Finley Boys’ Track Finishes at 5-2-1
June 3, 2026
The 24 athlete strong team was coached by Jonathan Garland (head coach) and Vincent Tannazzo (assistant coach) and captained by Felix Flores and Lucas Coby. Finley compiled a record of 5-2-1.
“Overall, the season ran smoothly with very few concerns,” Garland said. “The only issue we encountered was one meet where officials were unavailable. In that situation, the coaching staffs worked together to organize and conduct the meet, which allowed the event to run successfully with minimal disruption for the student-athletes.”
The Finley boys’ and girls’ teams both held their home meets at Blue Devil Stadium. Likewise, the two teams practiced afterschool at Finley.
“My two goals for next year are 1.) Achieve and maintain above 30 boys for middle school track,” Garland said. “This is a difficult but obtainable goal when competing with tennis, lacrosse, baseball and players called up to JV. 2) Maintaining competitive levels with 6 players called up for JV this year. This involves identifying and pushing our top athletes to their full potential and ensuring they run in the first heats.”
Lucas Coby (400 meters PR 62 seconds), Efrain Molina (55 meter dash PR 7.7 seconds), Dylan Flynn (high jump 58 inches), Yahel Burak (5:58 1500 meters), Matthew Schloss (high jump 49 inches) and Michael Spagnoletti (400 meters PR 1:07).
• Lucas Coby (8th Grade): “Lucas had an outstanding season in the 400 meters, finishing with a personal record of 62 seconds,” Garland said. “He consistently worked hard in practice, showed strong determination, and was a dependable leader for the team throughout the season.”
• Efrain Molina (7th Grade): Efrain had a strong season in the sprint events and recorded a personal best of 7.7 seconds in the 55-meter dash,” Garland said. “His effort and focus in practice helped him continue to improve and compete with confidence.”
• Matthew Schloss (7th Grade): “Matthew had an excellent year in the high jump, clearing a season-best 49 inches,” Garland said. “He brought great effort to practice each day and continued to improve through his consistency and willingness to work.”
• Yahel Burak (8th Grade): “Yahel had a strong season in distance events and finished with a personal best of 5:58 in the 1500 meters,” Garland said. “His commitment in practice and steady work ethic were a big part of his success this season.”
Finley had a mix of first year talent and veterans of the sport. “One of the team’s best accomplishments this season was the consistent growth and improvement shown by our athletes across all events,” Garland said. “Through hard work in practice, a willingness to learn, and strong support for one another at meets, many athletes achieved personal bests throughout the season. It was great to see the team continue to build confidence, compete with effort, and represent the program positively from start to finish. This is a large part of our great overall record and the growth seen in our athletes from the first day of practice to the last practice has been really eye opening.”
The team learned that there is no substitute for hard work. “This group came to practice ready to work each day, and their effort and growth throughout the season reflected that,” Garland said. “Our athletes consistently supported one another, competed hard, and represented our program in a very positive way all season. What stood out most about this team was their commitment to improving and their willingness to put in the work every day. This was a hardworking group that continued to build confidence and improve from the first practice through the final meet.” “The team showed great effort, sportsmanship, and a positive attitude throughout the season, and that made for a very successful year.”
Looking ahead, Finley should have a strong team for several upcoming seasons. “The outlook for next season is very encouraging,” Garland said. “While we will graduate several eighth graders, we return a strong group of current seventh graders who gained valuable experience this season and made important contributions in both track and field events. Their growth and familiarity with competition should position us well within the league, and with another incoming group of student-athletes, we expect to remain competitive and continue building on this year’s progress. We look forward to returning players such as Matthew Gueli, Michael Spagnoletti, and Matthew Schloss
