High School Track and Field

By Marcus Henry

Long Island followed up a strong weekend at the New York State championships in Buffalo with a strong day at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.

The Kellenberg's boys 4x800 team of Mike Cook, Tom and Mike Elnick and Greg Moss placed fourth with a time of 7:44.02. It was the fastest time in the state this season and fifth best in the nation. The fourth-place finish earned the team All-American honors.

Great Neck South junior Terrance Livingston added to Long Island's list of fine efforts as he took third in the 800 with a personal-best time of 1:50.8. Smithtown West senior Giovanni Signoretti earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run in a school-record time of 15:05.22.

Garden City sophomore Emily Menges took fourth in the 800 with a time of 2:09.17. Less than an hour later the Garden City DMR team of Maddie Adams, Taryn Schmelzonger, Michelle Rotondo and Menges took thied in a school-record time of 11:50.61. It was the third best time in New York State.

On Friday Eighth-grader Molly Josephs of Garden City won the one-mile racewalk over Bayshore's Destiny Lalane. The Garden City SMR also had a strong day as it took seventh with a school-record with a time of 4:02.9.

BY MARCUS HENRY

A few thoughts on this season.

First and foremost, Long Island deserves kudos for bringing home seven Federation championships. Emily Lipari (2), Nick Guscott, Chris Parker, Terrance Livingston, Kyle Merber and Charlene Lipsey represented the island with great dignity.

Merber was named Boy's Gatorade Runner of the Year for New York. Check the link below.

http://www.risemag.com/main.cfm?actionID=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=newsArticle&categoryKey=gatoradePOYBoysTrack&articleId=14887&startrow=1

Lipsey was exceptionally great as she set a Federation meet record in the 800 (2:07.46), while Emily Lipari won two Federation titles. Lipsey, a junior, was also named the Gatorade Runner of the Year for New York. Check the link below for the story.

http://www.risemag.com/main.cfm?actionID=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=newsArticle&categoryKey=gatoradePOYGirlsTrack&articleId=14830&startrow=1

There were some close second-place finishes as Holy Trinity's Louis Day took second in the shot put, Uniondale's Ashley Hendrix took second in the long jump and Ashley Clasen of Shoreham-Wading River was second in the discus. Floral Park's 4x100 team finished second, while sprinter Samantha Edwards took second in the 200. Mt. Sinai's Janet Mellor took second in the 400.

Kudos to the Bay Shore girl's track team for qualifying 10 athletes for the state championships. The Baldwin boys team also gets credit for sending eight runners to Buffalo. The Cold Spring Harbor girl's team sent six athletes upstate.

The future for Long Island track is bright as several underclassmen figure to make a lot of noise over the next couple of years. Lipari and Mellor are sophomores. Mt. Sinai's Janie Turek, who took seventh in the 2,000-steeplechase is just a freshman, while Ward Melville's Carolina O'Hea, who represented the Patriots in the Federation 3,000-meter run is an eighth grader. Northport's Lianne Farber, who finished 13th in the 2,000-steeplechase is a sophomore, while Friends Academy's Kira Garry, who took 23rd in the race, is a freshman. Garden City sophomore Emily Menges will also be a factor in 2009.

We also can't forget about North Shore sophomore Brianna Welch. Welch missed the final six-plus weeks with a stress fracture in her leg. She will be a force next season.

Hempstead sophomore Anthony Celestin, Port Washington sophomore Michael Bertolotti, Shoreham-Wading River junior Bobby Andrews should have sparkling seasons in 2009. BTW; Livingston and Lewis are both juniors. Don't forget about Amityville's Rashim Gaines.

Hat's off to several runners who capped their careers at the state championships, including Bay Shore's Stanford-bound senior Sarah McCurdy, Columbia-bound Jaclyn Marshall, Southampton's Imani Richardson, Ward Melville's Suejin Ahn, Baldwin's Christie Verdier, East Meadow's and Maryland-bound Nicole Banker and Brentwood's Donna Jeanty.

For the boy's Baldwin's Brandon Camille and Barry Mask, Smithtown West's Giovanni Signoretti, Roslyn's Tom Lipari, Longwood's Barry Franklin, Amityville's Craig Slaughter, Whitman's Mychael Fabio, Floral Park's Clark Hinds, Hempstead's Chad Allen, South Side's Brian Riley, Chaminade's Chris Tonn and Michael Schieck, Kellenberg's Mike and Tom Elnick and Westhampton's Jared Nilsson all finished their careers on a high note.

Apologies to those I left out.

BY MARCUS HENRY

I've been asked several times over the past four or five months about how I go about selecting the All-Island track team.

It's actually pretty simple. The stop watches and the tape measures don't line. Making the All-Island team is not just based on winning. Where you win or place, who you run against and your times and distances are huge factors.

A runner who wins or places high at prominent meets like the St. Anthony's Invitational, the Loucks Games, Penn Relays, the state qualifiers and the County and state championship meets are going to get the most consideration. Athletes who win events at local invitationals such as the Bulldog, Pratt, Limmer, Knight Time meets, etc... also get significant consideration.

This isn't to say that athletes who win conference or league championships don't get any consideration, but to be the best you have to compete against the best. Newsday's first annual All-Island track teams will be revealed later this week. Enjoy.

BY MARCUS HENRY

There were several familiar faces who qualified for the state championships. Kyle Merber, Giovanni Signoretti, Barry Franklin, Sarah McCurdy, Jaclyn Marshall and Suejin Ahn are no strangers to success. But there were several new faces who have a chance to make some major waves in Buffalo.

Middle Country's Miles Lewis and Riverhead's Ashley Bell each qualified in three events. Brentwood's Donna Jeanty (400 hurdles, 4x400) and Southampton's Imani Richardson (100, 4x100) qualified in two events. We can't forget about Mt. Sinai freshman Janie Turek, who ran 7:09 in the 2,000-meter steeplechase. High jumpers Ahkim Amada (East Hampton) and Rich Roethel (Sachem East) also qualified for the first time.

It was an especially good day for Roethel, who was jumping 5-8 last spring. The junior, who has jumped 6-5 this season, jumped 6-3 in the final on Saturday.

BY MARCUS HENRY

After an exciting state championship qualifier meet at Farmingdale on Wednesday, Nassau County will be well represented in Buffalo on June 13 and 14.

Baldwin's Nicholas Guscott followed up his strong showing at the Bulldog Invitational and at the County championships by taking the 100 meters in 10.6 seconds. He nearly carried the Bruins to victory in the 4x100 as he made up a 5-meter deficit during the final 100 meters.

Hempstead's Anthony Celestin took the 400 and has to be considered one of the favorites to capture the state title. Chris Parker, a star in the hurdles, had a good showing in the 110 HH, taking first in 14.2. Terrence Livingston, arguably the best 800 runner on the island, is expected to run strong in Buffalo. Uniondale's Nathaniel Mercer, a track veteran, jumped 22-1 at the qualifier and should be a factor.

Roslyn super sophomore Emily Lipari, who took the 3,000 and the 1,500 has the ability to win both events. Ashley Hendrix, who has enough accolades to fill a truck, took first in the 100 hurdles and the long jump. Her jump (17-11.5), wasn't anywhere close to her best, but she has a history of jumping up to the competition and should be fine in Buffalo. Samantha Edwards ran a 12-flat in the 100 and 2.48 in the 200 and put herself in prime position to really make an impact in Buffalo.

The Elmont girl's 4x100 team ran 48.7, nearly a full second in front of Hempstead (49.4) and should be a handful at the state meet. Garden City's 4x400 team was also impressive, running a 3:56.3. The Trojans edged Uniondale, which ran surprisingly well (3:57.6) considering its youth.

Shoreham-Wading River Relay Invitational Results

Conference III
4x100 Shoreham-Wading River (SWR) 53.6
4x200 Comsewogue 159.8
4x400 Miller Place 428.4
Mile Medley Comsewogue 432.8
4x800 Bayport-Blue Pt 1010.6
4x1600 Westhampton 2437.4
2x1500m Race Walk SWR 6 pts
3x 100m hurdles Miller Place 54.3
4x 100m hurdles Shuttle Miller Place 71.5
2x 400m Hurdles Sayville 150.4

3xHigh Jump SWR 14-1
3xLong Jump SWR 46-4
3xTriple jump Sayville 91-10.75
2xPole Vault Bayport-Blue Pt 16-6
3xDiscus SWR 257-7.5
3xShot SWR 86-7.25

Conference IV
4x100 Mercy 54.1
4x200 Port Jefferson 154.1
4x400 Mercy 421.5
Mile Medley Southampton 432.8
4x800 Port Jefferson 1051.8
4x1600 Hampton Bays 2648
2x1500m Race Walk Mercy 29 pts
3x 100m hurdles Mattituck 60.00
4x 100m hurdles Shuttle none
2x 400m Hurdles Hampton Bays 75.8

3xHigh Jump Hampton Bays 12 9
3xLong Jump Port Jefferson
3xTriple jump Port Jefferson 89-7.25
2xPole Vault Port Jeff tie Hampton Bays
3xDiscus Port Jefferson 224-11.5
3xShot Port Jefferson 77-9

Friends
4x100 Wm Floyd 54.5
4x200 Wm Floyd 208.4
4x400 Wm Floyd 436.4
Mile Medley Sachem East 450.7
4x800 Sachem East 1116.6
4x1600 none
2x1500m race Walk Sachem East 17 pts
3x 100m hurdles Sachem East 60
4x 100m hurdles Shuttle Sachem East 74.00
2x 400m hurdles Wm Floyd 76.5

3xHigh Jump Sachem East 13-6
3xLong Jump Wm Floyd 32-10
3xTriple jump Sachen East 77-5
2xPole Vault Wm Floyd 13-0
3xDiscus Sachem East 190-6
3xShot Sachem East 76-1.5

The 32nd annual Bob Pratt Invitational, which took place last Saturday, is more than just a track meet. It also serves as an opportunity for athletes to earn scholarship money for college. This year six athletes from Smithtown West and Smithtown West high schools will receive $1,000 toward their education. “We used to just give out one,” Smithtown East coach Greg Schepnaski said. “Now we’re up to six.” - MARCUS HENRY

Boys
3,200 - 1. Dylan Conway, Hauppauge 9:45.4; 2. Collin Anderson, Northport 9:56.2; 3. Colin Culltane, Sayville 9:58. 400 - 1. Mike Conrad, Smithtown East 52.6; 2. Joe Callahan, Harborfields 53.0; 3. B. Robbins, Smithtown West 53.3. 800 - 1. Anthony Girolamo, Northport 2:00.5; 2. Pat Murphy, St. Anthony's 2:00.6; 3. Alex Arunis, Northport 2:01.3. 110 Hurdles - 1. Dave Ader, Smithtown East 15.7; 2. D. Jackmen, Longwood 16.0; 3. D. Jackson, Northport 16.1. 100 - 1. Taylor Chaney, St. Anthony's 10.9; 2. Ainsworth Ashman, Copiague 11.3; 3. Greg Barbier, St. Anthony's 11.4. 1,600 - 1. Dylan Conway, Hauppauge 4:32.8; 2. Spector, Longwood 4:36.3; 3. Evan Bloomberg, Northport 4:40.3. 200 - 1. Mike Lewis, Middle Country 22.7; 2. Ian Hanley, Middle Country 22.9; 3. Dan Basil, St. Anthony's 23.2. 400 Hurdles - 1. Anthony Girolamo, Northport 57.9; 2. Tom Gilmartin, Middle Country 59.1; 3. Jared Clasper, Smithtown East 59.8. 1,600 racewalk -1. Rick Sosulski, Smithtown West. Long Jump - 1. Josh Hunter, Middle Country 21-10.25; 2. Dale Stewart, Harborfields 20-4.5; 3. Mikes Lewis, Middle Country 20-1.25. Pole Vault - 1. Ben Martin, St. Anthony's 13-0; 2. Chris Schaefer, St. Anthony's 12-6; 3. Mike Neumayer, Middle Country 12-0. High Jump - 1. Chris Ammann, Smithtown West 6-2, A. Fedder, Smithtown West 5-10; 3. G. Ellis, Middle Country 5-8. Discus - 1. Ed Brown, Bay Shore 139-4; 2. Frank Giglio, Northport 129-1; 3. Chris Searles, Longwood 124-3. Shot Put - 1. Chris Searles, Longwood 50-1; 2. Frank Giglio, Northport 48-3; 3. Simon Marcada, St. John the Baptist 47-11.5. Triple Jump - 1. Dale Stewart, Harborfields 41-4; 2. Chris Ammann, Smithtown West 41-0; 3. Hutchinson, Bay Shore 40-10. 4x100 - 1. Middle Country 43.1; 2. St. Anthony's 44.9; Harborfields 45.4. 4x800 - 1. Northport 8:40.6; 2. Harborfields 8:44.9; 3. Longwood 8:49.1. 4x400 - 1. St. Anthony's 3:31.2; 2. Northport 3:31.9; 3. Harborfields 3:41.5. Team Scores - 1. Northport 90, St. Anthony's 73, Middle Country 72, Longwood 63, Smithtown West 60.

Girls
3,000 - 1. Jaclyn Marshall, Kings Park 10:01.7; 2. Caroline O'Hea, Ward Melville 10:36.9; 3. K. Abatte, Northport 10:41.7. 400 - 1. Danielle Toritto, Smithtown East 60.0; 2. Amanda Regensburger, Middle Country 60.6; 3. Alexandra Doersan, Islip 61.1. 100 Hurdles - 1. Kaitlin Sullivan, Kings Park 14.7; 2. Kayla Murphy, Longwood 16.0; 3. Stephanie Hasher, Bayport-Blue Point 16.2. 100 - 1. Christine Wilkinson, Copiague 12.5; 2. A. George, Middle Country 12.9; 3. N. Soro, Kings Park 13.1. 1,500 - 1. Sarah McCurdy, Bay Shore 4:46.2; 2. Christine Johnston, Longwood 4:52.4. 3. Emily Haight, Smithtown East 5:16.9. 800 - 1. Sarah McCurdy, Bay Shore 2:18.1; 2. Jennifer Johnson, Longwood 2:22.3; 3. Erin Pardini, Smithtown West 2:24.3. 200 - 1. Christine Wilkinson, Copiague 26.4; 2. Brittany Silipo, Bay Shore 27.2; 3. J. Burch, Kings Park 27.3. 400 Hurdles - 1. Kaitlin Sullivan, Kings Park 67.3; Danielle Torrito, Smithtown East 69.5; 3. Shannon Hopkins, Kings Park 70:3. 1,500 walk - 1. Destiny Lalane, Bay Shore 7:40.2; 2. Jennifer Mercouris, Bayport-Blue Point 7:42.4; 3. Alison Higgins, Kings Park 7:42.7. Shot Put - 1. Fisher, Longwood 39-10.25; 2. Toritto, Smithtown East 39-9.75; 3. Ross, Bellport 35-10.25. Discus - 1. Gradel, Northport 104-8; 2. Hoeffner, Hauppauge 103-4; 3. Brown, Bay Shore 102-0. Long Jump - 1. Alexandra Doersam, Islip 16-3.5; 2. Kari Potter, Kings Park 15-10.25; 3. Ashley George, Middle Country 15-8. Pole Vault - 1. Nicole Montrony, Middle Country 6-9; 2. Alex Faggione, Kings Park 6-6. High Jump - 1. Leanne Dombrowski, Longwood 5-2; Ashley Beck, Smithtown East, 5-2; L. Rogers, Islip 4-10. 4x100 - 1. Copiague 51.7; 2. Middle Country 52.2; 3. Bay Shore 52.9. Triple Jump - 1. Stephanie Barnes, Bay Shore 35-6.5; 2. Tenica Roberts, Bay Shore 35-0; 3. Katie Chun, Port Jefferson 33-6. 4x800 - 1. Bay Shore 10:35.2; Northport 10:43.1; Smithtown East 10:59.7. 4x400 - 1. Bay Shore 4:10.8; Northport 4:16.9; Smithtown West 4:20.5. Team Scores - 1. Bay Shore 109, Kings Park 75, Longwood 61, Smithtown East 51, Northport 45.

BY MARCUS HENRY

The 5th Annual Knight Invitational at Uniondale high school featured several of Long Island's top athetes.

Hempstead's Charlene Lipsey continued her torrid paced as she captured the 800 in 2:12.45. Uniondale's Ashley Hendrix dominated the 100 hurles taking first in 14.58. Brentwood's Donna Jjeanty won the 400 hurdles in 1:06.21.

Roslyn's Emily Lipari won the 3,000 10:30.35 and East Meadow's Kim Slagas took first in the 1,500 race walk in 7:53.6.

The boys also had some great winners as Amityville's Craig Slaughter won the 100 (11.1) and 200-meter (22.24) dashes and Nathaniel Mercer took the 110 hurdles in 14.86. Hempstead took the 4x100 in 43.47 and the 800 sprint medley in 1:34.55 and Amityville took the 4x400 title in 3:24.82.

Longwood's Barry Franklin, a Newsday All-Island winter track selection, won the 1,600 (4:30.68) and Chaminade's Joseph Migliore took first in the 3,200 in 10:25.91.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Jaclyn and Katie Marshall, two of Suffolk County's top runners, made their college choice Wednesday. Jaclyn, who captured the 1,500-meter state indoor title, signed with Columbia, while Katie will suit up for Brown in the fall.