Blue Devil Sports Briefs
During a season that featured so many accomplishments to feel good about, the performance of the Huntington High School crew team’s girls’ Junior 4 rowers Shayne Larkin, Mia Rienzo, Katie Getz and Alanna Tieman, with coxswain Jason Leek, is definitely a highlight. The group qualified for the finals in the event at the New York State Scholastic Championship Regatta at Saratoga Springs.
Blue Devils Stay Competitive
The 2009 Huntington varsity girls’ track and field team was a feisty squad of 41 that practiced and competed under head coach Debra Cheskes and assistant coach Pat Kehoe. The group finished with a 3-4 mark, fifth in the league and 11th in the division.
Cheskes called the squad “a very young and inexperienced team that was willing to try various events in order to find their niche. They will continue to grow in the seasons to come.”
All-League honors were garnered by Dania Merilan, Rachel Russo, Alexandra Krapf, Alisa Sosa, Lauren Visbal and Anna Lemmon, respectively. Senior Maria Marascia was All-League and All-Division in the 400m hurdles.
“Maria will be impossible to replace, as she was the leader in points the past two years,” Cheskes said about Marascia, who is headed to the Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst and will run on the track team there.
Visbal repeatedly broke her own school triple jump record this past spring and finished fifth in Suffolk in the event. “She has the ability and drive to go all the way next year,” Cheskes said.
Senior Kathryn Schmitz was a standout in the distance events. “Her versatility helped the team greatly,” Cheskes said. Sophomore Cristina Badalamenti “really came into her own” this past season, the coach said. She was second on the team in points, finishing fourth in the division in the long jump, qualifying for the county meet and turning in strong performances in the 400m run.
Looking ahead to next spring, Visbal, Badalamenti and Krapf will all return. “They will resume their positions as the strong athletes on the team,” Cheskes said. “On the throws side, Anna Lemmon and Monica Rodriquez will both continue to develop and capture many points for the team.”
Athletic Bids Awarded
Huntington School Board members awarded bids for athletic supplies to Neff Company ($10,637.99), Passon’s/Sports Supply Group ($4,038.60), Aztec Sports Long Island, Inc. ($14,205.23), Port Jefferson Sporting Goods ($18,655.13), All-American Sportswear ($5.55), Longstretch Sporting Goods ($2,808.70), South Shore Outdoor Stores ($10,510.64), Sew Sporty ($1,116), MF Athletic Company ($488.90), Absolute Fencing Gear, Inc. ($1,480.61) and GTM Sportswear ($4,992).
Mock Leads the Way
Stephen Mock grabbed All-Division and All-County honors and was an honorable mention All-American for the Huntington boys’ lacrosse team this past spring. Mock, who is headed to Cornell University, finished his Blue Devil career with 123 goals, 61 assists and 184 points.
Andrew Sheerin was named to the All-Division team and Nick Saputo earned the Rookie of the Year Award. Huntington was coached by Paul McDermott, Eric Triolo and Kip Lukralle and captained by Mock, Kevin Bilzi and Brian Ruggiero. Bilzi will begin studies at Hamilton College in the fall and Ruggiero is destined for Tufts Univ.
McDermott said the team’s goal for next season is simple: “Win a division championship.”
Speed, Strength and Conditioning
Kevin Zaharios, who served as a Blue Devil football line coach last year, has been appointed to the newly created position of speed, strength and conditioning coach at Huntington High School. The post will be funded by reallocating existing monies within the athletic department budget.
“The Booster Club’s donation of new weight room and cardiovascular fitness equipment, along with the remodeling of the downstairs weight room has been a huge success among our students and coaches,” said Georgia D. McCarthy, district director of athletics. “Since the completion of both rooms, the students have been utilizing each room on a daily basis. Due to the overwhelming success of our new facility, it is essential that a position be created to supervise and train students appropriately along with maintaining the facilities, equipment and general safety signage specific to each piece of equipment.”
Zaharios is the owner and president of KO Floors, a floor refinishing company that was founded in 1984. Before coming to Huntington, he coached football at Babylon High School and East Northport Middle School. He has also coached in the Huntington Youth Football League and served as a board member and been a Suffolk PAL representative since 2003. He’s worked as a speed, strength and conditioning coach with Fast Muscle, Inc. since 2007.
As the speed, strength and conditioning coach, Zaharios will work during the fall, winter and spring seasons, and also supervise the facilities during the summer months for training sessions.
According to a job description, “The coach will assist the athletic director in creating a positive atmosphere in the weight training facility and a culture of dedication and commitment to the strength program.”
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