Blue Devil Girls' Track Building Something Special
This team could just about do it all. The Huntington High School girls' track and field squad proved adept at running, throwing and jumping en route to a 4-2 mark and second place finish in league competition.
The 47-athlete strong team was captained by Kerri-Ann Giambruno, Celine Takekoshi, Alexandra Martinolich, Dania Merilan, Adelia Witt and Lidia Aparicio. Coached by Jennifer Fudens and Kevin Thorbourne, the Blue Devil team was comprised almost exclusively of underclassmen, with just a handful of very skilled seniors in its ranks.
"These girls were dedicated to the goals of the team and were willing to do the work to accomplish them," said Fudens, who took as head coach this spring from Debra Cheskes. "There is great potential for a very strong team over the next few years."
The Blue Devils were led by Dania Merilan, Suzie Petryk, Jontae Smith, Rachel Boisclair, Alexandra Koumas, Latoya Shand and Jennifer Polster. Merilan, an explosive sprinter and relay team member, graduated last June, but the rest of the top performers are returning this spring.
"Next year there will be a very strong and fast team," Fudens said. "There will be a strong sophomore class that will be joined by a strong freshmen class coming up from Finley. School records will be broken next spring!"
Petryk, a sophomore, has a "very bright future," Fudens said. "She's willing to do what it takes to get better." Smith, who is entering her senior year, was new to the 400m run last spring but has "huge potential" the coach said.
Boisclair, a sophomore, excelled in the 400m and 800m runs. "She'll be a force," Fudens said. Koumas, who turned in many fine performances in the 800m and 1500m runs last spring and is just a freshman this year, is a "great athlete," the coach said. "She will be unbeatable in the future."
Polster is a senior this year. Her specialties are long jump and pole vault. The speedy Shand was sensational as an eighth grader last spring in the 100m dash and 4x100m relay.
Highlights of this past spring were a one-point victory over Islip with the relays pulling the Blue Devils through and the Coaches vs. Cancer Day meet that raised over $3,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Huntington team bests were turned in by:
• Jontae Smith: 400m run – 61.3 seconds.
• Alexandra Martinolich, Rachel Boisclair, Adelia Witt and Jontae Smith: 4x400m relay – 4:13.86.
• Dania Merilan: 100m dash – 12.5 seconds.
• Raynisha Witherspoon: discus – 100'; shot put – 32'10.
• Maia Cadle-Hinton: discus – 99'9; shot put – 33'3.
• Suzie Petry: 1500m run - 5:02.1.