A Record 23 Flyers Advance to National Championships and 6 are Crowned Regional Champions at USATF Junior Olympics

  The following was submitted by Michael Endy.

Twenty-Seven athletes from the Westfield Area Y Flyers Track Club were among the more than 1500 athletes from NJ, PA, DE & NY that competed at the Regional Junior Olympics July 11th-14th in Jamestown, New York. Six Flyers athletes brought home Regional Championships and twenty-three Flyers will advance to the National Junior Olympics Championships.

Flyers that finished in the top Three in the Region:

Gold Medalists:

• Turbo Javelin - Girls 11-12 Division - Nicole Massa

• 4x 800 Relay - Boys Age 13-14 Division - Ryan Bebel, Eric Bebel, Thomas Whitehead and Michael Zacieracha

• 1500m Race Walk - Girls Age 9-10 Division - Grace Endy

Silver Medalists:

• Shot Put - Boys Age 9-10 Division - Braden Stryker

• 3000m Race Walk - Girls Age 13-14 Division - Melissa Endy

• 1500m Run - Girls 9-10 Division - Abigail Granrath

Bronze Medalists:

• Long Jump - Girls Age 9-10 Division - Grace Endy

• 800m Run - Boys Age 13-14 Division - Michael Zacieracha

• 3000m Run - Boys Age 13-14 Division - Thomas Whitehead

• 4x400 Relay - Girls Age 13-14 Division - Isabella DeSimone, Jessica Brown, Colleen Glynn and Katelyn Romanovich

The 2013 National Junior Olympics Championships will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina July 22nd-28th.

To add some perspective to the Y Flyers’ recent accomplishments: in 2012, the Flyers sent a team of 15 athletes to compete in the USATF National Championships in Baltimore, MD. This year’s team of 23 athletes is not only the largest Flyers team ever to reach Nationals, it also shows a greater than 50% increase over last year.

To become a part of the growing Y Flyers track organization, or for more information on their upcoming programs, contact Greg Hatzisavvas at (908) 233-2700, x251.