By Jasmine Bar

Working cohesively as a team, the members of the Briarcliff Spring Track Team were recently able to win Bob Smith or The Bob Smith Memorial Track and Field Invitational. It is hosted by Pleasantville HS annually in memory of one of their most beloved coaches. It is a meet that is composed entirely of relays. Teams from all the schools in and near Mt. Pleasant participate, including Alexander Hamilton, Briarcliff, Byram Hills, Pleasantville, Valhalla and Westlake. The meet is sponsored by the American Legion.

To win the meet, a team must score more points than the other teams. Points are awarded accordingly for each relay that places first, second, third, etc. Winning Bob Smith this year has been an especially big feat because both the boys and girls won. The boys’ team won Bob Smith two years ago as well. Incredibly, 30 personal records were set.

Blake Elwood, a sophomore, commented, “Everyone there was very competitive and wanted to win. It was close, but we worked together as a team and were able to pull through.”

Sean Ryan, the coach of the Briarcliff Track Team proudly stated, “Meets like the Bob Smith Memorial highlight how much of a team sport track and field really is. Relays of three or four athletes work together to achieve things that individuals cannot achieve alone. Multiple strong relay performances are required for a team to win the team championship. Lastly, as in other sports, how a team supports one another is a big factor – Briarcliff athletes lined the track and field event areas with the loudest and most positive cheering sections of all.”

Mary Donoghue, a freshman on the Briarcliff Spring Track Team said, “Track is a great experience and it is a lot of fun. The team and coaches are very supportive.”

Clearly, winning Bob Smith demonstrates the strength of the athletics program at Briarcliff High School. The Briarcliff track team truly pulled through to achieve this high award and they are certainly recognized for their hard work.