FALLSBURG – When it comes to team scoring in track and field, it’s a numbers game. Schools may have the top finishers in events but can easily be outscored by other squads that have multiple contenders who can earn points for places other than first. 

For the Fallsburg Comets, under the impressive mentorship of coach Danielle Halikias and Loren Rappaport, legions of kids have come out for track with many of them in the ninth and tenth grade. The result of that massive participation manifested itself in boys and girls wins over Sullivan West which is currently in rebuilding mode. 

For Eldred, a team with far fewer numbers, it was a meet that would feature strong individual performances from standouts like Trai Kaufmann, Lindsay Zgrodek, Cooper Stutz and Rory Brady, Tabitha Smith and Regan Kizer. 

Sullivan West key performers included Dillan Hanslmaier, Landon Volpe, Hunter Ebeling, Robert Davidson, Will Nearing, Grant Gorr, Nate Mendoza, Ella Herbert, Katelynn Smith, Viola Shami and Brooke Nunnari. 

That said, Fallsburg came on like gangbusters with its depth. Top finishers included Isaias Argueta Hernandez, Edwin Morales Jr, Jefferson Banegas Gallo, Donovan Hart Gisella King, Ashley Ingrassia, Jordyn Wall Carty and Stephanie Granados. Clearly, Fallsburg is rapidly inserting itself into the conversation when it comes to all three running seasons. But by far, the enthusiasm in track is obvious not just in the numbers but also in the fervor exuded by the Comets. Credit the coach for this upsurge. Her passion for the sport has been contagious. 

At the Gander Invitational at Rondout Valley held on April 22, Sullivan West and Tri-Valley represented Sullivan County in a field of 18 schools including several powerhouses from the region. The Tri-Valley girls finished 11th overall and the boys took 9th as a team. Sullivan West boys finished 15th. Milestone performances in the immensely talented field included:

Boys: 3200: 1. Adam Furman (T-V) 9:19.85; 2. Craig Costa (T-V) 9:45.55; 4. Van Furman (T-V) 9:48.08. 1600: 4. Van Furman 4:42.25.  Pole vault: 5. Robert Davidson (SW) 9-0. Shot put: 6. Dillan Hanslmaier (SW) 38-11.25; 8. Armaan Butler (T-V) 37-04.00. Discus: 3. Butler 119-00. 

Girls: 1500: 5. Anna Furman (T-V) 5:02.70. 3000: 1. Furman 10:36.18. 

Boys Meet Result: Fallsburg 80, Sullivan West 68. Fallsburg 99, Eldred 40. Sullivan West 95, Eldred 45.

4x800 Relay: 1. Sullivan West 9:37.01. 110 Hurdles: 1. Trai Kaufmann (Eld) 18.3 2. Hunter Doty (F) 18.4; 3. Jefferson Banegas Gallo 19.8; 3. Hunter Ebeling (SW) 20.41. 100: Edwin Morales Jr.11.83; 2. Nazir Lopez (F) 11.89; 3. Donovan Hart (F) 12.87. 1600: 1. Isaias Argueta Hernandez 5:12; 2. Landon Volpe (SW) 5:24; 3. Rody Brody (Eld) 5:36. 4x100 Relay: 1. Fallsburg 44.94. 400: 1 Edwin Morales Jr. 54.81; 2. Cooper Stutz (Eld) 55.3; William Martinez (F) 57.6. 800: Argueta Hernandez (F) 2:20.2; 2. Volpe (SW) 2:30.8; 3. Michael Schroeder (SW) 2:31.4. 200: 1. Hart (F) 24.0; 2. Lopez (F) 24.59; 3. Stutz (E) 25.2. 3000: 1. Argueta Hernandez (F) 11:39.39: 2. Robert Davidson (SW) 11:48.62; 3. Boyd (SW) 12:35.64. 400 Hurdles: 1. Banegas-Gallo (F) 1:07.6. 2. Aiden Scardino (SW) 1:07.88; 3. March (SW) 1:08.22. Shot put: 1. Dillan Hanslmaier (SW) 36-10; 2. Morales Jr. (F) 31-8.5; 3. Argueta Hernandez (F) 29-8.5. Discus: 1. Hanslmaier (SW) 101-4; 2. Grant Gorr (SW) 82.6; 3. Aguilar Torres (F) 78-10. Pole Vault: 1. Nicholas Storms (F) 8-0; 2. Robert Davidson (SW) 8-0; 3. Nate Mendoza (SW) 7-6. High jump: 1. Mendoza (SW) 5-4; 2. Ebeling (SW) 5-0; 3. Daryl McPherson (F) 5-0. Long Jump: 1. Kaufmann (Eld) 19-8.75; 2. Stutz (Eld) 17-1.5; 3. Tyrese Mack (Eld) 17-1. Triple jump: 1. Kaufmann (Eld) 37-0.5; 2. Will Nearing (SW) 34-10.75; 3. Bryce Junior (F) 33-10.5.

Girls meet results: Fallsburg 69.5, Sullivan West 67.5; Fallsburg 102, Eldred 34; Sullivan West 100, Eldred 33. 4x800 Relay: 1. SW 13:09.8. 100 Hurdles: 1. Stephanie Granados (F) 18.87; 2. Zoey Ketchum (F) 19.22; 3. Keely Schock (SW) 19.3.  100: 1 Gisella King (F) 13.62; 2. Ketchum (F) 14.02; 3. Ashley Ingrassia (F) 14.2. 1500: 1. Ella Herbert (SW) 5:58; 2. Jody O’Dell (F) 6:09; 3. Jaimie Hendrickson (SW) 6:21. 4x100 Relay: 1. (F) 58.4. 400. 1. King (F) 1:00.59; 2. Jasmine Green (SW) 1:11.25; 3. Tabitha Smith (Eld) 1:14.1. 800: Katelyn Smith (SW) 3:09; 2. O’Dell (F) 3:10:04; 3. Giovanna Glynn 3:17.14. 200: 1. Ketchum (F) 28.72; 2. Hendrickson (SW) 28.84; 3. Kaylan Welton-Erdman (SW) 30.88. 3000: 1. Herbert (SW) 13:29.09; 2. Layla Wilkin (SW) 14:52.44; 3. Arianna Gonzalez (F) 15;03.40. 4x400 Relay: 1. (F) 4:45.12. High Jump: 1. King (F) 4-6; 2. Ketchum (F) 4-2; 3. Keely Schock (SW) 4-0. Long jump: 1. Jordyn Wall-Carty (F) 12-4.75; 2. Smith (Eld) 12-7.75 3. Ashley Diehl (SW) 12-10.75. Triple jump: 1. Viola Shami (SW) 29-2; 2. Ingrassia (F) 28-5.75; 3. Carty (F) 26-7. 400 Hurdles: 1. Brooke Nunnari (SW) 1:21; 2. O’Dell (F) 1:24.58; 3. Stephanie Granados (F) 1:26.12. Discus: 1. Viola Shami (SW) 70-11; 2. Lindsay Zgrodek (Eld) 63-5; 3. Herbert (SW) 63-0. Pole Vault: 1. Schock (SW) 7-6; 2. Regan Kizer (Eld) 6-6. Shot Put: 1. Zgrodek (Eld) 30-10.25; 2. Arslyn Cantave (F) 23-10.75; 3. Ksenia Soslowski (Eld) 22-3.