Sports

Nassau's Best Star at State Track Qualifier

Nassau's top high school track and field stars compete for the right to go to states.

Traditional powers Uniondale and Garden City dominated the Nassau Track and Field State Qualifier at Westbury High School last week. But this meet was all about the individual -- and great singular performances abounded.

The top boys and girls athletes from schools across Nassau competed for the right to go to states in two divisions. The top finishers advanced to the NYSPHSAA championships June 10-11 at Caledonia-Mumford High School near Rochester.

The meet was originally scheduled for back-to-back days, but due to the tornado watch in the area June 1, the meet was postponed to Thursday.

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North Shore's Samantha Nadel and Emily Osman were neck and neck throughout the 1,500 meters until Osman pulled out in the end and finished 34 tenths of a second in front of her teammate. 

"This year, we really came together as a team," Osman said. "Our results are getting better and better as a team," she adding, noting that focusing on the team rather than just each individual seemed to be working. 

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Osman thinks she hit her best at 4 minutes, 44.26 seconds.

Garden City's Michelle Rotondo took the top spot in the 400 intermediate hurdles. Her strategy was to "try to go the first 200 as fast as [she] could" and then she pushed hard at the end. After not participating in indoor track season, she came back this season and anticipates that she has gotten in "better shape than ever."

In the girls pentathalon, Massapequa's Heather Sweeney, who came in first in the 800 with a time of 2:26.19, noted that this is her second 800 race ever. 

"I was just trying it out," Sweeney said, adding, "I have another season coming."

She noted that Calhoun's Paige Vadnais, who came in second in the 800 with a time of 2:26.19 "put up a great race" and that the two fought neck and neck the whole way.

Vadnais hoped at the end of her race that her time, just tenths of seconds behind Sweeney, was enough to land her a spot in states. She added that she has had a good season and hit a lot of her personal bests during the season.

In the boys pentathalon, Hewlett’s Lamar Letts took the 800 with a time of 4:28.32.

After winning the 400, Garden City's Taylor Hennig said that though she didn't race her best she "did what [she] needed to do."

Of her season, Hennig said that she has gotten progressively better throughout what she called a "good season" and had a personal record at counties.

"Hopefully I'm peaking at the right time," the Garden City junior said.

Below is a list of all the state qualifiers:

Name School Race Time Division Jaquan Smith Elmont  100 Meter 0:10.93 1 Josh Trone Long Beach 100 Meter 0:10.98 1 Erin Parker Roosevelt 100 Meter 0:11.40 2 Donte Colter Roosevelt 100 Meter 0:11.41 2 Chris Garzia East Meadow 110 High Hurdles 0:14.59 1 Nyder Chardonette Uniondale 110 High Hurdles 0:14.75 1 Joe Cafaro Valley Stream North 110 High Hurdles 0:16.22 2 Owen Skeete Westbury 1600 Meter 4:21.54 1 Nuno Tinoco Mineola 1600 Meter 4:40.48 2 Michael Camaco MacArthur 200 Meter 0:22.27 1 Jaymen Teemer Long Beach 200 Meter 0:22.52 1 Erin Parker Roosevelt 200 Meter 0:23.09 2 Owen Skeete Westbury 3200 Meter 9:41.51 1 Samuel Catalano Valley Stream North 3200 Meter 10:20.47 2 Jarrek Babb Baldwin 400 IH 0:56.87 1 Joe Dores Mineola 400 IH 1:02.90 2 Kirk Staine Baldwin 400 Meter 0:49.74 1 Justin Mahoney Baldwin 400 Meter 0:52.18 1 Chris Edouard Valley Stream North 400 Meter 0:52.80 2 Jonathan Greenwood Freeport 800 Meter 1:57.76 1 Nick DeLuna Massapequa 800 Meter 1:58.26 1 Thomas Bardabelias Valley Stream North 800 Meter 1:58.78 2 Daniel Siegel Great Neck South 3000 Steeple 9:49.30 1 Fred Lang Mineola 3000 Steeple 10:15.89 2 Ieshawn Johnson Baldwin Discus 179 feet, 3 inches 1 Hugh O'Brien Westbury Discus 155 feet 1 Kendel Levy Valley Stream North Discus 139 feet, 10 inches 2 Michael Wilkens Syosset Pole Vault 12 feet, 6 inches 1 Tarquin Rattotti Cold Spring Harbor Pole Vault 12 feet 2 Jonathan LaGuardia Cold Spring Harbor Pole Vault 11 feet, 6 inches 2 Glen Forsythe Uniondale Triple Jump 45 feet, 9.5 inches 1 Justin Wilson Floral Park High Jump 6 feet, 6 inches 1 Mike Ring East Meadow High Jump 6 feet, 3 inches 1 Daniel Eng Oyster Bay High Jump 5 feet, 8 inches 2 Tayvon Hall West Hempstead Long Jump 23 feet, 7.5 inches 1 Glen Forsythe  Uniondale Long Jump 23 feet, 1.5 inches 1 Frederick Derenthal Locust Valley Long Jump 20 feet, 9 inches 2 Ieshawn Johnson Baldwin Shot Put 50 feet, 9.5 inches 1 Patrick Canny Valley Stream North Shot Put 46 feet, 4.25 inches 2 Kendel Levy Valley Stream North Shot Put 43 feet, 11.5 inches 2 Nyder Chardonette, Derrick Ingram, Khaaliq Evans and Tresean Goodwin Uniondale 4x100 Meters 0:43.21 1 Jarrek Babb, Justin Mahoney, Kirk Staine and Treyvon Mask Baldwin 4x400 Meters 3:19.30 1 Steven Barbuto, Thomas Bardabelias, Chris Eduoard and Zachary Bugge Valley Stream North 4x400 Meters 3:30.58 2 Nick DeLuna, Brendan Nyreen, Bryan Buttigieg and Andrew Valenski Massapequa 4x800 Meters 8:04.83 1 Thomas Bardabelias, Visal Mohanan, Chris Eduoard and Michael Mejia Valley Stream North 4x800 Meters 8:25.87 2 Britney Webley Uniondale 100 High Hurdles 0:14.53 1 Michelle Rotondo Garden City 100 High Hurdles 0:14.84 1 Ariel Fieldman Wheatley 100 High Hurdles 0:16.6 2 Stacey Antoine Farmingdale Discus 112 feet, 7 inches 1 Joanna Koronios Carle Place Discus 141 feet, 6 inches 2 Kristina Romano MacArthur Pole Vault 9 feet, 6 inches 1 Kelsey Morgan Cold Spring Harbor Pole Vault 9 feet 2 Hallee Henze Cold Spring Harbor  Pole Vault 8 feet, 6 inches 2 Tiara Mitchell Westbury Triple Jump 37 feet, 6.75 inches 1 Jennifer Cajou Farmingdale Triple Jump 37 feet, 4 inches 1 Chell Burke Valley Stream North Triple Jump 33 feet, 11 inches 2 Anointing Onuoha Valley Stream North Triple Jump 32 feet, 2.25 inches 2 Joanne Imbert Valley Stream Central High Jump 5 feet, 4 inches 1 Kelly Clifford MacArthur High Jump 5 feet, 2 inches 1 Ariel Fieldman Wheatley High Jump 5 feet 2 Jennifer Cajou Farmingdale Long Jump 18 feet, 4.5 inches 1 Kaitlyn Kieser Clarke Long Jump 18 feet, 1 inch 1 Anointing Onuoha Valley Stream North Long Jump 16 feet, 11.5 inches 2 Uzoamaka Aniagba Valley Stream North Shot Put 38 feet, 4.25 inches 2 Betina Mondelice Valley Stream North Shot Put 36 feet, 5.5 inches 2 Tara Belinsky Manhasset Shot Put 35 feet, 11 inches 1 Valencia Hannon Elmont 100 Meters 0:11.94 1 Emily Easton Manhasset 100 Meters 0:12.33 1 Loundy Desire Valley Stream North 100 Meters 0:12.89 2 Aja Fennell Roosevelt 100 Meters 0:12.91 2 Emily Osman North Shore 1500 Meters 4:45.26 1 Samantha Nadel North Shore 1500 Meters 4:45.60 1 Nicole Giannetti Oyster Bay 1500 Meters 4:59.43 2 Valencia Hannon Elmont 200 Meters 0:24.37 1 Danielle Martin Freeport 200 Meters 0:24.54 1 Shanice Johnson  Valley Stream 200 Meters 0:27.37 2 Elizabeth Caldwell North Shore 3000 Meters 10:39.28 1 Samantha Nadel North Shore 3000 Meters 10:39.60 1 Kira Garry Friends Academy 3000 Meters 10:09.56 2 Michelle Rotondo Garden City 400 IH 1:02.70 1 Kristen Stewart Division 400 IH 1:04.64 1 Kim Arena Cold Spring Harbor 400 IH 1:11.96 2 Taylor Hennig Garden City 400 Meters 0:58.42 1 Candace Taylor Friends Academy 400 Meters 0:59.84 2 Emma Gallagher Garden City 800 Meters 2:13.44 1 Samantha Nadel North Shore 800 Meters 2:14.22 1 Taylor Carlin Cold Spring Harbor 800 Meters 2:21.69 2 Brianna Nerud North Shore 2000 Steeple 6:41.33 1 Kira Garry Friends Academy 2000 Steeple 7:02.06 2 Camille Crayton, Tawanda Francis, Adrianna Powell and Britney Webley Uniondale 4x100 Meters 0:49.43 1 Noveka McKay, Tatyana Gadson, Oneila Denton and Eyavonne Drayton Hempstead 4x100 Meters 0:50.13 1 Chell burke, Loundy Desire, Daena Lewis and Shanice Johnson Valley Stream North 4x100 Meters 0:50.28 2 Laura Jaeger, Emma Gallagher, Alexis Yeboah-Kodie and Taryn Schmelzinger Garden City 4x400 Meters 3:54.93 1 Lucy Hays, Bailey Bondy, Carly Chianese, Grainne O'Neill Locust Valley 4x400 Meters 4:08.98 2 Samantha Nadel, Brianna Nerud, Elizabeth Caldwell and Emily Osman North Shore 4x800 Meters 9:08.35 1 Emily O'Neill, Taylor Hennig, Michelle Rotondo and Emma Gallagher Garden City 4x800 Meters 9:10.71 1 Domenica Lostritto, Kira Garry, Maureen Sullivan and Katrina Garry Friends Academy 4x800 Meters 9:52.37 2

*Garden City runner Emily O'Neil will run the open 800 meter race due to Sam Nadel scratching. Jenna DeAngelo and Sarah Rubino (4x800) will serve as alternates at the state meet.


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