This year, the boys and girls varsity track teams had many award winners, with multiple divisional and county championships.
Prior to their divisional championships, the boys and girls varsity track teams honored their 14 seniors. This class of seniors was part of two County Championships and helped pass on a winning culture to the next generation of runners.
On May 13, the boys track and field team competed in the Division Championship at home. The Vikings ended up with two winners: senior Brendan Doherty and junior Riley Funk. Doherty won the division championship in the pole vault while Funk won the 1600m and 800m races. Junior Matthew Cichon set a new personal record of 25.2 seconds in the 200m.
“This season has been a great last ride for the seniors. Even though we could not take it home in the end and win the Nassau County Championship, everyone worked really hard and we took home the runner up trophy which was a great accomplishment for us all. I think that we really tried our hardest this season and we will be even better next season. Over the summer, we are going to work out fiercely to become better prepared for next year,” said Cichon.
On May 22, the boys track and field team competed in the AAA County Championship at Westbury High School. Despite setting many personal records and having many events win All-County Honors, the boys placed second overall.
For the steeple event, junior Lukas Derasmo placed first, while senior Steven Theodoropoulos placed second. In the 800m race, junior Riley Funk placed second while senior Harrison Maute placed third.
“It’s a great feeling to come up from not being in the talks for a County Championship to fighting until the final event for one. We really emphasized the quality of our individual team members that day and executed every event well – it’s something that we are very proud of,” said Derasmo.
For the throwers, senior Bryson Bodner placed first in shot put and second in discus. Senior Brendan Doherty placed second in pole vault, while junior Marshall Huron placed sixth. Finally, the four runners in the 4x800m race, Maute, Derasmo, Funk, and freshman Gael Ogman, ended with a second place finish for the team and were one of the many that earned All-Counties Honors.
“Even though we lost by such a small margin, it’s important to look at how many people stepped up to bring points. We’re a small team, so it’s definitely impressive that we came close to beating a team twice our size. We should feel proud about our strong effort this year,” said Huron.
The girls track and field team also had an exceptional season, with many athletes winning Divisional or County Championships. The girls had won the county title the last two seasons and were ready to battle this season. Prior to their County Championships, junior captain Isabella Lucas and sophomore Samantha Benson-Tyler earned All-Long Island Honors for their season in the triple jump and racewalk, respectively.
On May 22, the girls track and field team competed in County Championships at Westbury High School. Senior captain Eve Siff-Scherr opened up the meet with a win in the 2000m steeplechase. Siff-Scherr was crowned as the Nassau County Steeplechase Champion for the second time in as many years. Then, in the 4×800, the team of Siff-Scherr, senior Makena Romero, junior Ashley Carillo, and sophomore Anna Bielawski won second place in the county and earned All-County Honors.
Junior captain Carillo won All-County Honors for three events: the 1500m race, the 3000m race, and the 4x800m relay. Carillo won third place for the 1500m race and 3000m race but helped the team come in second place for the 4×800 relay. Unfortunately for the girls, they were unable to three-peat and took third place in the County Championship.
Although the girls track and field team was unable to win their third consecutive county championship, many athletes won awards or set personal records. Lucas was crowned for first place in both the high jump and the triple jump while she earned third place in the long jump. Lucas earned All-County Honors and qualified for the New York State Championship Meet held on June 5 in Syracuse. Lucas’s 38 ft 8.25 inch triple jump gave her an automatic qualifier for the high and triple jump as they were hit the state’s super standard. Senior Captain Isabella Yardeni earned fifth overall in the 100m dash. Romero placed fifth in the 400m and ran a new personal record to take fifth in the 800m race. Romero was also second leg in the 4x800m relay to help the team take second.
Overall, the boys and girls track teams each had great success and are hoping to return to the Nassau County Championships next year.