Westfield Area YMCA Flyers Earn All-American Honors at Junior Olympic National Championships
Athletes from the Westfield Area Y Flyers Track Club traveled to the historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR to compete at the 2023 USATF Junior Olympic National Championships. Two members of the Flyers placed in the top eight, earning them All-American honors.
Brian Guterl placed 4th in the nation in the 13-14 boys 3000m Race Walk and set a new club record with a time of 18:13.5. Later in the week, Alex Kessler made the stadium come alive with his club record-setting throw of 161 feet in the 13-14 boys javelin earning him a 4th place finish at the national championships. In addition to the javelin, Alex also competed in the 200m hurdles and was part of the 13-14 boys 4x100m relay team.
Flyers that also competed at the Junior Olympic National Championships at Hayward Field were:
Katalyna Aguilar—9-10 Girls 1500m
Sydney Kessler—13-14 Girls 100m Hurdles, Long Jump, Triple Jump
Melisizwe Ndlovu—13-14 Boys 100m, 200m, 4x100
Gabe Worrel—13-14 Boys 100m, 200m, 4x100
Grayson Van Dyk—7-8 Boys 1500m
Arjun Vernekar—15-16 Boys 3000m
Congratulations to all the Flyers for an amazing track and field season.
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 Sept. 8 - Oct. 30. For more information visit www.flyerstrackclub.com or contact Michelle Almeida at malmeida@westfieldynj.org 908-301-9622 ext. 279.
The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Learn more at www.westfieldynj.org.
