FSSC Newsletter - Spring 2013

2013 Indoor Track and Field Awards

The season was wrapped up as the Fall Awards Night was held in the school cafeteria on Tuesday March 12th.

Female Male

Outstanding Sprints - Heather Durkin MVP- Richard Cant

Outstanding Distance - Grace Ostolozaga Coaches Award - Dave Yakel

Outstanding Field - Mary O’Sullivan

Most Improved - Lily Haltner

The team peaked at the Section 1 Class C meet on February 13th. Mary O'Sullivan garnered the top spot for her performance in the Shot Put competition. Mary's distance of 28' 3 3/4" beat her nearest competitor by one foot 8 1/4 inches! Mary's personal record is 29'3" which she accomplished on January 20th at the Rockland/Northern County Championships.

The Albertus Magnus girls team tied for 5th place overall with Woodlands.Other notable Falcon achievements include Heather Durkin's third place medals in both the 55 meter hurdles (9.78) and the 300 meter dash (43.89), as well as the third place showing of the 1600 meter relay team of Grace Ostolosaga, Jackie Hennelly, Lilly Heffner and Heather Durkin. Grace also placed 6th in the 1500 meter race and Marissa Branca placed 6th in the girl’s triple jump.

For team scores and season performances go to here: Milesplit.com.Thanks to Coach Lou Ostolozaga, Howie McNiff and Dave Peterkin for a job well done.

CYO Track & Field Taking Off! Coming to RocklandCounty

Building on its statewide successful basketball program the Catholic Youth Organization is looking to expand by bringing our great sport of track and field to young athletes. As you probably remember thanks to the initiative of Albertus grad and former Athletic Director Tom Collins the first annual CYO Cross Country Championships were held at Albertus this past Veteran’s Day.

Now its track and field’s turn! There was a CYO Open House Meeting at St. Paul’s in Congers on March 14th. Coach Howie McNiff attended and reported that they are looking for local volunteers to start track programs in their parishes.If you want to start a program please contact me at (973) 229-6443 or respond to this email.

The FSSC is committed to help in anyway to promote this program and make it a success. There is already an extensive schedule which stated with an indoor meet at ManhattanCollege:

The FSSC and 2013 – our continued hope for 2013 is to help the coaches promote our great sport to the AM students and to see participation grow. Thanks to all for your continued support! The list of current members for 2013 (membership runs from one Alumni Cross Country race to the next):

Tom Maloney –also Steve Maloney and Bob McKeon in memoriam

Rick TeetselLarry BeckerleMike ColangeloTom Festa Mike Teetsel

Ralph ColemanNeil ColemanTom LeonardKevin RussoJamie Kempton

John HenryPat ChambersJim MulliganHowie McNiffLou Ostolozaga

Dave Peterkin

If you have renewed and I have not thanked you please let me know! For anyone who hasn’t renewed yet the form is attached to the email and thanks again for your support! (Note: all current AM team member families and coaches are FSSC members)

The ‘2013 To Do List’ for the FSSC includes:

  • Nominate 1975 State Championship Cross Country Team for the AM Hall of Fame – thanks to a typically splendid write-up by Jamie Kempton the team has been nominated for the Outstanding Team category. The voting will take place soon; the awards night is scheduled for the Saturday before Thanksgiving – November 23rd at AM. Status – Nomination Submitted
  • Design and purchase a Cross Country and Track & Field Team TravelBanner – the coaches have requested a travel banner (similar but smaller than the State Championship team banners the FSSC purchased). This banner will be taken and displayed at all CrossCounty, track meets and school functions to promote the school and team. Status: Design being finalized; banner completed before the outdoor season concludes.
  • School Records – finalize and publish for review male and female track and field records. The ultimate goal is to purchase a permanent display board to be mounted in the school. Status – records being gathered; they will be submitted to the FSSC for updates, corrections, etc.
  • New Track and Athletic Field – along with Kevin Russo I am scheduled to meet with Mr. Fitzgerald (father of Brian Fitzpatrick - AM grad and current boy’s soccer coach) to establish a plan to renovate the track and field facilities as well as the upper athletic field. This is no small task as the estimated total cost is $1.3 million! As a start we will be asking if anyone is interested in naming rights for a loved one or possibly a family. This would be a significant donation but if we could get a few families interested it would put us on our way. The balance would be financed over time and paid for with fund raising.Status – first meeting scheduled early April.

Please pass this update to any fellow Falcons or friends of AM not on our distribution list!

That’s it for now and remember – someone busier than you is running right now!!

John McNiff

Falcon Spiked Shoe Club

Cell: (973) 229-6443 Work: (908) 412-7060