As defending Section III Class AA champions on both the boys and girls sides, the Fayetteville-Manlius track and field team might find it difficult for anyone to topple them.
In a one-sided season opener last Wednesday afternoon, the Hornets methodically took apart West Genesee, the girls team prevailing 93-48 and the boys team winning 109.67-31.33.
Alana Pearl pulled off a sweep of all three girls distance running events. Pearl covered 1,500 meters in exactly four minutes, 51 seconds, and then finished first in the 800-meter run in 2:26.1 before going to the 3,000-meter run and taking that event in 10:42.8.
But Pearl was not the only multiple winner. Savannah Pidkaminy claimed both throwing events, heaving the shot put 27 feet 10 inches and the discus 83’4 ½” for another first-place finish.
Back on the oval, Olivia Ryan needed 1:01.6 to win the 400-meter dash, while Natalie Zazzara claimed the 200-meter dash in 28 seconds flat. Valerie Pirro was first in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:12.4, with Chantel Brennan going 13.7 seconds in the 100-meter dash.
Moving to the relays, Pearl joined Annika Avery, Jenna Farrell and Jessica Howe in the 4×800, where F-M prevailed in 9:47.6. Brennan, Zazzara, Nicole Amico and Sarah Olick-Sutphen went through the 4×100 in 53 seconds flat as Howe, Olivia Ryan, Andrea Perrotti and Sarah Ryan took the 4×400 in 4:19.7.
Kyle Barber proved to be the star of the F-M boys meet against West Genesee. He tore through the 400 sprint in 52.7 seconds, sped to an impressive victory in the 400 hurdles in 58.7 seconds and capped it off with a winning 39-foot triple jump.
Parker Noble went 18’1” in the long jump, one of two events he won as he sped through the 200 sprint in 24.3 seconds. Bryce Millar eased through the 800 in 2:05.4 after he ran in the mile, where he posted a time of 4:39.5.
Justin Jones cleared 11 feet to win the pole vault, while Kyle Bronson won the shot put, tossing it 43’6 ½”. Ed Cheatham got first place in the 110 high hurdles in 17.5 seconds.
F-M also claimed all three relays in this meet as it won the 4×100 (47.1 seconds), 4×400 (3:42.9) and 4×800 (8:19.07) relays with Millar, Noble, Cheatham, Barber, Andrew Berge’, Hamza ElHabbal and Jon Abbott among the participants.
