The Verona High School girls winter track team kicked off the 2014-2015 season at the Leon Bailey Relays on Friday at the Jersey City Armory. In the first race of the night the Verona girls took first place in the 4 x 800m with a time of 10:23. The team included Emily Petermann, Maggie Ashley, Amanda Flores and Julia Ashley.
The varsity high-jump team of Angel Barkley and Alex Luehs also took first place with a combined jump of 9’4″. Verona’s novice high-jump teams followed with a first and a second place finish. Sally Short and Cianna Winkler took first with a combined jump of 8’6″, while Jess Nagy and Celine Matta took second with a jump of 8’4″. The novice 4 x 800m team of Camille Theobold, Sarah Wynd, Concha Mayer and Cianna Winkler placed fourth with a clocking of 11:48.
The 4 x 200m team of Angel Barkley, Meghan Yeates, Dasha Yakhnis and Giuliana Frizzi took third with a time of 2:00.1 while the Verona distance medley team of Emily Petermann, Jessica Williams, Tycjana Konopka and Amanda Flores finished sixth in 14:54. The team of Angel Barkley, Maggie Ashley, Jessica Williams and Julia Ashley ended the meet much like the girls began the night, with a first place finish in the 4x400m with a time of 4:14.
The meet marked the return of Julia Ashley after almost a year and a half hiatus from running due to an injury. Julia anchored both the 4 x 800m and 4 x 400m relays with respective splits of 2:20 & 59.1. “In both races Julia ran very strong and relaxed, basically by herself” said Coach Gene Leporati. “It’s great to see her back again.”
