Coming Up: 44th Annual Nanuet Relays Will Draw Almost 60 NY, NJ Teams

The Nanuet High School track will be swarming with athletes from all over this upcoming Saturday.

The 44th Annual Nanuet Relays, starting at 9 a.m. on April 9 at the Nanuet Senior High School Track, will welcome almost 60 high school teams. 29 boys' and 29 girls’ teams have registered and that could mean as many as 2,800 participants competing in 45 events scheduled to conclude at 3 p.m.

Co-Meet Director and Nanuet Girls Track Coach Sheri Dempsey said that registration was extremely strong this year.

“The numbers this year are greater–last year, we had about 12 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams.”

Teams from throughout Rockland, Orange, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, Long Island, New York City and New Jersey will be competing. The listed events include boys and girls team relays, hurdle relays and medley relays ranging from 100 to 6400 meters. Field events include the high jump, long jump, shot put, triple jump, pole vault and discus. Upper classmen are limited to two varsity level events. Freshmen and sophomores can enter two varsity events as well as other events designated for their grade levels. There are specific events for freshmen/sophomore, junior varsity and varsity athletes, alumni one-mile run for athletes and coaches, and alumni-coaches 400-meter relay.

Those interested in the alumni run can register before the race. There is no fee.

Dempsey shares meet director duties with Nanuet Boys Track Coach Larry Beckerle. Both have long-standing ties to the district. Beckerle has been the boys track coach since 2002 and previously coached at Nanuet from 1979 through 1993. Dempsey is a Nanuet middle school teacher and Nanuet graduate who ran track and cross country. The Relays are sanctioned for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut high schools, the Catholic High School Athletic Association and NYC Public Schools Athletic League.

The Relays are sponsored by the Nanuet Black & Gold Club with the support of the Nanuet Board of Education.

“The community has always been extraordinarily generous when it comes to the Relays,” said Black & Gold President Kathi Mooney, adding parent Pam Carroll has been helping with the Relays and contacting local businesses for sports drinks, water and fruit donations.

More than 25 adult volunteers will start arriving at Nanuet Senior High School by 7 a.m. to slice bagels and fruit and prepare coffee, hot chocolate, hot dogs and stock the concession stand with other items before the athletes converge. Volunteers will remain until about 4:30 pm to close the concession stand and clean up. Many volunteers are members of the Nanuet Black & Gold Club and parents of high school athletes.

The meet directors rely, not on only the adult volunteers to make the event a success, but the energy of student volunteers as well. Members of the baseball team will set up the hurdles and other students typically show up to help and earn community service hours.  

The Nanuet Relays also serve as a major fundraiser for all the high school’s sports teams. Ads taken out in its program support the Varsity Sports Dinners in the fall, winter and spring, fund scholarships for graduating student athletes, financial aid scholarships for summer athletic camps and equipment donations. This year the club donated a field line marker. Mooney is working hard to revive the volunteer group. She hopes the volunteer turnout for the Relays is a good indicator of continued strong across-the-board participation by parents with teenagers playing on all the high school’s teams. Black & Gold membership forms will be available on Saturday for more parents to sign up.

The Nanuet Black & Gold Club got it start 45 years ago as a booster club for the Nanuet Senior High School football team and then transitioned into a booster club for all high school sports. At one time it had 90 members. In June 2010 there were two members.

That’s when Mooney, who had not been a member, stepped up to the challenge of reviving the club. She says the club was essentially being run by Patty and Frank Politano, whose children had already graduated from the high school.

Mooney, who grew up in Nanuet, would like to return the Black & Gold to its former status. She says it used to get lots of support because “there was a great spirit in Nanuet. Everyone went to all the games.”

Last fall, Mooney helped with the varsity dinner, which recognizes all fall season varsity athletes in the high school. At the dinner she circulated signup sheets for parents. After getting a sizable response she organized a meeting for all interested parents. About 25 parents showed up for the January meeting and elected a board and supervisory board. Mooney was elected president of the club whose membership has quickly grown to 50.

“I really think there is a need for the Black & Gold. I would love to see the Nanuet community come out and support the Relays and all the other sports,” says Mooney.

As spring sports get underway, people interested in joining the club should look for representatives with membership forms at games, the Spring Varsity Sports Dinner and other school events. Club Treasurer Lynn Mirro says the outreach extends to parents of younger students who will be able to get information at the annual Nanuet Little League Parade and kindergarten registration. Membership costs $20. Mirro, who has helped with the varsity dinners, says Black and Gold Club t-shirts listing all sports teams will be sold at the high school store.

With the end of the school year approaching, Mooney and the board are already planning for the fall. She is going to the fall coaches’ meeting to explain the purpose and goals of the club. She is going to ask for a parent representative from each team to be a member of the Black & Gold. That representative can be in contact with the coach to identify what equipment or supplies the team needs. Then, the teams and club can work together on fundraising projects.

 The club’s board expects to have membership forms available on the high school's web site by the fall. For questions about membership, contact Debbie Boyle at 845-641-1556. 

Track Events Start at 9 am:

• J.V. Distance Medley Relay for Boys (800-200-400-1600)
• J.V. Distance Medley Relay for Girls (800-200-400-1600)
• 1200 Intermediate Hurdle Relay for Boys
• 1200 Intermediate Hurdle Relay for Girls
• 6400 Meter Relay for Boys
• 330 Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay for Boys
• 6400 Meter Relay for Girls
• 300 Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay for Girls
• 400 Meter Relay Trials for Boys (6 Fastest to Finals)
• 400 Meter Relay Trials for Girls (6 Fastest to Finals)
• 3200 Meter Relays for Boys
• 3200 Meter Relay for Girls
• 800 Meter Relays for Boys
• 800 Meter Relay for Girls
• Frosh-Soph 3200 Meter Relays for Boys
• Frosh-Soph 3200 Meter Relay for Girls
• Varsity Distance Medley Relays for Boys (1200-400-800-1600)
• Varsity Distance Medley Relay for Girls (1200-400-800-1600)
• 400 Meter Relay Finals for Boys
• 400 Meter Relay Finals for Girls
• Frosh 1600 Meter Relays for Boys
• Frosh 1600 Meter Relay for Girls
• Alumni Mile
• Alumni & Coaches 400M Relay
• Frosh-Soph 1600 Meter Relays for Boys
• Frosh-Soph 1600 Meter Relay for Girls
• Sprint Medley Relay for Boys (200-200-400-800)
• Sprint Medley Relay for Girls (200-200-400-800)
• Exhibition Steeplechase Relay 2X2000 Meter
• 1600 Meter Relay for Boys
• 1600 Meter Relay for Girls

Field Events Start at 9 am:

• Girls High Jump/Boys Shot Put/Boys Long Jump
• Boys High Jump/Frosh-Soph Girls Shot Put/Girls Long Jump
• Girls Shot Put/Boys Triple Jump
• Frosh-Soph Boys Shot Put/Girls Triple Jump
• Girls Discus/Girls Pole Vault
• Frosh-Soph Boys Discus/Boys Pole Vault
• Boys Discus
• Frosh-Soph Girls Discus