Emmalynn Pupanek

TUESDAY, May 4, 2021

ALTOONA-MIDWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK

         BUFFALO – Altoona-Midway Middle School eighth grade track standouts William Stackhouse and Emmalynn Pupanek capped off their outstanding spring seasons here Monday afternoon as each grabbed two gold medals in the Mineral Belt League Meet, hosted by AMMS at the Frank Kennedy Field and Track facility.

         The pair also claimed three silver medals – with Stackhouse earning two of them – to once again outshine the competition as they have all season.

But it was far from just a two-person story for Altoona-Midway. Five other Jet athletes picked up at least one silver medal apiece in the season-ending league meet. Overall, five of the seven AMMS athletes picked up points for the Jets in multiple events.

         Also earning medals for the Blue and Gold of AMMS were Eryn Tiger, Kage Beck, Brandon Wittlake, Chantal Morales, and Peyton Drake.

         “This is the meet we had been working towards all season, so I know the kids gave it their best,” said Jet head coach Chary Weilert. “Once again, our two eighth graders set the pace with outstanding performances. I couldn’t ask for a better pair of athletes to serve as role models for our younger kids.

         “Emmalynn Pupanek and William Stackhouse will be sorely missed when the season rolls around next season,” Weilert added.

         Jets assistant coach Nikkita Almond, who focused primarily on the jumpers for AMMS, also reflected on the season.

         “Watching our athletes improve off and on the track has been so much fun this season,” Almond said. “I couldn’t be more proud of how they competed at each meet.”          Stackhouse jumped 4-10 to win the high jump competition and set a personal record (PR) in the 200 meter run, taking the gold in a time of 28.74.

Stackhouse also had a PR in the 100 meters with 13.77, but had to settle for silver. He also grabbed second place in the long jump at 14-4.

         Pupanek also set a PR at the league meet, covering the 1600 meter run in a winning time of 6:57. She also took home the gold in the 400 meter run, finishing in 1:11.

         Pupanek claimed her silver medal as part of the Lady Jets’ Medley Relay squad, which also compiled a PR time of 2:26. Other Jets on the runner-up medley relay unit were Tiger, Morales, and Drake.

         Tiger placed in three MBL events, both with PR throws. She earned a second silver medal in the discus at 65-3, and heaved the shot 25-3.5 to place sixth.

         Morales added a fifth-place finish in the discus with a toss of 53-4.25.

         On the boys’ side of the competition, Beck and Wittlake added to Stackhouse’s point totals.

         Beck placed in three different events for the Jets. He claimed silver in the high jump (4-0), third in the 400 meter run (1:20), and finished sixth in the long jump (10-11). He missed also placing in the 100 by less than two-tenths of a second.

         Wittlake provided AMMS with another silver medal performance, flinging the shot 27-8 to finish second.

         Kyler Nalley also competed in the shot put and discus for the Jets, but his two eighth-place finishes left him out of the money in both events.

         Altoona-Midway finished third in the boys’ A division and fourth in the girls’ standings. Thayer boys and St. Paul girls claimed team championships.

         Complete team totals were as follows:

         Boys - Thayer 194, St. Paul 65, Altoona-Midway 59, Chetopa 27.

         Girls – St. Paul 124, St. Patrick 80, Thayer 71, Altoona-Midway 39, Chetopa 33.