HIGH SCHOOLS
Kurzdorfer snags shot record at relays
Ken East, North get hockey wins
Section VI’s female indoor track and field athletes had some nice attention- getting experiences at two prestigious invitationals on Saturday.
Multi-time state shot put champion Melissa Kurzdorfer of Lancaster now has a record to go along with those titles as the junior posted a state-record throw of 47 feet, 9 inches while taking second at the Dartmouth Relays in Hanover, N. H. She bettered the old state record of 46-10 set last year by North Babylon’s Vanessa Stewart. Julie Labonte of St. Justine (Quebec) posted the winning throw of 51-5.
Kurzdorfer won the weight throw with a heave of 54-9z.
Williamsville South had a fine day at the Southern Tier Invitational at Cornell University, especially hurdlers/ sprinters Allie Van Buren and Kailyn Arcury. Not only did they share the 55-meter hurdle championship — both crossed the finish line in 8.33 seconds — but they put up some impressive times in the process at the meet that serves as a preview of the season-ending state championships in the same facility.
Van Buren’s semifinal time of 8.29 seconds is the fourth fastest in the state and seventh in the nation, according to the rankings posted at the Armory Track Web site. Van Buren’s and Arcury’s championship heat times also rank as the fifth fastest in the state.
They also helped the 4x200 relay team to victory in 1:52.47, joining forces with Lauren Yacobucci and Rose Bader.
Williamsville South athletes posted top 10 finishes in eight events.
Arcury also finished second in the 55-meter dash with her semifinal time of 7.44 seconds currently the top one in Section VI.
Also at the Southern Tier Invitational, West Seneca West’s 4x800 relay team of Mary Janak, Vicky Luongo, Chelsea Needham and Emily Sullivan finished second in 10:15.04.
In boys track at the Dartmouth Relays, Canisius’ Jordan Hamm finished fourth in the mile in 4:20.60 to break his own school record, and he was a member of the 3,200 relay team that finished second in 8:20.84.
Boys basketball
Alden won its Holiday Tournament in convincing fashion as the Bulldogs routed Lancaster, 57-34, behind MVP Matt Schwartz’s 16 points. Christian Barczykowski had 11 rebounds and seven points to make the all-tournament team for Alden.
Girls basketball
Erin O’Brien had the shooter’s touch. O’Brien nailed six three-pointers en route to a career-high 24 points in helping Nardin earn a 65-51 non-league triumph over Section V visitor Aquinas.
O’Brien had a fine all-around game for the Gators (4-6), finishing with eight assists and four steals. Laura Sciarrino had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Brianna Robbins had a career-high 10 points for Nardin.
Hockey
Kenmore East and Williamsville North have been piling up the hockey wins so far this season and that trend continued.
Kenmore East captured the Geneseo Tournament with a 6-3 triumph over the hosts to repeat as the tournament’s champion. Tournament MVP Mark Arnone had two goals and an assist, while goalie Kevin Jakes made 18 stops as the Bulldogs improved to 10-2 overall. Arnone and Chris Chapin scored two minutes apart in the first seven minutes of the third period to quickly extend Ken East’s 3-2 lead, while Shawn Ferger added an emptynetter.
Williamsville North, the state’s second-ranked team, remained unbeaten with a 5-2 Western New York Federation triumph over Kenmore West in the Amherst Pepsi Center. Senior Grant Rickan had two goals and an assist for the Spartans (14-0-1, 7-0-1), last year’s Federation large-school playoff runner-up.
St. Joe’s beat V-Pittsford, 2-0, on a pair of goals by Rob Neff in the Section V Showcase in Webster. Mike Whitney earned the shutout with 22 saves.
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