H-ton Girls’ Win First Ever Winter Track League Title
A day of fine performances ended with the Huntington High School girls’ winter track and field team winning its first league championship ever as the Blue Devils edged runner-up North Babylon by four points in the final standings.
Huntington’s well-balanced team outdistanced the Bulldogs, 106-102. Bellport, Deer Park, East Islip, Hauppauge, Half Hollow Hills West, West Babylon, West Islip and Riverhead trailed.
“While track and field can sometimes be a pursuit of individual accolades, today was truly a team accomplishment across the board,” head coach Debra Cheskes said. “They worked hard all year and it really paid off for them.”
Competing in her final indoor season, Huntington senior Suzie Petryk won 1000m and 1500m league titles. “She started off the 1000m run strong and ran a very even, very smart race,” assistant coach Shawn Anderson said. The teenager crossed the finish line in 3:05.70.
Sophomores Alexis Pastorelli (fifth in 3:12.21) and Louise Kopele (sixth in 3:14.32) notched personal bests to give the Blue Devils a strong presence in the 1000m run. Petryk’s time set a new Suffolk League III record in the event, breaking the previous mark of 3:06.21 set by Bellport’s Teresa Fath in 2001.
On very limited rest, Petryk returned to the starting line for the 1500m run and again ran a great race. “She let the rest of the field do the work, before taking off with 400m to go,” Anderson said. Petryk finished in 5:11.28. Freshman teammate Nicole Abbondandelo was also superb, placing third in 5:13.84. Senior Kiara Roman finished 12th in 5:43.77.
Abbondandelo cruised to victory in the 3000m run in a time of 10:50.09. The teenager ran a “very smart, tactical race,” Anderson said. Eighth graders Sophie Dellecave (10th in 12:06.94) and Hadley Clayton (12th in 12:27.47) also competed.
Senior Kayla Eidle was splendid in the 1500m race walk, lowering her school record to 7:51.41 to finish second. Senior China Celestin placed ninth in 9:46.49.
In other action:
• Junior Alexandra Koumas faced down an extremely talented field and ran a very aggressive race, finishing third in the 600m run in 1:41.72. Senior Sara Stewart placed 10th in a personal best time of 1:52.13. Freshman Alexandra McKenzie was 13th in 1:58.44. The event drew 21 competitors.
• Junior Latoya Shand was sensational in the 300m dash, crossing the finish line third in 43.56. “She got out hard and just kept going,” Cheskes said. Gaffney ran a personal best 44.79 to place seventh. Senior Heather Joseph ran the event in 48.21. The field consisted of 30 competitors.
• First year team member Taylor Moreno enjoyed an outstanding day. The junior placed second in long jump with a leap of 17-02.25 and third in triple jump with an effort that was measured 35-00, which broke Hannah Helrich’s four year old Huntington mark of 34-05.
• Junior Lexi Mills placed 10th in triple jump with a distance of 31-11.50. Junior Savannah Richardson was 12th with an effort that stretched to 31-09.75.
• Sophomore Marina Ruzic (seventh in 7.71) and Shand (ninth in 7.76) ran personal bests in the 55m dash. Janelle Fore (18th in 8.15) also competed in the tough 28 athlete field.
• Sophomore Ryann Gaffney finished seventh in the 55m hurdles in a time of 9.53, just off her season best effort of 9.51. Ekaterina Koulakova (14th in 10.45) and Erin Morrisroe (15th in 10.63) rounded out Huntington’s competitors in the 27 athlete strong field.
• Ruzic placed fifth in long jump with a very solid leap of 16-02.50. Freshman Mardnie Mentor jumped 12-02.25.
• Huntington put three athletes in the shot put finals with senior Tara Byrnes placing fourth with a throw of 33-00.50. Senior Ellyn Byrnes took sixth place after tossing 30-08.00. Junior Nina Cartwright finished seventh after notching a huge personal best by two feet and breaking through the 30-foot barrier with a throw of 30-03.00.
• Richardson took fourth place in high jump by clearing 4-10.00.
• The 4x400m relay team of Abbondandelo, Richardson, Koumas and Petryk overcame their collective tiredness to finish second in 4:19.49.
• The 4x200m relay team of Moreno, Shand, Gaffney and Mills emptied their remaining tanks to place second in 1:51.64.
• Ruzic, Dellecave, Koepele and Pastorelli raced to a third place finish in the 4x800m relay, crossing the line in 10:14.50, five seconds ahead of fourth place finisher North Babylon.
Huntington and defending champion North Babylon were neck-and-neck heading into the relays. “Coming down to the 4x8, we were up by only two points,” Anderson said. “All we had to do was beat them in the 4x8 and we would come home victors. This was a total team effort. Every single girl laid it out on the line and left it on the track.”
North Babylon came with a strong team and performed well. “We were pushed to the limit and battled until the final race,” Anderson said. “They are a class act.” At the end of the meet both teams and sets of coaches exchanged handshakes.”
The Blue Devils celebrated Senior Day at the league championships. Huntington honored Petryk, Stewart, Roman, Celestin, Eidle, Joseph, the Byrnes sisters, Hadley Petrizzi, Carolyn Cimetta and Anne Osias. “They will definitely be missed,” Cheskes said.