While the winter sports season is well underway, the girls track team has had an amazing season so far. Records are being set by every grade, whether it’s freshmen just starting out, or seniors who are finishing their high school athletic career.
One successful meet took place on Dec. 5 in North Shore, where runners placed high in the charts in a multitude of events. These included the 300m race, where junior Lily Longaro placed fifth and freshman Elena Vallejo Gil placed seventh, the 1000m race where freshman Kylie Bencosme placed first, and the 1500m racewalk where senior Samantha Benson-Tyler placed first.
“We’ve really been thriving in so many events, and I know we’ll continue through the season with many more wins. Our exceptional speeds for distance runs will play a big role in guiding us to a successful season,” said freshman runner Iliana Turbin.
Last year, the Vikings finished the season second in the conference, and were led by many all-conference and all-county athletes. At the time, the roster only included two to three seniors, but the team has balanced itself out this year with eight to nine on the team now. With a balanced team consisting of eager runners from every grade, this season is sure to reflect all of their hard work.
The Vikings will count on many key runners, including senior Samantha Kerner, and freshmen Bencosme and Gil. Kerner is a leader in the distance races, thriving in events such as 1500m run, mile, and 3000m run, where she gained some season and personal records. Bencosme leads the team with mid-distance running times with great times in the 1000m and 1500m runs, the mile, and the 4×400 relays. Although it’s only her first year, she’s gained recognition with top spots on each event. Finally, Gil’s speed places her as the fastest on the team for many events, including the 55m and 300m runs. She also helped in the 4×200 relay as the youngest runner of the four participants.
“Our goal pretty much every year is to be competitive at championship meets. We want to get as many kids as possible all-county or all-conference recognition, which is always on the table. It’s through hard work, that’s it. The girls will tell you that myself and other coaches prepare the team by saying hard work is our number one goal,” said coach Jeremiah Pope.
Port’s strong suit has proved to be the mid to long distance runs as the Vikings shine through those events. In the 1000m run, Bencosme is currently first in the conference with an impressive time of 3:04.33, and in the 1500m run she’s second in the conference with a time of 5:03.83. Kerner ranks fifth in the conference for the 1500m with a time at 5:10.13. One of the most impressive feats on the team goes to Benson-Tyler who is ranked number three in the state in the 1500m Racewalk with a record time of 6:56.83.
Two more conference leaders are Kerner in second and freshman Alexa Rose in sixth for the 3000m run. As for the 4×800 relay, seniors Anna Bielawski and Samantha Kerner and sophomore Alessandra Intinolli and freshman Kylie Bencosme earned the number two spot in the conference.
In field events, senior Zoe Scher holds the first place spot in the conference for shot put, her throw landing at 32’ 1”. Also, in the long jump, Gil places as third in the conference with a distance of 15’9”.
Another meet at The Armory was on Jan. 10, which featured many personal and season records. Kerner set two personal records in the two mile and 3000m events, placing 11th in both events. Her time for the two mile was an astounding 11:34.75, and her time for the 3000m was 10:48.96, both being amazing times. Bencosme was also able to gain a new PR in the 1000m with a time of 3:04.33. Finally, freshman Alexa Rose hit a personal record in the 600m of 1:49.72, earning her first place.
“I think the added freshman talent will lead the team to a ton of victories. They know the pressure is on to perform well their first year, and the stats reflect how seriously they took that commitment,” said freshman Cadence Platt.