H-ton Records Set at Ocean Breeze Freedom Games
The Huntington girls’ winter track and field team just likes to have fun. The teenagers enjoy competing and take delight in exceeding any expectations that might have been established for them by others.
At last weekend’s Freedom Games at the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Center in Staten Island, the Blue Devils were up to the task of competing against some of the top stars in the metropolitan area.
“Overall, it was a solid day,” Huntington head coach Debra Cheskes said. “We were very consistent as a team with lots of personal bests on a great track.”
The 135,000 square foot state of the art facility features a hydraulically banked track that can be converted from six to eight lanes and incline 4.5 feet. The site offers impressive views of the nearby Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan. “It’s also the first IAAF (International Association of Athletic Federations) certified track on the east coast and the new home of the state meet after this year,” said Shawn Anderson, the Blue Devil assistant coach.
Last weekend’s meet included separate red, white and blue divisions, “with the faster sections being red, mostly,” Anderson said. Regardless of which division they were assigned to compete in, the Huntington contingent gave everything they had when their event was called.
New H-ton Records Established
Huntington sophomore Nicole Abbondandelo set a new Huntington record in the 3000m run when she placed eighth in 10:43.8. “She ran a really strong, gutsy race with some of the best in the state,” Anderson said. “She came through the mile in 5:38 and finished in a new personal best, indoors and outdoors.”
Senior Nina Cartwright set a new Blue Devil pole vault record when she cleared 9-06.25 feet to finish sixth. Teammate Alexandra McKenzie notched a new personal best by soaring 7-06.00 feet.
In other action:
• Louise Koepele ran a season best 3:16.8 to place 10th in the 1000m run’s “white” division. Hadley Clayton (3:27.24) and Alexandra McKenzie (3:28.12) to finish second and third, respectively, in the race’s “blue” division.
• Alexandra Koumas continues to race with the tactics of a champion, winning her 600m heat in the “red” division and placing seventh overall in a time of 1:40.70, a mere .24 of a second shy of her own school mark.
• Latoya Shand (43.44 seconds), Marina Ruzic (44.57 seconds) and Amber Stieve (48.41 seconds) all ran season or personal bests in the 300m run. Stieve won her heat in the “blue” division.
• In the 4x200m relay, Marina Ruzic, Latoya Shand, Ryann Gaffney and Savannah Richardson captured their heat in 1:50.55, just off the Blue Devil record and good enough for 14th place overall.
• In their first 4x800m relay of the season, Louise Koepele, Nicole Abbondandelo, Alexandra Koumas and Alexis Pastorelli completed the race in a time of 9:59.53.
• In the 55m high hurdles, Ryann Gaffney led the Blue Devils with a 14th place finish in 9.27 seconds. “After that a slew of our hurdlers had huge bests including Rebecca Caballero (10.01), Ekaterina Koulakova (10.26), Erin Morrisroe (10.33), Megan Bacik (10.77), Mardnie Mentor (10.94) and Bella Annunziata (11.40),” Anderson said.
• Savannah Richardson placed third in the high jump’s “white” section with a leap of 4-10 feet.
• Erika Varady lowered her personal best time in the 1500m race walk, timing out in 8:33.93.
• Lexi Mills was Huntington’s top finisher in the triple jump with an effort that measured 31-07 feet. Rebecca Caballero (30-04.50 feet) and Amber Stieve (27-05.50 feet) also notched personal bests.
• Nina Cartwright improved on her previous best effort in the weight throw (similar to the outdoor hammer throw) with a toss that flew 26-02 feet.
• Christina Nigro posted a time of 8.50 seconds in the 55m dash.