Finley Boys' Track Goes 5-1
The J. Taylor Finley Middle School boys' track and field team closed out the spring season with a 5-1 mark under coaches Tim Madden and Mike Marinello. The 24-athlete strong squad was captained by Dan Mollitor.
"This team was a hardworking group that loved to have fun and improve their personal best times and scores," Madden said. The Falcons held their home meets at Huntington High School.
Finley was led by Mollitor, who had a team best discus throw of 80 feet, Ryan Labella, who excelled in the 100m and 200m sprints and Kyle O'Brien, who starred in the long jump, 55m hurdles and 1500m run.
"Kyle is a great distance runner," Madden said about O'Brien, a multi-talented eighth grader. He is a great finisher. During the 1500m races, he would keep pace with the competition and sprint the last 100m, often leaving his competitor in the dust."
Labella, another sensational eighth grader, had his praises sung by the coach, too. "Ryan has a smooth stride, often dominating his 100m and 200m dashes," Madden said. The coach called Mollitor "an exceptional leader" and the eighth grader proved adept at hurling the discus.
Nine seventh graders who contributed to the team's success this past spring will be returning next year "so I expect to fare well once again," Madden said.