The girls from Falconer started off strong and never looked back.

It began with them winning the 4x800m with the team of Grace and Sarah Elder, Makenzie Paskins and Tabitha Clark. Then in the 100 Hurdles Grade Lundmark took first with teammate Izzy Penhallow taking third, Dunkirk’s Maisiday Cedeno snuck in with a second place finish. In the 100 Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Samantha Gilbert was the winner with Dunkirk’s Octavia Porter taking second, and the Golden Cougars Ella Eckstron in third. In the 1,500 came Dunkirk’s first win with Sierra Jacques, but Falconer/Cassadaga Valley followed with second and third from Macy Arnone, and Michela LaBeron. The girls 4×100 team from Dunkirk won with Cedeno, Porter, Tiwallace Perry, and Paola Ortiz. Falconer/Cassadaga Valley had a sweep in the 400 with Sara Gilbert, Katelyn Brantly, and Celia Summer. In the 400 hurdles Lundmark and Penhallow went 1-2 with Jessica Vasquez from Dunkirk taking third. Jacques came back to win her second event winning the 800, with the Golden Cougar’s Brantly and LeBaron taking second and third, respectively. In the 200 Dunkirk’s Octavia Porter got the win with her teammate Ortiz in third, and Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Eckstrom taking second. In the 3,000, Falconer had a sweep with Maria Lemay, Arnone, and Clark. In the final event on the track, the 4×4 relay, Vasquez, Gabby Hart, Jericha Petrella, and Jacques took the victory for Dunkirk.

In the field it was all Falconer/Cassadaga. In the long jump is where the Dunkirk girls got their only point, coming from Gabby Hart taking third — first went to Gilbert, and second was Lundmark. Gilbert also won triple, with Sarah Elder taking second, and Grace Elder third. In the shotput, Lauren Destro took first, Sarah Disbro took second and Abi Clark third. In the discus, it was Disbro in first, Clark second, and Grace in third. Pole vault saw Rachel Ward take first, with Disbro taking second and Clark in third. In the high jump Grace Elder took first with Paiden Whittmeyer taking second.

“All the races were competitive,” said Dunkirk Coach Adam Woelfle. “It’s just tough not having field events. But these girls all competed with heart today and thats all I want. Them going out there and giving it their best. That’s what I saw, and we may not be able to get the team score we’d like, we can still take individual events we have the team for. It should still be a productive season.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Collin Barmore comes in first for the 1,600m.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley 89, Dunkirk 52

The Dunkirk Boys track team started their Section VI league season against the Falconer/Cassadaga Valley team. It did not go in their favor as the meet was scored 89-52, with the Golden Cougars on top.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley took the lead off the bat with a strong 4x800m performance, but then Dunkirk started to inch back with a second and third in the 110 hurdles by Matt Hanlon and Josiah Cox. Dunkirk continued to climb in the 100 dash with a victory by Jonah Rosas, and a second place by Max Valle. In the 1600 Anthony Ruiz took second, and then Dunkirk won the 4×100 with the team of Rosas, Devin Eddy, Nelson Rosario, and Miracle Berakah. Berakah came back to take third in the 400. Hanlon and Cox took second and third again in the 400 hurdles, and Rosas came back to win his third event by winning the 200, with Rosario taking third.

In the field there were a few first places. Devin Eddy tooks first in the long jump and second in the triple. Angel Reyes took third in the long jump. In the shot and disc events, Owen Fred took third in the shot put, teammate Zac Cooper took first and then also took a second in the discus event.

“Overall it wasn’t too bad of a performance,” said Dunkirk Coach Adam Woelfle. “Falconer/Cassadaga Valley has a strong deep team, and it’s tough to combat that with our numbers. We have a strong sprinting core and we showed that with some of the sprints, but they have a really strong distance group and that helped get us. We also have a few field events with some holes that will make it a tough season, but for the first meet and the cold weather I’m satisfied with the results.”

Dunkirk will be back in action as they travel to Southwestern next Tuesday.

Fredonia 85,

Gowanda 55

GOWANDA — The Fredonia (1-0) boys track team defeated Gowanda (2-1), 85-55, in a Section VI track meet at Gowanda High School.

Fredonia had a long list of double winners: Kevin Redfield in the 3,200 and 1,600 relays; Jack Carlson won the 3,200 relay and the 800; Diego Rey won the 3,200 relay and 1,600m; Ledreth Velez-Olmo won the 3,200 and 1,600 relays; Joell Colon won the 100 and 200; and Hessen Bahgat won both the high jump and the pole vault.

Gowanda saw a strong performance from both Austin Jankowski and Andrew Mussachio, as they were double winners. Jankowski won both the 110 hurdles and Mussachio won the discus and shot put.

Gowanda 82,

Fredonia 55

GOWANDA — The Lady Panthers of Gowanda (1-0, 3-0) beat Fredonia (0-1, 0-1), 82-55, in a Section VI girls track meet at Gowanda High School.

Gowanda saw a strong team performance in their victory over Fredonia with only one double winner, Julianna Grudzien. Grudzien won both the 200m and took first in the 4×100 relay race. The Lady Panthers saw their success come in the field events, sweeping the discus, pole vault and shot put.

Emily Brown of Fredonia had a strong day as a quadruple winner. Brown won the 1,500, 3,000, and anchored both the 4×400 relay team and the 4×800 relay to victory for Fredonia.