CENTRAL NEW YORK –
Two days before Christmas, Baldiwnsville boys indoor track and field sprinter Sam Mellinger found himself again the fastest man in the field.
The Westhill Invitational at SRC Arena on Dec. 23 gave Mellinger yet another chance to showcase his speed in the 55-meter dash. In 6.66 seconds, Mellinger easily topped the second-place 6.90 from PSLA-Fowler’s Andre McClain.
To further this effort, Mellinger paired with Amari Akins, Owen Weaver and Logan Hayes to go 1:35.83 and win the 4×200, just ahead of Cheektowaga’s second-place 1:36.64.
Pat Pasho had B’ville’s best finish in a field event, tossing the shot put 41 feet 2 inches, second to the 42’9” from Newark’s William Trembley as Adam Cuyler (31’11 1/2”) was ninth.
Weaver, Zach Aria, William Cornell and Ryan Pelletier paired up to take third in the 4×400 relay in 3:53.27. Jack McAllister was third in the 600-meter run in 1:29 flat, with Logan Hayes fifth in 1:30.81 and Jeff Vannatta eighth.
Jeff Ragonese finished sixth in the 1,000-meter run in 2:50.51, also taking eighth at 1,600 meters in 5:00.67 behind the seventh-place 4:58.83 from teammate Arthur Bauer. Dylan Wertheim cleared 8 feet for seventh place in the pole vault and Amari Akins was eighth in the weight throw.
Sydney McKenney again led the B’ville girls, clearing 9’6” in the pole vault for fourth place, tying for fifth in the long jump (13’11”)and also running a leg in the Bees’ sixth-place 4×200 time of 1:56 flat.
Avamarie Davis, Clare Horan, Kamryn Barton and Madison Kennedy went 4:25.06 in the 4×400 relay, a close second behind Shenendehowa’s winning 4:24.50.
Mia Pozzi had a third-place shot put toss of 26’1” and was seventh in the 55 sprint in 7.86 seconds, with Sophia Cavalieri ninth in the 1,500-meter run in 5:26.63 and Julianna Gingrich tied for seventh in the shot put.
Morgan Hagopian finished ninth in the weight throw, Rachel Pawelek was ninth in the long jump and Anaiya Johnson 10th in the triple jump.
B’ville then went to Wednesday’s Utica Challenge at Utica College’s Hutton Dome, where it gained more victories.
Mellinger, Weaver, Hayes and Jack McAllister paired up to win the boys 4×400 in 3:33.73, right before a girls 4×400 where the Bees had Davis, Horan, Barton and Kennedy win in 4:26.95.
In the 4×800, B’ville’s boys had Hayes, McAllister, Ragonese and Solomon Holden-Betts second in 8:45.22. Mellinger, Weaver, Robert Thompson and Amir Akins were second (1:35.65) to West Genesee (1:35.13) in the 4×200.
Weaver had a third-place long jump of 19’10”, with Thompson seventh at 19’2 1/2”. Pasho, throwing the shot put 40’10”, claimed fourth place as Gibson Boudov was eighth in the weight throw and Pelletier fifth in the pole vault.
Ragonese claimed fifth place in the 1,000 in 2:45.85 and Kellan Vannatta was fifth in the 600 in 1:32.54, while Jackson Creelman was fifth in the 55 hurdles in 9.31 seconds. Nathan Glidden took sixth place in the 500-meter run.
Cavalieri finished third in the girls 1,000 in 3:17.55 and Kennedy took third in the 600 in 1:47.27, with Pozzi third in the 300 in 44.31 seconds and sixth in the 55 sprint. Barton took seventh place in the 500.
