NORWICH – The 12th annual REK Friends Forever Invitational started with the 100 meter memorial walk with all competitors following family members and friends of the three girls the meet honors every year. Following the completion of the walk, the first event was shortly underway.

Seven schools from Chenango County, along with eight schools from the surrounding areas, brought to the track and field athletes to Norwich for the annual event. 

The track and field event at the Norwich facility started with sunshine and warm temperatures but the gusts of winds indicated something was coming.

The first half of the meet kicked off with the girls and boys of the 4x100 meter relay.

Finishing with a time of 51.12 were Hailey Colabelli, Riley Marsh, Emily Shattuck and Caroline Stewart. The time was the best time of their heat as well as well other heats, placing the four at the top of the podium.

Their time was also just .6 seconds off of the meet record, set back in 2010 by the Oxford team of Emily Woodford, Katie Woodford, Jesse Russo and Amanda Marks.

Greene’s Haley DeJager, Gloria Stracquadanio, Brooke Austin, and Madison Rice placed fourth in the race while Kristen Chambers, Rowan Sherrick, McKeyli Decker, and Zamira Caldwell of Bainbridge-Guilford snagged sixth place, the final spot on the podium.

Last year, the Norwich male runners of Zack Race, David Berger, Eric Conant and Ky’Sawn Veale set the time at 44.39 seconds for the full lap race.