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RELAYS: DOUBLE CHAMPIONS

There is SO much I could write about this relay team, but I shall do my best to keep it short.

This relay team not only won one major event, they won three. They also won different events in different seasons!  Not many can say that!

First up is CSI...also known as Erin Rybacki.

CSI has perhaps the quickest foot speed of most anyone I ever coached. She could JUMP, but she also could run. She was so fast, she could turn ou the lights and be in bed before it got dark.

She STILL holds the meet record in the triple jump for the Spartan Invitational. She also helped the Indoor Long jump team earn wins in the State Sectionals as well as the New England meets.

ERIN RYBACKI LED US TO A STATE SECTIONAL TEAM TITLE IN 2012

Next on the docket is BOOMAYAY, who also answers to the name Ali McMahon.

BOOMAYAY overcame a very severe injury at an Invitational in Easthampton, Connecticut while long jumping, and could not continue for two months. She ended up coming back a week before Western Mass...placed at the event, then scored at the All-States beating everyone that came from this region. It was remarkable, but not surprising giving her character. 

She still holds many records with us both individually as well as in relays.( Here as well as in college!)

ALEXANDRIA McMAHON WAS THE BEST ATHLETE INDOORS HER SENIOR YEAR

Last but not least is the leader of this group, MOUNT EVERETT, who we sometimes called Jenise Everett. She was such a big thing on campus, we named her after a school!  JENISE won Western Mass. individually in the Long Jump outdoors, but when our triple jumper went down with an injury at the Western Mass basketball tournament, we needed a new triple jumper: enter MOUNT EVERETT. All she did was win Western Mass in the triple and break the existing record that was held by our own Devonia Long. 

She led us to victory in the OUTDOOR LONG JUMP TITLE with record perfromances in the OUTDOOR TRIPLE JUMP and then the INDOOR LONG JUMP in record fashion: State Sectional and New England titles.. 

CHANNEL 22 ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: JENISE EVERETT BEAT 8 BOYS THAT DAY

WESTERN MASS TRIPLE JUMP RECORD HOLDER

RELAY MONTH:SCHOOL RECORD HOLDER BIOGRAPHY #1

RELAY TEAMS

Because April is typically RELAY MONTH in Track and Field, I figure I can entertain folks by showing them some of the relay teams that have existed while I have been here.

First up is the school record holders in Outdoor High Jump.

Field event teams usually only have three participants while running relay teams four (an exception would be a 3 x 100 meter hurdle team.

The three folks I am celebrating today probably do not even realize that they still have a school record. Two of these folks have a second record or more.

Maria Jaroszewicz -  Her nickname was HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY. Most of the time I give siblings similar names as her older sister Magdalena was Butch Cassidy. She is the one that is applauding in the first picture.

Amanda Wolfenden - Her nickname was THRILLER. She also doubled as a hurdler. In the second picture she is jumping up and down as she had achieved her highest jump ever in the high jump 4' 10".

Lauren Raimondi - Her nickname was RAZOR. She ended up winning Western Mass. in the high jump while doubling up and finishing first in the high hurdles. She still has our school record in the 100 hurdles. If you go to the MIAA office, her picture is on the wall. She went to New Englands in the hurdles, then UMass Lowell. Recently, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame at East Longmeadow High School.

The trio won the Steele Relays in the High Jump Relay in 2007 with a combined distance of 14 feet 6 inches.

RELAY MONTH

APRIL IS RELAY MONTH THROUGHOUT THE TRACK AND FIELD WORLD.

I am going to put up pictures of relay teams or videos or just written commentary regarding relay teams I have been involved within the next 30 days. Some are record holders, some are champions, while still others I just need to say some words about. Most shall be members of the ELHS girls team. 

I was asked a few years ago, if I would talk about recent people the way I speak of those from the past.  I think I always will. Everyone has a story...here is mine.

Hopefully some shall inspire you. I will be putting up some relay team almost every day in April. This picture was taken at Forest Park during Cross Country season in the Fall of 1974.

This group is the team I ran on back in the day. Four of these in the picture are the 1975 Western Mass. 4 x 440 (mile relay) record holders. This is likely the only picture that exists of the four of us at the time. It was taken during Cross Country season. YES - I RAN Cross Country!

The guy in the hat was probably the brains of the operation, his name is Russ Ellsworth. Besides running third leg on our record setting relay team, he also held the 880 Western Mass. record.

Next was not on the team, but the following guy was Terry Drost. He was the second leg of the team and also an accomplished miler. He ended up the next season winning Western Mass in XC, just as Lauren Litscher of EL did in 2007.

The next guy was the 1975 Harambee superstar-winning the inaugural event. Believe it or not, he wasn't fat like he is today! He ran the anchor on the team, so supposedly it was all on his shoulders.

He still has his high school record in the 600 and 300...but his school is closed. Yes this is Springfield Technical High School's Coach Budd. 

The next guy was not a member of the relay, but the final guy was the lead off. His name is Ben Money. He always gave his best and helped us go undefeated in dual meets in Massachusetts. The only time we lost was at the All-State Championships.

I guess no color film existed back then and we ran in yards not meters.

STEELE'S 2019