Huntington Shines at Suffolk Fit Club Contest

Every Huntington UFSD physical education teacher wants to keep their students fit. Two groups totaling 56 fourth and fifth graders from Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School took their commitment to stay in shape to a new level.

Led by veteran physical education teachers John Walsh and Carrie Postel, the Huntington contingent vied in the sixth annual Suffolk Fit Club competition at Lincoln Elementary School in Sayville. The initiative was organized by the Suffolk Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

The teams from Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School were among about 35 Suffolk schools participating in this year’s contest.

The recent competition highlighted each of the components of health related fitness. Mr. Walsh and Ms. Postel prepped students at their respective school in anticipation of the big event.

The Woodhull contingent included:

Fourth grade: Madison Martin, Aiden Stephen, Phoebe Poli, Jacob Arelt, Selimah Dease, Aiden Legette, Layla Zivkovic, Cristofher Moreno Maldonado, Rosie Carrillo, Kenneth Guardado, Genesis Rocha Romero, Marco Garcia, Christina Yoda and Anderson Gudiel Gregorio

Fifth grade: Charlotte Kindelman, Conor Kyhn, Khloe Bedell, Luke Shanley, Gabriella Zielinski, John Dello Iacono, Gretchen Schmid, Charlie Gordon, Scarlett Phillips, Chet (William) Dease, Sutter Flynn, Raul Argueta Dominguez, Jennifer Gutierrez Sanchez and David Bergmann

The group from Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School included:

Fourth grade: Eva Alfaro, Autumn Moskowitz, Taylor Merrell, Madeline Harris, Poppy Carey, Elissey Joseph, Avery Brown, Thomas Evernham, Landon Pacifico-Czerniecki, Nathaniel Kelly, Chris Welsh III, Spencer Lapp, Myles Copeland and Aiden Rivera.

Fifth grade: Sydney Amar, Molly Barba, Juliette Creegan, Isla Campbell, Pfeiffer Laycock, Emma Leiter, Lia Rotunno, Matteo Dasaro, Bradley Burke, Blake Schmale, Jason Bencivenga, Jake Kiernan, Fredy Flores Gonzalez and Angel Contreras-Rodriguez

Participants were required to complete a variety of strength, flexibility, speed, agility, coordination and conditioning exercises and physical fitness related tests, including events such as box jumps, bear crawls, farmer’s carry, crab walk and an obstacle course.

“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.”