YOUNGSTOWN — Make way for more hardware out in Sanborn.
For the first time in school history, the Niagara Wheatfield boys and girls outdoor track and field programs made a clean sweep and won both divisions to headline the Niagara Frontier League track and field championships held Thursday and Friday at Lewiston-Porter High School.
Not only is this their first league victory in school history, the Falcons boys program did so in dramatic fashion, edging Lockport, 137-136, denying the Lions an 11th consecutive banner. The girls, meanwhile, won their first NFL banner since going back to back in 2018 and 2019 by defeating Lockport, 175-140.
Niagara Falls finished in third place in both divisions with the boys earning 116 points and the girls totaling 91 points.
Collectively, the Falcons won a total of 10 events, seven in the girls category alone. Miranda Gatto led the girls with a total of four victories. The senior won the girls 1,500-meter run with a time of 4 minutes, 50.32 seconds and also set personal bests in the 800 (2:25.85) and 3,000 (10:34.52) events. She is now a two-time champion in the 1,500 and 3,000.
Gatto then teamed up with freshman Brielle Peterson and sophomores Jillian Davies and Sydney to win the 4×800 relay (10:24.83). Senior Rachel Timbello won the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches). Sophomore Gianna Glovack won the discus toss event (98-10) and junior Kaitlin Snowberger won the girls pentathlon with 2,200 points.
On the boys side, the Falcons received victories from senior Vincent Ciraolo in the 3000 steeplechase (10:27.67), junior Chris Desiderio won the triple jump with a personal best of 42-3.25 and sophomore Harrison Barrett won the boys pentathlon with 2,332 points.
Despite not winning either NFL title, the Lions still won eight total events, with five coming from the girls. Sophomore Amari Germany won the 100 (17.29) and 400 (1:08.92) hurdles and freshman Arden Anterline won the 400 dash (1:00.14). Junior Melia Towns won the long jump (16-3.75) and senior Avery Conner won the pole vault (8-0) events.)
For the boys, the 4×100 relay team of seniors Zion Cheatham and Sam Marquez, sophomore Tray Thompson and junior Shey Williams won with a time of 44.04 seconds. Cheatham and Marquez then teamed with classmates Kyree Jones and Jathan Chandler to take home the 4×400 title (3:32.11). Cheatham also won in the 400 dash (50.17).
The Niagara Falls boys team accounted for six of the program’s nine victories. For the second consecutive season, David Litten won the boys shot put (46-3) and the discus with a Section VI-leading throw of 164-11.
Tyris Parmer won the 100 (11.39) and the 200 (22.71) dashes while fellow senior Josiah Oliver won the long jump (20-3). Sophomore Donovan Jackson won the 110 hurdles (17.53) as well.
Two of the events the Wolverines’ girls program came in the relays. The 4×100 team of J’Nysha Cary, Jhonnea Harris, Kiersten Groce and Jayla Scott won with a time of 51.33. Then, Cary along with Kamari Simmons, Niyah Hamilton and D’Rajenea Hill won the 4×400 relay (4:18.24). Scott, a junior, also won the triple jump (34-4).
Elisabeth Gray accounted for two of Lew-Port’s four championships. The eighth-grader won the 100 in 13.05 and the 200 in 26.69, while Casey Fetzner won the shot put with a heave of 32-9.25. Nathan Russell captured the high jump (5-10) for the second consecutive season.
Grand Island’s Audrey Satterlee won the steeplechase in 8:43.66.