VOORHEESVILLE — While serving as an assistant coach for the Voorheesville track team during the spring season, Phil Carducci was inspired by the team’s success.

Carducci decided to keep the good times rolling by starting the Voorheesville Track Club.
"I came up with the idea of forming the VTC during the last few weeks of the track season," Carducci said. "We were having so much success, with both the boys and girls, I thought, why not keep it going at the Junior Olympics level."

The club will be sending some of its members to the highest competition in that program.

Four runners will be going to Baltimore to compete in the 2006 USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Championships. The competition will be held at Morgan State University July 25 to 30.

Mackey Lloyd will compete in two events at the meet — in the intermediate boys’ division in the 3,000-meter run.

Lloyd qualified for the meet after placing second at the USATF Region I Championships Sunday in Kingston with a time of 9:58.

Lloyd will also anchor the 4x800-meter relay. The team finished second on Sunday with a time of 9:18. The team also features Ryan Allison, Nathan Bub, and Ian Powell.
"They are really excited about competing at nationals," Carducci said. "All these guys are members of the Voorheesville boys’ track team, and have worked hard all year to get where they are. I think they have a chance and they want to work even harder to win the gold medal."
"I know we will do well at the junior nationals," Lloyd said.

All four members of the relay said it was their goal to come in before eighth place so they will get a medal.

Sixteen strong

The club had 16 members compete at the local meet held in Valatie a few weeks ago and other athletes besides Lloyd, Bub, Powell, and Allison competed at the regionals.

Vincent Planz finished sixth in the Youth Boys’ division of the 100-meter dash. He ran the race in 12.79. He also finished 10th in the 200 meter dash in 26.6 seconds.

Bub competed in the Intermediate Boys’ triple jump and placed fifth with a best jump of 11.25 meters. Bub also placed sixth in the Intermediate Boys’ 800-meter run with a time of 2:22.

Taylor Treadgold, who will be a freshman in the fall, ran in the Intermediate Boys’ 3,000-meter run and finished in 11:46. He also ran in the Intermediate Boys’ 1,500 meters and completed the race in 5:25.

Connor Cashian also qualified for the regional meet but did not go because he was sick.

Carducci said the success of the runners is due to the effort they have put in and the dedication they have shown to the sport.
"We had 16 sign up and 15 compete at the district meet in Valatie two weeks ago," Carducci said. "Thirteen qualified to move on to the regional meet, but only seven decided to do so.

Looking for support
"We’re hoping the community gets behind these guys," Carducci added, "and gives them tons of support. They are representing their town and Region I, which consists of all of New England, as well as, New York City."

Carducci, a life-long runner, organizes a couple of local races during the year. He created the Altamont 5K held during the summer and the Rabbit Ramble held in the spring.

Though the club is mostly made up of Voorheesville runners, it is independent of the school and is open to high-school athletes from Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Guilderland, and Duanesburg.
"The main function is to get the children out and exercising through running, be it cross-country or track," Carducci said. "The competition is a good way to have fun, meet new friends and see the progress that is being made by the athlete."

To stay active is a main reason why athletes are competing for the club.
"I just want to stay in shape and get ready for cross-country," Lloyd said. "We had a really good track season. Coach Carducci came up with the idea for the track club to keep us focused on track and field and for the Junior Olympics."

Carducci said that members and their families pay their own way to meets and all the entry fees involved.
"With this in mind," Carducci said. "VTC is seeking sponsorship from local businesses and individuals to help defray the cost for these athletes as they seek the gold medal in Baltimore."

Anyone wishing to help can contact Carducci by phone at 861-6350 or by e-mail at [email protected].

As a way of thanking the sponsors, Carducci said, business logos and individuals names will be put on the back of the competition T-shirts. Deadline for sponsorship is July 20.
"Track is doing well," Carducci said. "We had a lot of kids — sophomores and freshmen — and not a lot of juniors and seniors. Why not keep going and keep in shape and not be sitting around""