state meet from the get-go.
"Getting (to states) last season was a surprise," Szymanski added. "Having the opportunity to gain that experience is always valuable. Now it becomes a 'business trip.'"
Bears senior teammate Greg Craft barely missed out on a return trip to states in the pole vault, finishing second on Friday among small school participants and fifth overall with a height of 13'9," finishing just behind overall winner and future Fredonia State track teammate Jake Evans of Franklinville for the top spot.
Depew junior Kristen Angierski is headed to states in the triple jump event, winning the event on Friday with a Division II- and personal-best performance of 34'10." In addition, Angierski also participated in sectional events in the 100-meter finals, 4x100 relay and 200-meter preliminary run.
A pair of the Lady Wildcats' relay teams, the 4x800 and 4x100 squads, each set new school records at sectionals. The 4x800 squad- comprised of senior Katrina Smolarek, junior Brittany Bless and freshmen Jenna Majka and Liz Budzinski- finished at 10:11.14, good for second place. The 4x100 team, which is made up of Angierski, seniors Jen Godson and Jordan Schrimmel and sophomore Katie Wild, finished in third place at 51.78 seconds.
Also, Schrimmel set a personalbest performance in the pole vault at eight feet, six inches, while Smolarek's 800-meter run time 2:27 was her personal best.
Other sectional participants for Depew included senior captain Kelsey Smith (long and triple jumps), freshman Angela Franjoine (1,500 and 3,000-meter runs), sophomore Taylor Schrimmel (1,500 and 3,000-meter runs) and senior Kristen Wodarczak (shot put).
On the boys' side for Depew, seniors Mike Sanders (pentathlon) and Phil Tardivo (shot put) also took part in sectional events.
Other local top finishers at sectionals included: Bob Radlich, Cleve Hill junior, second in 800- meter run at 1:59.38 and third in 1,600-meter run at 4:36.33; John Rutherford, Maryvale senior, fifth in long jump at 20'; Kate Hergott, Maryvale senior, second in triple jump at 34'2.5"; Lauren Habermehl, Cleve Hill junior, third in 100-meter hurdles at 16.45 seconds; Jerry Leidenfrost, Depew senior, third in 100-meter run at 11.33 seconds and sixth in 200-meter run at 23.73; Kevin Washington, Cleve Hill sophomore, tied for third in 110- meter high hurdles at 16.11 seconds; Chris Jones, Depew senior, fifth in 400-meter hurdles at 58.43 seconds; and Steve Ryniec, Depew senior, third in shot put at 49'1."
Other Kennedy athletes participating at sectionals included: sophomore Derek Krzemian, 10th in shot put; junior Mike Bartoszek, 11th in 110-meter high hurdles; and the foursome of juniors Steve Blenker and Angelo Yavicoli, sophomore Josh Klyczek and freshman Brandon Wyatt-Bell- who made up the 4x400 team- finished 14th with a 3:48.18.
On the girls' side, Lady Bears Jessica Campas (senior) finished fourth in both the 100-meter dash (13.43 seconds) and triple jump (32'10.25"). Also, freshman Kaitlyn Wiess placed eighth in the long jump at 15'7.5". The 4x800 relay team- comprised of juniors Jessica Stechenfinger and Denise Brucz, sophomore Moriah Orwat and freshman Nikki Suwalski- finished 12th at 10:46.28. Stechenfinger placed 15th in the 3,000-meter run at 12:18.81, and junior Melissa Schultz finished 17th in the shot put with 29'4.5".
The Cleve Hill boys' 4x100 squad placed second at 43.8 seconds.
The New York State competition will have a qualifier round tomorrow and a championship round Saturday, with the meet taking place in Kingston, New York.
Lady 'Cats accomplish
rare feat during season
The Depew girls varsity track and field team accomplished something this spring that it hadn't done since 2000- beat local rival Lancaster.
On May 21, Depew upended the Lady Redskins, 75-66, as Angierski contributed four first-place finishes, including the long jump (15'1"), triple jump (32'7.5"), 100-meter dash (season-best 12.7-seconds time) and 200-meter run (seasonbest time of 27 seconds).
Godson earned a second-place finish in the 200-meter run (28.4 second) and placed third in the high jump (4'4"). Bless finished second in both the 400-meter hurdles (1:13.6) and high jump (4'6"). Taylor Schrimmel placed second in both the 1,500 (5:17.9) and 3,000-meter runs (11:40.7), while Jordan Schrimmel finished in second place in the pole vault with a leap of 7'6".
Depew's 4x3,200-meter relay team, comprised of Smolarek, Bless, Majka and Franjoine, won with a time of 10:26, while the 'Cats' 400- meter relay squad of Godson, Wild, Jordan Schrimmel and Majka took the top spot with a time of 54.1 seconds.
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