By: Zach Miller – Record Sports

Despite winning only one event, the Aviators scored 93 ½ points to win their second sectional title in three years. The next closest team, Wallkill Valley, scored 71.50.

“We got a lot of great performances, it was a great team effort,” Hasbrouck Heights coach Rob Brady said. “We got off to a rough start yesterday, but they really bounced back today and had a great second day. We’re very proud of them.”

Kassie Ketcho, the Aviators’ only champion, won the shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 6 ½ inches. She also produced two of the team’s seven second-place finishing, finishing as the runner-up in both the discus and the javelin.

Catherine Castellanos and Annie Tsapelis also scored for Hasbrouck Heights in the shot put, placing third and fifth, respectively.

Monika Lucic also placed second in two events during the weekend, doing so in the 100 high hurdles and triple jump, and placing fourth in the 400 intermediate hurdles.

“I think about the team every time I’m on the track or every time I’m jumping,” Lucic said. “I do this for my coach, I do this for my girls and I do this for myself too but the team is very important to me and every other girl.”

The entire team shares that team-first attitude, saying they’ve talked about trying to win this sectional title for weeks. That attitude showed itself the most in the ultimate team event, the three relays, as the Aviators placed second in the 4-x-400 and 4-x-800 and placed third in the 4-x-100 to score major team points and pull away from the competition.

“We’re a very close team, we’re always focusing on bonding,” said Ashley Quinn, who runs on all three relays and placed fourth in the 800. “I love having the baton in my hand, and when I know I have to give it off to my friends it motivates me more because I want to get the lead for them.”

 

Eastern Christian relay sets Non-Public B North record

When the Eastern Christian girls 4-x-100 relay team found out what the Non-Public B North record was a few minutes before their race, they knew they could break it.

They knew they could because they’ve already ran a faster time, running a 51.4 second time at the Bergen County Championships.

They failed to set a new best time Saturday, but did set a new sectional record by running a 51.63. They recorded the announcement of the record with their phones, cheering from the infield.

The relay, which already includes state shot put champion (yes, shot put champion) Madison Wynbeek, recently added state javelin champion (yes, javelin champion) Brooke Van Lenten to the mix. As a unit, they’ve found success by working on handoffs.

“We just have a different way of doing hand-offs than most schools do,” Van Lenten said.

“We really take into mind how fast the person we’re taking the handoff from is,” added Anna Rodriguez. She and Katie Hefty make up the rest of the relay team. “We’re all close too, so that helps.”

With the Non-Public B group meet coming up next week, the Eagles have their sights set on breaking 51 seconds for a new school record.

St. Mary’s returns to postseason

For the first time in seven years, St. Mary High School sent an athlete to the Non-Public B North sectional meet.

And for the first time in seven years,  St. Mary will send an athlete to the Non-Public B group meet.

Freshman distance runner Elizabeth Szambel put the Gaels back on the map, running a personal-best 12:24.38 in the 3,200 to place sixth and earn a spot in the group meet. She was the only Gaels athlete competing, also winning her unseeded heat of the 800.

She said she felt more energized on Saturday, using that energy to become the school’s first athlete to qualify for the group meet since Kevin Mustac won the group discus championship in 2010.

“Elizabeth has a great work ethic and drive to work,” St. Mary’s coach Martin Besterci said. “After workouts, you almost have to tell her to relax because she wants to continue to work. She’s able to motivate herself.”