VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' ELLIS EARNS 2020-21 MALE 'TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF YEAR' HONORS; WAVERLY'S WHEELER, TIOGA'S ROSSI ALSO EARN TOP HONORS (2021-08-11)
Valley Sports ReportTHE VALLEY -
Athens' Asher Ellis capped a brilliant senior season with a pair of District 4 gold medals, and a trip to the PIAA Championships for two events. He is the 2020-21
Valley Sports Report Male "Track & Field Athlete of the Year."
Waverly senior Caden Wheeler is the "Track Athlete of the Year," while
Tioga freshman Valentino Rossi is the "Newcomer of the Year," and the record-breaking Tioga 4-x-1 is the "Relay of the Year."
Ellis won District 4 gold in the javelin and discus, and narrowly missed qualifying for States in a third event with a third-place finish in the shot put. At States, He finished 15th in the javelin, and 16th in the discus.
Ellis won gold in the shot put, discus, and javelin - all by comfortable margins - at the NTL Coaches Invite. He consistently won all three throwing events during the regular season to help the Wildcats to an unbeaten duals season, and their second consecutive NTL title.
Wheeler won a gold medal in the long jump at the Section IV Showcase, and was on the fifth-place 1,600-meter relay.
At the Class C Championships, Wheeler won the long jump and was also on the winning 1,600-meter relay team. He was a four-time winner at the IAC South Large School Divisional meet, , placing first int he 100-meter dash and the long jump, as well as running on the winning 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams.
At the IAC Championships, Wheeler was fifth in the long jump, and sixth in the 100-meter dash. He also ran on a gold-medal winning 1,600-meter relay team, the fourth-place 400-meter relay team.
Rossi won gold in the triple jump, and silver in the long jump at the IAC Championships. He also ran on the fifth-place 400-meter relay team. At the IAC South Small School Divisional meet, he won the long jump, was a member of the record-breaking first-place 400-meter relay team, and was third in the 400-meter dash.
At the Class C Championships, Rossi placed second in the triple jump, was fifth in the long jump, and was also on the fifth-place 400-meter relay. He finished fifth in the triple jump at the Section IV Showcase.
The Tioga foursome of senior Evan Hubbard, juniors Chris Walsh and Matt Watson, and Rossi broke the school record in the 400-meter relay twice this season, turning in a time of 45.6 seconds at the IAC South Small School Divisional meet.
Unfortunately, Hubbard suffered an ankle injury the following week, and missed the remainder of the postseason.
The 2020-21 All-Valley "Super 7 Male Track & Field" team:
Asher Ellis, senior, Athens: See above.
Kyle Anthony, junior, Athens: Anthony placed in two events at the District 4 Championships, finishing fourth in the 1,600-meter run, and as part of the 3,200-meter relay team. He finished seventh in the 800-meter run, and as part of the 1,600-meter relay.
At the NTL Coaches Invite, Anthony placed third in the 800-yard run, and ran on two gold-medal relays - the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter events.
Caden Wheeler, senior, Waverly: See above.
Matt Watson, junior, Tioga: At the Class C Championships, Watson won gold in the triple jump, placed third in the 200-meter dash, and was sixth in the long jump. He was also on the fifth-place 400-meter relay.
Watson finished fourth in the triple jump at the Section IV Showcase, and was ninth in the 200-meter dash.
At the IAC Championships, Watson finished second in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump and the 200-meter dash. He was also on the fifth-place 400-meter relay team. At the IAC divisional meet, he won the 200-meter dash and the triple jump, and ran a leg on the record-breaking first-place 400-meter relay team.
Sam VanDyke, senior, Waverly: VanDyke won a silver medial in the 400-yard dash, and was on the winning 1,600-meter relay team at the Class C Championships. He also placed seventh in the high jump.
At the Section IV Showcase, VanDyke ran on the fifth-place 1,600-meter relay team, and finished 12th in the 400-meter dash at the Section IV Showcase.
VanDyke finished sixth in the 100-meter dash, seventh in the 200-meter dash, and eight in the high jump at the IAC Championships, and ran on the gold-medal winning 1,600-meter relay team. At the IAC divisional meet, he finished second in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, third in the high jump, and was on the winning 1,600-meter relay team.
Collin Wright, senior, Waverly: Wright closed out a brilliant high school career with a bronze medal in the 1,600-meter run at the Section IV Showcase.
At the Class C Championships, Wright won a silver medal in the 1,600-meter run. He won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAC South Large School Divisional meet.
Valentino Rossi, freshman, Tioga: See above.
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IN PHOTO: Athens senior Asher Ellis.
