Minisink Valley’s mixed 4x400 relay team are national champions following its first place win , with a time of 3:38.06, at the recent Nike Indoor Track and Field Nationals.
The mixed team members are senior Maximillian Wickrath, sophomore Chloe Beck, senior Ferrah Hill and senior Robert LaBarbera.
"These athletes train side by side every day but rarely get the chance to compete together," said James Beck, Varsity Girls Indoor Track Head Coach. "Seeing them come together on the national stage and accomplish something this special was an amazing and proud moment for our program.”
“Advancing to national championship events is among the most prestigious accomplishments an athlete can achieve in track and field," said Varsity Boys Indoor Track Head Coach Todd Derkacz. “Whereas state meet or 'meet of champion' formats limit participation based upon school size or playoff bracket permutations, the hosts of the national meets welcome all athletes that meet strict entry standards in time, height or distance. In short, every athlete who contests an event at Nike or New Balance nationals does so on merit, competing against the best of the best from all 50 states, several U.S. outlying territories and Canada.”
Additionally, Senior Ella Michelitch finished in third-place for the pentathlon with 3,645 points. Available records confirmed that Ella’s performance also breaks the 44-year-old New York State mark of 3,594 points.
The boys 4x400 relay team of Robert LaBarbera, Max Wickrath, Stetson Terpak and Angel Mendez finished in ninth place with a 3:17.29 time.
Ella's total pentathlon points the boy's 4x400 relay time are also Section IX all-time indoor records, as far back as digital record-keeping can confirm.
“Having established themselves as major contenders at recent NYSPHSAA Championships, our Minisink Valley athletes who earned national championships, medal-winning finishes and record-breaking performances over the weekend have set a high bar for future athletes and have announced the program to a national audience,” Coach Derkacz added. “We are incredibly proud, not only of their accomplishments, but of all the hours of work they have each put in and sacrifices they have made throughout a long season.”
The Nike Indoor Nationals is a major high school track and field championship held annually at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory in New York. Organized by the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, it brings together top athletes from across the U.S. to compete in events like sprints, distance races, relays, and field events.