A host of young athletes from St. Michael the Archangel School in Upper Saucon Township took home gold, silver and bronze medals from the end-of-season Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) district championships Sunday at the Emmaus High School track.
“Our team of young athletes showed sportsmanship and discipline and treated us all to some really exciting finishes,” said head coach Andrea Keenan.
Among many stand-out performances were those of eighth-grader Lindsay Williams of Hellertown, who won gold medals in the 100- and 400-meter dashes as well as in discus.
Fourth-grader Jacquelyn Shoenberger of Upper Saucon Township ran a 15.15 second 100-meter dash and also took a gold in the 400-meter dash.
Sixth-grader Brennan Wickersham of Emmaus hurled a javelin an impressive 78 feet and two inches for a gold, in addition to taking silver in shot put.
A handful of runners clocked times of state-level caliber for their respective age groups. Seventh-grader Ben Keenan of Lower Saucon Township won gold with 1:08.39 in the 400 meter dash, and fellow seventh-graders Tyler Janick of Quakertown and Raquelle Riggins of Emmaus scampered to 13.47 and 14.28 golds in the 100 meter dash, respectively.
The track team is a parish-based program representing Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Upper Saucon within the Diocese of Allentown.
Other medals won Sunday included:
Grade 3: Alyssa Janick (Quakertown): 400 (bronze) and long jump (bronze); Ella Morgan (Upper Saucon Township): 400 (gold), 100 (silver), long jump (silver); Drew Pera (Center Valley): 100 (bronze), shot put (gold); Oliver Ruggeri (Coopersburg): 800 meter (gold), long jump (gold); Ryley Shoemaker (Coopersburg): 400 meter (silver); and Jack Shultz (Coopersburg): 1600 meter (gold), 400 meter (bronze) and javelin (gold).
Grade 4: James Best (Coopersburg): 800 meter (silver); Liam Fitzpatrick (Lower Saucon Township): javelin (gold) and long jump (gold); Lexi Miller (Bethlehem): 4×100 relay (gold); Julianne Skibinski (Upper Black Eddy): 400 meter (silver), long jump (silver); Stanley Wempe (Bethlehem): 400 meter (gold).
Grade 5: Malya Best (Coopersburg): 1,600 meter (gold) and 800 meter (gold); Andrew Pachence (Center Valley): 400 meter (bronze), 100 meter (bronze); Justin Pera (Center Valley): shot put (bronze); Gabe Ruggeri (Coopersburg): long jump (gold), 400 meter (gold).
Grade 6: Matthew Keenan (Lower Saucon Township): 400 meter (silver); Jake Pera (Center Valley): 400 meter (gold), 100 meter (bronze); Nico Wenrich-Quinones (Center Valley): 4×100 relay (gold).
Grade 7: Tobias Broun (Hellertown): discus (silver), shot put (gold), 4×100 relay (gold); Tyler Janick (Quakertown): 100 meter (gold), javelin (bronze), high jump (gold), 4×100 relay (gold); Ben Keenan (Lower Saucon Township): javelin (silver), 400 meter (gold), 4×100 relay (gold); Morgan Pera (Center Valley): shot put (bronze); Raquelle Riggins (Emmaus): javelin (gold), long jump (gold), 100 meter (gold), 4×100 meter relay (gold); William Wenrich-Quinones (Center Valley): 100 meter (bronze), long jump (silver), 4×100 meter relay (gold).
Grade 8: Elizabeth Daley (Center Valley): 400 meter (silver) and 100 meter (bronze); Melissa Skibinski (Upper Black Eddy): 400 meter (silver) and long jump (gold).
Medals to spare… St. Michael the Archangel School student-athletes celebrated a strong season with a post-meet pizza party following Sunday’s CYO district championship at Emmaus High School. Pictured above are: Front row, from left: Nico Wenrich-Quinones, Jack Shultz, Jacquelyn Shoenberger, Alyssa Janick, Ella Morgan, Rylie Shoemaker, Julianne Skibinski, Matthew Keenan, Max Zientera. Back row, from left: Will Wenrich-Quinones, Ben Keenan, Tyler Janick, Toby Broun, Raquelle Riggins, Melissa Skibinski.
“All their hard work paid off and we look forward to seeing them all develop as competitors,” said Coach Keenan.
The team competed against other District 2 schools from the Diocese of Allentown and celebrated a successful season with a pizza party.
Maggie Riggins (sprints) of Emmaus and Bill Broun (throws) of Hellertown serve as assistant coaches with Coach Keenan.
CYO is a parish-based academic and athletic program that falls within the parameters of a parish’s comprehensive youth ministry program.
St. Michael the Archangel School is a regional Catholic school located within the Diocese of Allentown in Upper Saucon. The school’s primary school campus is located near Coopersburg.
Fifth-grader Liam Fitzpatrick of Lower Saucon Township hurled a javelin for 62 feet and won gold at Sunday’s CYO district championship held at Emmaus High School. (Contributed Photo)
Fourth-grader Jacquelyn Shoenberger of Upper Saucon Township ran a 100 meter dash in just over 15 seconds at Sunday’s CYO district championship held at Emmaus High School. (Contributed Photo)
Seventh-grader Ben Keenan, right, of Lower Saucon Township, won gold in the 400 meter dash at Sunday’s CYO district championship held at Emmaus High School. (Contributed Photo)
