Sports Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, April 21, 2011
Birds try new events in track-and-field Monday
By Jordan J. Michael
COHOES –– For the Colonial Council Relays on Monday in Cohoes, athletes paired up for each track-and-field event and combined their results. That was quite the task for Voorheesville, considering that half (if not more) of its team members were away on vacation.
Head Coach Steve Relyea was forced to place some of his athletes into spots they’ve never been in before. He didn’t mind doing this, saying, “I learn things about them that I never knew before.”
For example, senior Caitlin Abelseth, competed in the long jump for the first time alongside teammate Jane Pritchard, the Birds’ top jumper. Abelseth had a long jump of 15 feet, helping her and Pritchard place in first with a combined jump of 29 feet, 9 inches.
“That was great and she could get better if she keeps at it,” Relyea said of Abelseth. “You put athletes in a new spot and learn a lot. Some step up and some don’t, but it never hurts to try.”
The Voorheesville girls had a stronger day than the boys; the girls placed third in the 6400-meter relay, the distance medley relay, and the pole-vault event. The girls were also fourth in the shot put with a combined distance of 70 feet, 6 inches.
The boys’ team placed sixth in both the 110-meter hurdles and the distance medley relay with a time of 12:26.7.
“We were killed by vacation,” said Relyea. The Colonial Council Relays consistently fall on school vacation week. “It’s like, ‘Get in the car, we’re going to Myrtle Beach.’ Who would say no?”
Relyea told The Enterprise that the season gets “serious” next week. “This vacation time is a good separator,” he said. “We’ll see who’s in shape.”