Redbird indoor teams should be improved
Coach sees plenty of potential in young teams
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

With a solid turnout consisting of dedicated, hard-working athletes, Allentown High School indoor track coach Jack West has reason to be excited this winter.

“I’ve been really pleased with the fact that I have about 83 kids this year,” the third-year coach said. “Now that number may go down a bit as the season gets under way, but we’ve got a lot of returners this season who are anxious to compete once again.

“We had about the same turnout last year, and finished with about 56 kids, but it doesn’t look like it will go down as much this year,” he added.

The reason is the focus and motivation he’s already seeing from his athletes just a couple of weeks in to practices.

“These teams are very young,” West said. “I think the girls team has only three seniors. But all of the kids are working really hard and are really enjoying getting into the sport.”

Allentown, whose first meet will be at Lawrenceville Prep on Jan. 10, will also be hosting a pair of meets this season, when all of the teams from the Colonial Valley Conference will be sending their high jumpers and shot putters to Allentown on Jan. 17 and 25.

The Redbirds will also participate in the state group meets and the CVC championship meet, while West is also trying to line up a meet at the Peddie School and send his teams to the Lavino Relays, held at Lawrenceville Prep.

“We hope to run in eight meets this season,” West said.

And West is hoping to get as many of his kids involved in the big meets as possible this year.

The boys team is led by a group of talented seniors, like John Folewin (1,600 meters), Antonio Trappenese (sprints, high jump and pole vault), Brett Taft (high jump and pole vault), Rob Zuccarello (shot put) and Guy Canzano (middle distances).

However, there are also several talented underclassmen who could factor in the big meets, including junior Kyle Ondy (1,600 and 3,200), and sophomores Mike Bartoli (sprints) and Matt Henderson (sprints).

On the girls’ side, seniors Kristen Qutab (1,600) and Alice Mac (middle distances) are the top prospects, along with sophomore Mary Sancilo, a middle distance runner who also reached the state group championships in the spring in the high jump as a freshman, junior Quiana Volney (sprints) and sophomore Hayley Odell (sprints).

While the aforementioned athletes are the team leaders early on, West is quick to point out that he expects several other names to surface as the season progresses.

“I’m telling all of the kids that just because your name’s not coming up now doesn’t meet it won’t throughout the season,” he said. “There are a lot of very serious runners on these teams.”

As far as how his teams match up with some of the elite squads in the CVC, that remains to be seen.

“There are a lot of the stronger teams in the CVC that are very young this year, like us,” said West, who is being assisted this winter by Jennifer Abraham. “I see how serious a lot of our kids are taking this season, even in practice, and I’m excited to see what they’re going to do at these meets.”