Youth: Boys track and field: Unstoppable

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - There’s still a lot of kick left in Wendell Sawyer,

the president of the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa, but he welcomes the

Newport Beach Youth Track and Field Championships for selfish reasons.

“We certainly enjoy working with the kids,” Sawyer said. “It keeps us

young.”

Sawyer, along with the rest of his club members, worked around the

clock, preparing each event and manning stopwatches as the club sponsors

the event.

They were on also hand to watch the future of Orange County track

runners and field competitors.

“This gives us an opportunity to work with the youth of the

community,” said Sawyer, who has been associated with the youth meet for

the past eight years. “I would expect that the competitive aspect is the

biggest reason the kids are here.”

And Sawyer would be the first to admit, the meet is really about the

children, including the boys who battled adverse weather conditions to

complete a day to remember for many.

The boys also provided proof to the old saying: records are meant to

be broken.

Michael Andreszczyk, of George White Elementary School in Laguna

Niguel, finished as the only boy to break two individual meet records on

Friday. In Division 90 (age 11), Andreszczyk broke records in the

400-meter race (1:05.7) and 800 (2:32.0). He knocked more than three

seconds off the previous best in the 400 and he annihilated the former

record in the 800, finishing 10.1 seconds quicker.

Mariners Elementary’s Carlo Valdes, also in Division 90, tied the meet

record in the 100 (14.1). He also won the 200 (30.3).

In Division 88 (age 13), Zachariah Chandy, of Corona del Mar middle

school, also broke two meet records. Yet, he completed one

record-breaking performance in the 400 relay, which included, Nick Lewis,

Keith Calcagnie and Ryan Maxwell. Chandy also broke the meet record in

the 400 (1:01.6), besting Woodbridge High standout Michael Haddan’s

former record (1:02.5). Calcagnie tied the meet record in the high jump

(4-11).

In Division 87 (age 14), Kyle Crisp, who is actually 13 (he will be 14

in July), broke the record in the 100 (12.7), more than a second faster

than the previous best. Crisp, of Alamitos Intermediate in Garden Grove,

also competed in the high jump for the first time in his young track

career and won with a 5-foot-2 clearance, which would’ve broken the

record in the age-13 division.

Matt Williams earned the meet record in the 200 (26.55, 1.3 faster

than the former record) and just missed breaking the record in the 400

(1:00.6) by 1.1 seconds, in Division 87.

In Division 86 (age 15), Blake Allred, of CdM middle school, closed

out the record-breaking performances when he won the softball throw

(209-1), more than 14 feet of the previous best.

Alex Swigert picked up three first-place medals in Division 91 (age

10) as he won the 100 (15.5), 400 (1:15.3) and long jump (10-11).

In Division 90, Colby Ammerman also wore three first-place medals at

the end of the meet with award-winning performances in the long jump

(11-11), high jump (4-2) and softball throw (127-0).

Justus Gildart and Hunter Durante, of Division 94 (age 7) finished as

double winners. Gildart won the 100 (19.7) and 200 (44.5), while Durante

grabbed victories in the long jump (7-0) and softball throw (68-7).

Rocky Keyhea also won two events in Division 93 (age 8) when he earned

first place in the long jump (8-8) and softball throw (83-2).

In Division 92 (age 9), Andrew Roth was a double winner with victories

in the 50 (8.91) and softball throw (118-4).

Tim Scott also won two events in Division 89 (age 12), finishing first

in the 200 (31.88) and 400 (1:11.2).

Ryan Maxwell had a multi-winning effort as well, with victories in the

100 (13.9) and 1,600 (5:53.0), in Division 88.