SALAMANCA — For the first time since 2019, the “best of the best” took center stage and competed for spots on the podium with the return of the Foy/Abdo/Davies Super 8 Meet.
Salamanca High School’s 33rd annual invitational, with eight athletes only in each event, went off without a major hitch Friday, starting with the first event (boys pole vault) at 4:30 p.m. and wrapping up the last race on the track, the 1600 relay, before 9.
“We were a bundle of nerves all day long and now that we’ve reached the end of the meet, a huge sigh of relief because it was outstanding,” Salamanca boys track coach Michelle Hill said. “We had our youngest of varsity members working a job during the meet, our seventh graders, and without them it wouldn’t have been successful. Parents helping out in concession (stand), our entire coaching staff, volunteers and alumni come back. It was just an incredible night for all of us and we’re so proud to host this meet each year and it was a huge success again.”
Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Jenna Fisher won the girls’ MVP award after taking victories in three sprints: the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes. Maple Grove’s Sam Eimiller took the boys’ MVP award after wins in the high jump and 110-meter high hurdles and fourth in the 400 hurdles.
Franklinville/Ellicottville’s Mandy Hurlburt earned a win in the 100-meter hurdles, timing in at :17.33.
Also from F/E, Alyssa Williams (1500) and Anna Slavinski (400 hurdles) both had second-place runs and Elizabeth Price had a third-place shot put throw.
Corinne Inkley led the Randolph girls team with a first-place pole vault performance of 9-feet-6-inches, Teammate Eve Adams took second. Payton Morrison ran to third in the 400.
Randolph had two second-place relays. Lucy Vanrensselaer, Willow Rader, Payton Morrison and Piper Keyes took second in the 400 relay, while the same four (Keyes, Morrison, Rader, Vanrensselaer) took second in the 1600 relay.
“I would have to say that every coach I’ve been running into is saying ‘Yep, PRs,’ ‘PRs,’” Salamanca girls coach Laurie Lafferty-John said, “just that kind of feeling when you get here.”
On the boys’ side, For the Randolph boys, Roan Kelly won the 1600 in a time of 4:22.0 and also took second in the 800. Clayton Crouse won the pole vault, clearing 12-feet-3-inches, followed by teammate Caden Inkley in second place. Talon Rowland (400) and Ryan Carpenter (shot put) both had second-place finishes.
Franklinville/Ellicottville’s Wyatt Tinelli had the third-place pole vault.
For host Salamanca, Arlen Newark played a role in three top-three finishes. He ran to third place in the 800 and anchored two relays. Jorden Ambuske, Archer Newark, Jason McGraw and Arlen Newark took second in the 400 relay and Archer Newark, McGraw, Jesse Hill and Arlen Newark took third in the last race, the 1600 relay.
“Arlen broke his own school record (in the 800), so I don’t think it can get much better than that,” Michelle Hill said. So (we’re) very pleased, it’s the best he’s ever run the 800 meter in his high school career, so he was really gutsy in that race and I could not be more proud.
“We were seeded sixth in both (relays) and they medaled in both. By my hand time (in the 1600 relay) we were under by eight seconds from (our time) a week ago. So absolutely incredible. There is something about running under the lights at home that does spur on a season-best type of performance. So I’m extremely proud of all of our athletes today.”
Hill said the Super 8 atmosphere and format often brings out the best from competitors.
“Each year we have kids who will come up to us and say this is their favorite meet for a lot of reasons,” Hill said, “one of which is the podium, that isn’t done anywhere else, and a lot of athletes not even from Salamanca sometimes do have their best performances here. So it definitely does bring that out.”
Lafferty-John gave thanks to the many athletes, volunteers and coaches who helped bring back the “Meet of Champions” this year.
“We were so nervous, but everything went off well. We’re pretty pleased,” she said. “Beautiful night, pink skies, sun went under the clouds a little bit so it wasn’t too hot, that was awesome.
“We’ve got a lot of green kids on our team, little seventh and eighth graders that are staying here to the end and helping us, parents that are coming to help. Just the amount of people power that we have and the commitment that they have to stay to the end and help us is incredible.”
BOYS TRACK
AT SALAMANCA
100: Butterfield (SW) :11.17, Graham (CL), Riel (Fal.)
200: Butterfield (SW) :22.34, Stormer (Frew.), Linder (Fred.)
400: Velez-Olmo (Fred.) :51.23, Rowland (Rand.), Constantino (Frew.)
800: Shutters (SW) 1:56.45, Kelly (Rand.), Arl. Newark (Sal.)
1,600: Kelly (Rand.) 4:22.0, Brink (A-L), Lewis (SW)
3,200: Luce (SW) 10:09.38, Krenzer (Fal.), Baer (MG)
400 relay: Southwestern (Luce, Butterfield, Burlingame, Pannes) :45.52, Salamanca (Ambuske, Arc. Newark, McGraw, Arl. Newark), Dunkirk
1,600 relay: Fredonia (Whitfield, Yerico, Linder, Velez-Olmo) 3:32.14, Southwestern, Salamanca (Arc. Newark, McGraw, Hill, Arlen Newark)
3,200 relay: Southwestern (Lewis, Brown, Luce, Shutters) 8:24.40, Maple Grove, Falconer
110 hurdles: Eimiller (MG) :14.95, Stuck (B-R), Seigel (C-R)
400 hurdles: Seigel (C-R) :58.95, Stuck (B-R), Hatch (F/E)
long jump: Polk (B-R) 20-3.75, Smith (Falc.), Linder (Fred.)
triple jump: Whitfield (Fred.) 41-1, Polk (B-R), Smith (Fal.)
high jump: Eimiller (MG) 6-0, Carris (CSP), Whitfield (Fred.)
shot put: Hoose (SW) 44-5, Carpenter (Rand.), Kinnicutt (B-R)
discus: Kinnicutt (B-R) 121-4, Edwards-Hardy (A-L), Swogger (CL)
pole vault: Crouse (Rand.) 12-3, Inkley (Rand.), Tinelli (F/E)
GIRLS TRACK
AT SALAMANCA
100: Fisher (CSP) :12.77, Je. Wyant (Port.), Kellogg (A-L)
200: Fisher (CSP) :26.52, Ju. Wyant (Port.), Johnson (SW)
400: Fisher (CSP) :59.78, Je. Wyant (Port.) Morrison (Rand.)
800: Collins (A-L) 2:29.01, Brunenavs (MG), Martin-Lacayo (CSP)
1,500: Brunenavs (MG) 5:16.47, Williams (F/E), Porpiglia (Dunk.)
3,000: Lewis (SW) 10:46.16, Brown (SW), Trocki (Frew.)
400 relay: Portville (Dean, Daley, Ju. Wyant, Je. Wyant) :52.03, Randolph, Allegany-Limestone
1,600 relay: Portville (Daley, Hatch, Je. Wyant, Ju. Wyant) 4:14.83, Randolph, Clymer/Sherman/Panama
3,200 relay: Clymer/Sherman/Panama (Martin-Lacayo, Warner, Persons, Schauman) 10:21.60, Southwestern, Maple Grove
100 hurdles: M. Hurlburt (F/E) :17.33, Swan (CSP), Rammelt (West.)
400 hurdles: Madonia (Fal.) 1:10.34, Slavinski (F/E), Lai (MG)
long jump: Conlan (Frew.) 15-10.25, Foley (MG), Schena (O)
triple jump: Roth (Fred.) 32-11.25, LaBarron (Fred.), McIntyre (SW)
high jump: Obert (CL) 5-5, Russo (Fred.), Kioko (CSP)
shot put: Scanlan (Gow.) 30-8, Lynn (Fal.), Price (F/E)
discus: Oswald (W) 104-8, Kinnicutt (W), Lundmark (Fal.)
pole vault: Inkley (Rand.) 9-6, Adams (Rand.), Jem Fayson (O)
