Three Pine Bush High School graduates were inducted into the Section IX Track and Field Hall of Fame this fall – Al Schmidt, Adam Mires and Amber Passalaqua Sherlock.

Adam Mires is a 1998 graduate of Pine Bush. Adam was a driving force in Pine Bush winning the 1998 OCIAA championship. He won the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters and was a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay. He was a four-time New York State champion in the 800m, 1000m, and 1600m. Adam’s 4:16 in the 1600 meters is still the Pine Bush High School record. Nationally he competed in the 800m and one mile races. He went on to compete for Rutgers University where he again was successful on the track, being a two-time Metropolitan Intercollegiate Track and Field Association champion and a three-time Big East Conference medalist.

Amber Passalaqua, a 2010 PBHS graduate, exemplified an all-around athlete. Her strength made her one of the best pentathletes in the nation. She was the 2009 and 2010 New York State champion in the pentathlon, and still holds the Section IX record. She was also a team player, being a part of the 2008 New York State championship 4 x 400 meter relay team that competed in the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia and the Millrose Games held in New York City where they placed third. She also competed in the high jump and hurdles, as well as on the competitive cheerleading team. As a senior, she placed second in the nation at the NSIC Indoor Track and Field championships at The Armory in New York City and won the 2010 Outdoor Track and Field AAU Junior Olympics. She went to Syracuse University on a full scholarship to compete as a heptathlete, where she took fourth in the Big East Championship and won the hept at the Cortland Classic. After her freshman year, she transferred to the University of Arizona to compete in the PAC 12 Conference and complete her education and her competitive years. Among the highlights there, Amber took third place in the PAC 12 championship in the heptathlon in 2014 and qualified for the NCAA D1 championships in long jump. She found great success both on the track and off at both schools.

Al Schmidt is a 1977 graduate of Pine Bush High School and a legendary track and field/cross country coach, serving the district for 40 years, from 1982 to 2022. Al Schmidt started his career in track and field as a runner on the modified team in 1971. In high school, he started running cross country under the great Coach Dan Brown where he found his passion for the sport. In the fall of 1976, they won the UCAL championships and Al represented Section IX at the state meet. In the spring of 1976 and 1977, they again won the UCAL championship in track and field. He was the county champion in 1977 in the two-mile run, and also held the school record in the one mile. 

He continued to run at Mohawk Valley Community College where he earned all-regional in cross country and track. He volunteered to coach both cross country and track and field at MVCC.

He came back to Pine Bush High School to coach in the spring of 1982 and never stopped until 2022. His time here is unsurpassed. During his coaching tenure here at Pine Bush he had two individual state and federation champions, as well as two relays that were state and federation champions.

“I have been blessed to coach many talented athletes who were able to excel and qualify Pine Bush High School for many championship meets such as Division I championships, multiple state meets, Penn Relays and Millrose games, along with multiple team awards over the years,” said Coach Schmidt. “I have watched the athletes grow and many went on to continue running in college and have gone on to become teachers, coaches, doctors, lawyers and sportswriters. I have been very thankful to have mentored so many individuals and many still keep in touch today.”

Current Pine Bush coaches Rob Lawrence, Anthony DiMarco and Robin Renahan attended the hall of fame dinner to honor the Pine Bush recipients.

“I have had the pleasure of being coached by and coached alongside Al Schmidt – Mr. Pine Bush Track & Field/ Cross Country, in my opinion,” said Coach Lawrence. “(He is) the best coach ever at Pine Bush. I was also a teammate of Adam Mires and recruited and coached Amber Passalaqua with Gerald Risco.”

Congratulations to Coach Schmidt, Adam Mires and Amber Passalaqua. You certainly make us Pine Bush Proud!

The Saints boys and girls basketball teams both split their season-opening games at the Vail Christian Tip Off Tournament last weekend. The boys took down Cedaredge in overtime on Friday before falling to Highland in the championship game on Saturday. The girls defeated Lake County 47-33 and lost to Cedaredge 67-18.

Vail Christian junior Rayman Romanin poured in 23 points in the season opener. Oliver Neumann added 18 points and nine rebounds and Jack O’Shaugnessy chipped in 10 points as well for the Saints, who were up by four at halftime.

The Bruins clawed back, however, taking a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter. With 16 seconds left, Neumann came off a screen and drilled a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the wing to make it 69-68. Cedaredge guard Ian Blair missed two free throws on the next possession and Romanin was fouled on the loose ball rebound. The Saints junior went 1-for-2 to force overtime.

Romanin came through in the clutch in overtime, too. With 31.6 seconds left and the score tied 76-76, the Saints’ full-court press forced Blair into a double dribble. On the ensuing possession, Romanin floated an up-and-under right-hander from in the paint with five seconds to go for the game-winner.

Susie Irving and Eva Soto led the Saints against the Panthers in the Friday contest. Irving dropped 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and six steals, while Soto added 10 points and five boards. Irving led the way against Cedaredge as well, scoring seven. Vanessa Reyes added six in the loss.

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Both Vail Christian squads will face Nucla on Thursday night.

Eagle County volleyball players earn postseason awards

Several Eagle County volleyball players earned all-state and all-conference recognition.

Battle Mountain’s Cynthia Orona was named to the CHSAA 4A all-state second team. The outside hitter led the team in kills (330) and guided the Huskies to a 24-5 record and second-straight state tournament trip.

Eagle Valley’s Riley Weatherred was named all-state honorable mention. The junior led the Devils in kills (478) aces (42) and digs (290) in guiding the Devils to a 9-14 record.

Vail Christian had three players — Betty Bartok, Mary McClarrinon and Tenley Brasington — earn all-state honorable mention honors. Bartok was also named to the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports all-state squad, was a 2A Western Slope first-team player and was named the league’s senior of the year. McClarrinon was tagged as the 2A Western Slope player of the year, while Brasington earned league setter of the year honors and was named to the conference second team. Stella Hawkins was named all-conference honorable mention as well.

Saints coach Britney Branson claimed 2A Western Slope coach of the year honors after guiding Vail Christian to a 21-6 overall mark and 10-0 league record. It’s the second time in Branson’s three-year tenure that the Saints have gone undefeated in league play and qualified for the state tournament.

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University track & field program will send four athletes to the University of Akron Friday evening to compete in the Haynes Lancaster Open at the Stile Athletics Field House.
 
MEET INFO
• Events begin at  4 p.m.
• Complete Event Schedule
• Live Results Link
 
PSAC/NCAA QUALIFYING STANDARDS
• 2025-26 Qualifying Standards
• PSAC Performance List
• NCAA Division II Performance List
 
SRU ATHLETES COMPETING
Men: Drew Layton, Logan Gossard
Women: Baylee Blauser, Allie Taylor
 
COLLEGE TEAMS COMPETING
Akron, Buffalo, Hillsdale, Roberts Wesleyan, Slippery Rock, Walsh
 
MEN’S PREVIEW
The Rock will send just two pole vaulters to represent the men’s team with Drew Layton and Logan Gossard set to compete in a strong field that includes 18 entries, all with a seed mark above 4.50 meters. Layton is the highest seeded collegiate athlete in the field with his career-best of 5.24 meters with only one unattached athlete seeded higher. Gossard is the 10th seed with his best mark of 4.81 meters.
 
Both SRU men opened the season last week at Youngstown State, where Layton cleared an NCAA provisional mark of 5.05 meters and Gossard went 4.60 meters. Layton’s mark currently ranks No. 1 in the PSAC and No. 8 among all vaulters in Division II while Gossard ranks No. 3 in the PSAC.
 
The men’s pole vault will follow the women’s pole vault, which is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
 
WOMEN’S PREVIEW
Slippery Rock will send two field athletes to Akron with Baylee Blauser set to jump in both the long and triple jump events and Allie Taylor set to compete in the pole vault. Taylor enters the meet seeded fifth (3.85 meters) in a strong field that includes 12 total vaulters and six Division II women. Blauser is the No. 1 seed in the long jump and the No. 3 seed in the triple jump (11.55 meters). She will be joined by only one other Division II jumper in the long jump and only Division I jumpers in the triple jump.
 
Both women opened their indoor seasons last week at Youngstown State. Taylor currently ranks No. 2 in the PSAC in the pole vault (3.55m), while Blauser is No. 5 in the PSAC In both the long jump (5.48m) and the triple jump (11.11m).
 
Taylor will be the first to compete when the women’s pole vault starts at 4 p.m. Blauser will jump in the long jump after the men’s competition ends.
 
RESULTS
Results from the meet will be available late Friday night or Saturday morning, depending on how late the meet finishes.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will take a little over a month off from competition with the semester break. The Rock are set to return to action Jan. 16 at Youngstown State.
 
 
 

To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official Athletic Communication accounts on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake Relays will kick off preparations for the 2026 edition of America’s Athletic Classic by hosting two in-person officials training sessions in January. Open to all officials, including those not working the Drake Relays and those who would like to simply learn more about track and field officiating, the sessions are designed to improve officiating consistency, expand technical expertise, and provide event-area training for the upcoming high school, collegiate, and elite track & field seasons.

Training sessions will be held Sunday, January 11, 2026, and Sunday, January 25, 2026, featuring instruction from Drake Relays Head Officials and event-area leaders. Both dates will offer hands-on demonstrations, situational review, and shared best practices across multiple levels of competition.

These training initiatives are made possible through the leadership of Jim Walczyk, USATF Iowa President and Drake Relays Officials Coordinator. Walczyk’s longstanding commitment to education and community development continues to elevate the standard and consistency of officiating at the Drake Relays.

“Jim Walczyk’s leadership and tireless efforts continue to elevate the professional conduct that defines America’s Athletic Classic,” said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. “We are incredibly fortunate to work with such a dedicated and knowledgeable community of officials from throughout Iowa and across the country. Their commitment ensures that athletes at every level, from high school competitors to Olympians, experience the fairness, precision, and world-class environment that distinguish the Drake Relays as a global destination.”

 

JANUARY 11 TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS

Active Threat Training — Scott Law, Drake University Executive Director of Public Safety & University Operations.

This essential session equips staff and volunteers with the skills needed to respond during an active threat using the Run, Hide, Fight model. The program emphasizes situational awareness, rapid decision-making, and coordination with law enforcement to ensure the safety of participants and spectators at major events such as the Drake Relays.

Total Station Training — Randy Baker & Mark Tigges, long-time members of the Drake Relays Electronics Crew with extensive experience in total station operation and electronic officiating systems.

Weights & Measures — Jon Turner, Drake Relays Head Weights & Measures Official for more than 35 years and brings extensive experience from USATF Championships, NCAA events, conference championships, and three U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

JANUARY 25 TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS

Throws Training — Doug Johansen, widely regarded as one of Iowa’s premier throws officials and has officiated multiple NCAA Championships and Olympic Trials. He currently serves as the Drake Relays Head Throws Official.

Vertical Jumps Training — Curt Broek, a former Drake Relays athlete and long-time Head Jumps Official, Broek has served for over 20 years and is the current USATF Iowa Officials Certification Chair.

Horizontal Jumps Training — Sharon Plant, a Drake Relays jumps official for more than a decade with national-level experience from the Olympic Trials, NCAA Regionals, and NCAA Championships.

Running Events Training — Carolyn Hill and Ryan Elsbernd. Hill retired from a career in track and field meet management serving as the Assistant Athletic Director for Relays Operations. She is a Master-level USATF official with extensive national championship experience. Elsbernd serves as Head Umpire for the Drake Relays and is a Master-level USATF official with significant experience across NCAA Championships and Olympic Trials.

Para Athletics Training — Ryan Elsbernd is a national leader in Para Track & Field officiating and will focus the training on expanding the pipeline of certified officials in this growing discipline.

Immediately following the January 25 training session, all attendees are invited to join the Drake Relays community at the Drake Women’s Basketball game as the Bulldogs host Murray State at 2:00 PM.

Individuals interested in learning more should contact Tre Stanton at tre.stanton@drake.edu

The Southeast Missouri Track and Field teams return for its indoor season Friday. The squads will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana to compete in the John Gartland Invitational, hosted by Indiana State University. 

The meet fires off at 5 p.m. on Friday starting with the field events. The running events will start at 5:40 p.m. The meet will continue Saturday morning starting at 11 a.m. 

The Redhawks will be competing against Eastern Illinois, Indiana State, Marian (Ind.), Rose-Hulman (Ind.), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.), Valparaiso (Ind.) and Wheaton (Ill.).

Last Season

The SEMO women’s squad won the OVC Championships, which was their third consecutive indoor team championship. The men finished second to Little Rock by 13.5 points. 

Last Season Awards

Last season Breanna Miles claimed the Female Track Athlete of the year for the second year in a row. Anna Thomason was tabbed as Co-Female Athlete of the year while also winning Female Athlete of the Championships. 

On the men’s side, Paden Lewis won Male Field Athlete of the year and Co-Male Athlete of the Championship. 

Head coach Eric Crumpecker also won Women’s Coach of the Year, for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career. 

This Year’s Team

The Redhawk’s women’s squad returns 21 athletes from last year’s squad. Highlighting the returners are senior pentathlete Anna Thomason, junior sprinter Brianna Dixon, graduate distance runner Erika Mellor, senior pole vaulter Clara Billing, senior thrower Bailie Hux, sophomore sprinter Alaina Lester and junior sprinter Sydney Burdine. All of these athletes are returning OVC indoor event champions. 

The team also recruited four transfers including Liberty Blackburn and Makayla Jones who both transferred from OVC foe Little Rock. The team also added 11 freshmen.

On the men’s side they return 23 athletes from last season’s team. Highlighting the returners from the men’s team is Sullivan Gleason, who the pole vault event at the OVC championships last season. Other returning runner up finishes at the OVC indoor championships last season include senior pole vaulter Tanner Koontz, senior thrower Quinton Maxwell, sophomore heptathlete Luis Schadlich, and junior sprinter Marcus Gordon Jr.

The team also recruited seven freshmen and four transfers. Included in the transfers are Trenton Braswell, who was a two-time All-Conference thrower at the NAIA level.

The Coaches

SEMO returns all four coaches from last season. Leading the way for the 18^th season is head coach Eric Crumpecker, and it will be his 35^th season at SEMO. Associate head coach Ryan Lane enters his 17^th season and specializes in coaching the distance runners. 

Assistant coach Eric Fox returns for his sixth season. Fox oversees the Redhawks multi-event athletes, pole vaulters, hurdle runners and jumpers. The final assistant is Theresa Scott, who begins her sixth season with the Redhawks. Scott coaches the Redhawk sprint and relay teams and assists with hurdle runners.

The Schedule 

After this weekend’s opener, SEMO will host the Redhawks Invite on Jan. 10. The Redhawks then travel to Bloomington for the Indiana Invitational on Jan. 16–17, followed by the Don DeNoon Invitational at Southern Illinois on Jan. 23.

The back half of the season features the PNC Lenny Lyles Invite at Louisville (Jan. 30–31), the Missouri Invitational  (Feb. 6), the Heartland Invitational, in Indianapolis, Indiana (Feb. 13–14), and the Redhawks Open on Feb. 20.

The indoor season concludes with the OVC Indoor Championships in Louisville, Kentucky on Feb. 24–25. Qualifying athletes will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13–14.

OVC Scholar Athlete

In the offseason, Sullivan Gleason won the OVC Scholar Athlete award. The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes and is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.

Gleason, a native of O’Fallon, Missouri, finished third at the OVC Outdoor Championships. He also qualified for the NCAA West Regional where he finished 33^rd. He won the pole vault at three meets including the OVC Indoor Championships. He also took the title at the Billy Hayes where he set a personal best of 17′ 0.25″. 

 

Creighton took on Arizona State in Lexington in the Sweet 16 on Thursday afternoon.

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The Jays got on the board first.

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Ava Martin with a kill. The Jays were up 10-7 in the first set.

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Arizona State took a slight lead, but the Jays started to cut down the deficit.

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Back-to-back kills from Kiara Reinhardt gave CU the 20-18 lead and forced an ASU timeout.

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A kill from Martin got CU the set one victory, 26-24.

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Set 2 saw Creighton up 2-1.

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The start of the second set was anyone’s game, but Creighton started pulling away with a 7-4 lead.

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Neither team had led by more than three points during Thursday’s match.

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The Sun Devils won set 2, 25-19.

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The Bluejays got on the board first in the set 3.

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CU went on a 5-1 run in the third set.

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The Bluejays dominated in set 3, 25-13.

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The Bluejays were on the board first in set 4, going on a 3-0 run.

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Reinhardt helped Martin lead the Jays to success during the match.

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The Bluejays won 3-1 after a 25-18 set 4 victory.

Creighton will face the winner of the Kentucky-Cal Poly game in the Elite Eight.

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