Westfield Area YMCA Flyers Qualify for Junior Olympic National Championships

Athletes from the Westfield Area Y Flyers Track Club traveled to Cortland, NY this past weekend to compete in the USATF Region 2 Junior Olympic Championships. The meet was held at SUNY Cortland and hosted athletes from the New Jersey, Niagara, Three Rivers and Mid-Atlantic Associations. A total of 13 Flyers competed with 12 earning advancements to the National Championships. Additionally, five athletes brought home Region 2 titles. 

Brian Guterl earned a title win in the 13-14 Boys 3000m Race Walk division. The 13-14 Boys 4x100m relay team of Gabe Worrell, Alex Kessler, Justin Simmons Jr. and Melisizwe Ndlovu captured the Region 2 title and set a new club record with a time of 48.72.  

In addition to the relay, Kessler won the 13-14 Boys javelin with a throw of 44.97m (147’ 6”) and placed 4th in the 200m hurdles, advancing him to the National Championships in three events. Worrell and Ndlovu also triple-qualified, advancing in both the 13-14 boys 100m and 200m. Another Flyer advancing in three events is Sydney Kessler, who will compete in the 13-14 Girls 100m hurdles, long jump, and triple jump.  

Rounding out the team of qualifying Flyers for the Junior Olympic National Championships: 

Addison Stroh – 15-16 girls Shot Put and Discus 

Katalyna Aguilar – 9-10 Girls 1500m 

Ronan Connolly – 11-12 Boys 3000m 

Grayson Van Dyk – 7-8 Boys 1500m 

Arjun Vernekar – 15-16 Boys 3000m 

Jessica Zhou – 13-14 Girls 3000m. 

The 2023 USATF Junior Olympic National Championships will be held July 24-30 at the historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. 

The Westfield Area YMCA Flyers Track Club is led by USATF-certified coaches and serves hundreds of athletes ages 7-15 year-round. Athletes learn the fundamentals of distance running and techniques unique to off-track running, with more experienced runners building on fundamental skills through conditioning and in-depth training. 

Registration is now open for the cross-country season, which runs September 8-October 30. For more information visit www.flyerstrackclub.com or contact Michelle Almeida at malmeida@westfieldynj.org 908-301-9622 ext. 279. 

Source: Tap Into Westfield