Amidst pouring rain, freezing hail and low temperatures, Westfield hosted the 35th annual Blue Devil Classic, honoring those responsible for the longevity and excellence of the track program.
The meet kicked off with a high-intensity and exciting 4×100 meter relay, consisting of seniors Morgan Samet, Lilly Petrie, Alexis Ray and sophomore Scarlett Goldman. The relay captured gold in a blazing time of 52.11 seconds, ahead of North Hunterdon’s 52.73.
The second event of the day, the mile race, was dedicated to Westfield track legend Jack Martin. Martin started coaching for the winter track team in 1982 and after becoming the head coach in 1991, he retired in 2012 after 40 years of coaching, according to usatoday.com. Freshman Abby Drennan had the honor of competing in this special race and was the sole representative for the Blue Devils. Her time of 6:00.96 was enough for a seventh place finish amongst extremely seasoned competition. “There were tough conditions today, but I think everyone ran a good time despite the weather not being on our side,” said Drennan after her event.
After the Jack Martin Mile, another coach, Thomas Hornish, was honored in the eight annual Thomas Hornish Memorial distance medley relay. Hornish started coaching for the boys track team in the 1970’s and soon accepted a role as head coach of the girls team in 1977 according to nj.com. Although no Westfield athletes competed in the girls DMR, the race still honors the lasting impact Hornish left on the program.
Soon after, it was time for the girls 4×200 meter relay. Despite a dominant performance in the 4×100 meter relay, Petrie, Ray and Goldman were not done collecting hardware. Joined by junior Maya Nair, the 4×200 captured a first place finish once again, with a time of 1:50.24 and proved that they were the most dominant sprinting relay of the day.
After the 3200 meter and the 400 meter hurdles had been completed, it was now time for the distance relays to take on a competitive field in the 4×800 meter relay. Senior Olivia Thornton, juniors Claire Sewald and Vanessa Larkin and sophomore Regan Stevens crossed the line in a time of 10:16.37 and received a third place finish ahead of twelve other teams. “I think that was a pretty good relay for our first 4×800 of the season,” said Thronton after her leg. “The weather definitely didn’t help us in this case…but I’m ready to improve throughout the season.”
To close out the events on the track, senior Bucknell commit Anna Kylish surpassed expectations in the open 800 meter. Despite having many tough competitors, Kylish made her win look effortless as she captured gold in a time of 2:22.37.
Despite the Blue Devils’ dominance on the track, Westfield also proved their expertise and excellence in the pit and on the field. In the long jump, Samet and Petrie captured second and third place with distances of 15-2.50 and 14-7.50, respectively. In the shot put, senior Livia Reyes received a bronze medal for her throw of 31-6 despite slippery conditions. In the pole vault, senior Kyra Lentzner was awarded second place with her clearance of 7-0.
Overall, the Blue Devil Classic was not only a great day for the athletes who competed, but showed the true spirit of the Westfield track community. “We had some alumni that came back [to support the girls],” said head coach Joseph Berardi regarding the event’s contribution to the culture of the program. “Even on a dower day, it is one of the bright spots of the season.”
