Records fall for Guilderland indoor team
GUILDERLAND It has been a record-breaking year for some members of the Guilderland girls indoor team.
Four relay teams have broken school records this season and one runner now holds an indoor record.
The 4x200, the 4x400, the distance medley, and sprint medley relays all set Guilderland records this winter. And Liz Schwennker broke the 400 meter indoor track record.
"In comparison to the last eight or nine years," said Coach Richard Usher, "this has been the best year. The numbers are good. We had 43 girls finish the season. And a few times, we have broken school records."
The 4x200-meter relay team broke the school record three times this season. The team of Lindsay Hall, Chryssanti Nicholas, Schwennker, and Jackie DeLuise started with a time of 1:55. They now own a best time of 1:53.5.
"We wanted to break the records," Schwennker said. "Coach told us that the record was a possibility this year. We were getting close. Then we went to the Yale Invitational and it was a goal for us and we got it."
Three of the runners who are on the record-setting distance medley relay team are not even high school students.
"Three of the girls are in middle school," Usher said. "They are coming off a successful cross-country season."
Lea Cure, Kelly Camardo, Anna Pickett, and Emily Cure set the relay record of 13:31. Emily Cure is the old-timer in the bunch. She is a high school junior.
The sprint medley relay team of Amanda Foggia, DeLuise, Lindsay Hall, and Schwennker ran to a time of 4:31.
The 4x400-meter relay team of Schwennker, Hall, DeLuise, and Foggia holds the school record in a time of 4:12.
"We broke it by 10 seconds," DeLuise said. "It was 4:22 and we ran a 4:12."
Schwennker has a fourth school indoor record. She currently holds the top mark in the 400 meters. She ran 61.12 to set the record.
"Pretty good"
Some other performances this winter were not quite record-breaking, but were good nonetheless.
Sarah Heller, a senior, has had a good season throwing the shot. Her best throw this winter is 34 feet, one-half inch.
"She is fourth or fifth in the section and that’s pretty good," Usher said.
Junior Karley Giles had a good year in the high jump. Her best jump so far this season is 5 feet, 2 inches.
"She is hoping to get 5-4," Usher said. "She should be able to get that in the next couple of weeks."
"I’m working on a new PR," Giles said of reaching a personal record. "The season gets long towards the end"I just get motivated to improve."
Casey Doak, a junior, has done well running in 1,500- and 3,000-meter distance races.
Sophomore Lauren Fehervari has competed in the triple, long, and high jumps this winter.
"She improves at every meet," Usher said. "She jumped 31 feet at the Suburban Councils. She also jumped 14-and-a-half feet in the long jump and four feet, eight-and-a-half inches in the high jump. She was one of best scorers at the meet."
"I just try and keep doing better," Fehervari said. "I did track in middle school, but this is my first at the high school"I want to keep in shape."
Both Fehervari and Giles are also looking forward to the outdoor season this spring.
"We had a lot of people out this year," Fehervari said.
"I’m hoping more people do outdoor," Giles added. "It’s great to have so many athletes out."
The Suburban Council meet on Saturday did not go as well as Usher had hoped.
"It was kind of a letdown," the coach said. "We did not do as well as I thought we would. The 4x200 broke the school record during prelims. The 4x400 was second in the section but they came in fourth place. I think they were overcome with excitement that they broke the record in the 4x200."
"The Suburbans didn’t go so well," Schwennker agreed. "We can really do so much better. We’ve got motivation again."
The team is aiming for the Section II meet that will take place on Feb. 18. But what some Lady Dutch runners have accomplished this season has been extraordinary.
"It is a rarity to have a record fall," Usher said. "You have to make mention of it. The records are great."