Constantino Awards
Beth Jordan and Kirk Dornton Honored
Published June 26, 2000 in The Post-Standard.By Dr Kamal Jabbour, Contributing Writer
Beth Jordan, a senior at Jordan Elbridge High School, and Kirk Dornton, a senior at Henninger High School in Syracuse, were selected by the Syracuse Track Club as this year's recipients of the George Constantino Scholarships.
Two $500 scholarships are awarded each year to one male and one female runner who have demonstrated superior potential through their athletic and scholastic achievements. Applications for the Constantino scholarships were solicited from students in Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Oswego counties.
Beth Jordan ran outdoor track for four years and indoor track for three years for the Jordan Elbridge Eagles. Primarily a sprinter, her best indoor performances included the 55-meter dash in 7.7 seconds, the 200-meter dash in 28.1 seconds, the 300-meter dash in 44.9 seconds, the 400-meter dash in 66.4 seconds and the 600-meter dash in 1:53.6. Her best outdoor track performances included the 100-meter dash in 13.4 seconds, the 200-meter dash in 27.6 seconds, the 400-meter dash in 62.3 seconds and the 800-meter run in 2:39.
Beth's lasting impact may well be in the school's record books, where she set outdoor school records of 62.3 seconds in the 400-meter dash in 1998 and 2289 points in the pentathlon last spring. Indoors, Beth set school records in the 200-meter and 300-meter dashes, as well as the long jump, high jump and triple jump.
Besides track, Beth excelled academically, achieving a 92 percent grade point average and election into the National Honor Society, while participating in the activities of the jazz ensemble, the pit orchestra, the Language Club and the Latin Dance Club.
Beth plans to attend the University at Buffalo where she will study physical therapy and compete in track and field.
Kirk Dornton was an accomplished cross country and indoor track runner. As captain of Henninger's cross-country team during his 1999 season, Kirk won 12 of the 14 cross country races he ran, including first at the Onondaga High Schools League championship meet in October and first at the Section 3 meet in November. Kirk also won the OHSL League titles and Section 3 titles for the 1600-meter and 3200-meter races.
In a memorable race at the Manhattan cross-country invitational in Van Cortlandt Park in New York City last October, Kirk finished fifth in the boy's varsity race, only seconds behind a quartet from Christian Brothers Academy of Lyncroft.
At the end of his junior year, Kirk finished second in the Empire State Games 10,000- meter race, and received Henniger's award for Outstanding Junior Male Student-Athlete.
Kirk achieved a 95 percent grade point average, and election into both the National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society. Outside of school, Kirk belongs to the Eastwood Baptist Youth Group, and volunteers for Special Olympics.
Next Fall, Kirk plans to attend Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he expects to run cross-country and track for the Rex Foxes.
The Constantino Scholarships are awarded annually in memory of George Constantino, a long-time track and cross-country coach at Nottingham High School. Fondly known as Mr. C., Constantino's athletes won numerous City League and County League titles, as well as sectional team and individual championships. Constantino died in May 1987 after suffering a heart attack in class.
His former athletes honor his memory by continuing the Tuesday night summer runs that he had started at Nottingham High School. The Syracuse Track Club will sponsor these organized group runs beginning tomorrow, June 27. The runs start at 6:30 p.m. at the Nottingham High School track in Syracuse. Runners choose between 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer courses. The runs continue every Tuesday through August 15.
Beth Jordan and Kirk Dornton will receive their awards in a ceremony preceding the July 18 Constantino Run at the Nottingham High School track, followed by a picnic at trackside.
Kamal Jabbour runs and writes on the hills of Pompey, New York. His RUNNING Column appears in The Post-Standard on Mondays. He maintains TrackMeets.com, the world leader in live track webcasting, and receives email at jabbour@syr.edu.