Keeping the students in their classes fit is the goal of every Huntington School District physical education teacher. A large group of youngsters and the faculty members who have been guiding them recently took their commitments to a new level.
A pair of veteran teachers led a contingent of 50 to the Suffolk Fit Club competition at Lincoln Elementary School in Sayville. The initiative was by the Suffolk Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Teams from Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School were among more than 30 Suffolk schools participating in this year’s contest.
The recent competition highlighted each of the components of health related fitness. Carrie Postel coached the Woodhull team while John Walsh led the STEM squad.
The Woodhull contingent included:
Fourth grade: Grace Kline, Jhony Moreira Nativi, Michael Tucker, Jesse Perez, Ava McDonald, Gemma Bedell, Will Donaghy, Fiona Lynch, Madyn Kalb, Dakota Respass, Colby Curran, Leah MacManus, Dominic Muccia
Fifth grade: Emma Boyle, Angel Mejivar Quintanilla, Isabella Palacios, Emma Polinsky, Anderson Avalos Coreas, Cristian Salamanca Castillo, Shannon Koepele, Mozhar Durand, Charles (Miller) Polak, Bridget Callery, Jordan Jones, Riley Uvena, Grace Gordon, Josue Velasquez Ramirez
The group from Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School included:
Fourth grade: Jude Creegan, Owen Gordon, James Ruthkowski, Jack Steinberg, Robert Campbell, Quinn Rinaldi, Josue Villatoro, Alexis Haas, Jordyn Gross, Gabriella LoScalzo, Deveren Flynn, Sena Knopf, Allison Cano Figueroa, Ana Vlahos
Fifth grade: Walter Kusterbeck, Spencer James, Matthew James, Jack Kamenstein, Jeremy Gross, Frank Algieri, Mia Johnson, Kathleen Cocoman, Jolie Weinshreider, Ruby Baliber, Cameron Smith, Chelsea Gordon, Jamyn Husselbeck
Participants were required to complete 40 sit ups, 30 shoulder taps, 15 agility jumps over a 12 inch hurdle and a 25 foot bear crawl before finishing with an agility run back to the starting line as quickly as possible.
Teams also took turns doing 15 box jumps followed by a tire flip, 30 jump ropes and a crab walk as many times as possible in 15 minutes. Awards were given to the top team and the top athlete in each individual event.
“The mission of the Suffolk Zone’s Fit Club is to empower our students with the skills, tools, training and confidence to live a healthier lifestyle while challenging them through difficult physical challenges,” according to the group’s website. “Our goal is for the students to learn something about themselves and feel invigorated as well as seeing how much they can truly accomplish when driven. We will develop the students’ strength both physically and mentally and help them to reach their fullest potential. They will feel part of a team by offering support, encouragement and inspiration to their teammates while helping them achieve their highest level of fitness.”
