Photo Finish: Youth Runners Hurdle Madison With 2-Point Victory

For most of the season athletes on the Long Valley Junior Wolf Pack Track & Field team have been mostly unchallenged, leading to a sparkling 6-0 meet record.

That all changed last weekend as the team got the best efforts of Madison’s runners and jumpers, who pushed the local nine- to 15-year-olds to the edge. Long Valley came out on top, barely, with a 205 to 203 win. 

This is how the team’s runners in each age group and category fared, according to the coaches:

The 13/15 age group had many fine performances. The women’s 800 was led by Ava Lusskin followed by Ashton Young and Briana Harmon. Lusskin also led in the mile followed by Sarah Bhargava and Rosemary Lauezzari.  The sprinters also showed fine form with excellent running by Caroline Hurley, Mackenzie Hurley, Crystal Robinson, Lusskin, Bhargava, Diana Kowalski and Jessica Peerbolte.  The 13/15 men’s distance runners were led by Tyler Bishop, John Gibbons and Vincent Vuskalns in both the 800 and mile races.  The sprinters paving the way were Christopher Pollack, Benjamin Girardy, Ian Dalgleish, Mitch Butynes and Hunter Booth.

The 11/12 runners also raced to success.  The milers leading the Long Valley team were Sarah Hanifin, Chelsey Cochrane and Molly Sabo for the women.  The 800 saw excellent runs by Cochrane, Catherine Masterson and Colleen Hare.  Sprinters for this group were led by Savannah Porrao, Cora Gartelmann, Kyra Hoffman, Cari Isemann, Hanifin, Masterson and Kayla Robinson.  Luke Lusskin led the male milers followed by Derek Jenkins and Jesse Gartelmann.  In the 800 the men were led by Jacob Dolan, Colin Gallagher and Jenkins.  Sprinting their way to success in this age group were James Zeolla, Lars Olsen, Ethan Stoute and Sebastian Hughes.

The youngsters on Long Valley’s team also gave their best effort. 9/10 year old distance runners Elize Fracchiolla, Shannon Carratura and Olivia Montuore dominated the girls mile. Libby Masterson led the 800 followed by Fracchiolla and Sydney St. Jacques.  The young women sprinters saw fine performances from Rosalie Olsen, Haley Bishop, Nataliz Agnolet, Emily Simon, Alyssia Malanga, Carratura, Masterson and Shannon DelGuercio.  The boys 9/10 milers were Scot VanWoert at the lead followed by Jeff Cianfrocca and Brendan Halstead.  The 800 runners saw successful races from Eric Lusskin, Matthew Mancini and Kurt DeChiaro.  Sprinters in this group were led by VanWoert, Lusskin, Colin McLoughlin, Mason Gough, Kyle Hunt, Gerard Carratura and David Brown.

Jumping their way to victory, Long Valley track members had a strong showing in the long jump events.  The 13/15 women jumpers were Ava Lusskin, Sarah Bhargava and Rosemary Lauezzari. Men 13/15 jumpers were Mitch Butynes, Benjamin Girardy and Deiniol McGovern.  Leaping for the 11/12 women was Cora Gartelmann, Savannah Porrao and Cari Isemann.  The men’s 11/12 team of jumpers was led by James Zeolla, Sebastian Hughes and Ethan Stoute.  The 9/10 women long jumpers were Libby Masterson, Sydney St. Jacques and Natalia Agnolet.  9/10 men’s long jump was led by Kyle Hunt, Eric Lusskin and Kurt DeChiaro.

The shot put athletes also did a fine job for the Long Valley team.  13/15 women putters were led by Jessica Peerbolte, Caroline Hurley and Mackenzie Hurley. Putting for the 13/15 men was Hunter Booth, Christopher Pollack and Ian Dalgleish.  For the 11/12 women there was Doris Migliaccio, Juliana Agnolet and Sarah Datesman.  Men’s 11/12 shot putters were Luke Doerr-Frederickson, Lars Olsen and John Taxiarchou.  Shot putting for the 9/10 age group was Rosalie Olsen, Shannon  Carratura and Shannon DelGuercio for the women and Jeff Cianfrocca, Jake Doerr-Frederickson and Gerard Carratura for the men.