Congratulations to the Varsity Indoor Track & Field Mixed 4×400 Meter Relay Team, who collectively ran to a sixth-place podium finish at the recent Nike Indoor Nationals at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on  Staten Island, with a time of 3:55.19.

Relay members Ethan Torres, Rihanna Burgher, Kaleigh Murphy and Gavin Rossi become the second-ever “All-Americans” in Minisink Valley program history, joining 2010 national champion Alec Faldermeyer (hammer throw).

An “All-America” team is an honorific title given to outstanding U.S. athletes in a specific sport in a given year competing at the collegiate and secondary school levels. Originally the term referred to a select group of college gridiron football players. Athletes selected to an “All-America team” are known as “All-Americans.”

Individually, eighth grader Kessler Hirsch ran to a sixth-place podium finish in the middle school 60-meter dash in a time of 8.02.

The ‘B’ mixed relay team of Zouhair Elsibai, Amelia Burger, Madison Jellema and Daniel Hernandez finished in seventh-place in 4:04.84.

Three Minisink Valley teams took to the track on the final day of competition, with the boys’ sprint medley relay team of Ethan Torres, Jacob Hernandez, Justin Hernandez and Rossi achieving a season’s best mark that was ruled out for a lane violation.

The girls’ 4×200 meter ‘A’ relay of Madison Jellema, Sierra Jones, Zoey Terpak and Burgher finished 20th; and the ‘B’ team of Hirsch, Burger, Murphy and Jayden Beck finished 31st.

Separately, Jayden Beck also participated in New Balance Indoor Nationals at the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in New York City, and jumped to a 30th place finish in the girls’ long jump.

“Having seen an amazing 14 athletes compete on the indoor nationals stage, Minisink Valley’s track and field program looks forward to more success in the outdoor season to come,” said Head Coach Todd Derkacz.