N. Bellmore second-grader makes NFL contest finals

The NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick competition has been a staple in the North Bellmore School District’s phys-ed program for the past decade, but students have never made it past the Long Island Championships ––that was, until this year. Gunther second-grader Lauren Guitriago placed first at the Long Island Championships at the Met Life Stadium in New Jersey in December, which guaranteed her a spot in the national finals in Baltimore.

Guitriago, 7, competed in the girls’ 6- to 7-year-old bracket, garnering a score of 128 points in the Long Island competition. NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick “is a national skills competition for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 15 to compete separately against their peers,” according to the website.

Competitors must complete tasks in punting, passing and place kicking; they are judged based on distance and accuracy. Guitriago has played Bellmore PAL soccer for the past two seasons, but had never picked up a football until phys-ed teacher James Mulvey introduced the NFL competition to her class. “It was a shock from someone who has never picked up a football,” her mother, Lori Richartz, said. However, her mom noted, “she picks up sports very quickly.”

With the best score at the Long Island Championships, Guitriago grabbed a football and began practicing for the finals. Guitriago and her mom packed their bags and hopped a flight to Baltimore for the AFC Divisional playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans on Jan. 15.

Mother and daughter arrived in Baltimore that Friday and enjoyed the sites and the hotel; Guitriago especially liked the indoor pool, she said. Contestants were treated to a welcome dinner that night before catching up on rest to prepare for the competition on Saturday. Guitriago traveled with the other contestants to the Ravens’ indoor training facility, where they warmed up and got accustomed to the field. The second-grader said she was nervous but excited about the competition; she placed fourth in her age group.

After the competition, the finalists took in some professional football. Guitriago and Richartz watched the Ravens defeat the Texans that Sunday. Even though the game was cold, the Gunther student said she stayed the whole time. “I just wanted to see them play more,” Guitriago said. The contestants also got the opportunity to take part in the pre-game show and were honored on the field following the third quarter. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Richartz said.