MERRICK, NY — It's not every year that a program does something it never has before. For Sanford Calhoun High School Track & Field, however, the 2025-26 season was such a year. The program brought home conference titles in both boys' and girls' indoor track, marking the first time in school history the feat had been accomplished and earning them this week's student athlete of the week award.
"The dual victory marks a milestone moment for the program and reflects the depth, dedication, and unity that defined the Colts throughout the season," Calhoun coaches told Patch. "The defining factor was the collective effort from every athlete who contributed crucial points. From sprints to distance, jumps to throws, the Colts rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
While the coaches touted a team effort that led Calhoun to success across disciplines, there were a few standouts on the road to a double title.
On the girls' side, it was Jenny Gasparello, winning conference titles in high jump, long jump and triple jump — a feat Calhoun coaches called a "triple crown" of jumping events.
It was also a four-person unit featuring Cayleigh Tuzzolo, Jessica Viggiano, Noora Ibrahim and Kristen Higgins, who won the conference title in the 4x800 meter relay.
"It was a great season, they worked really hard throughout the whole thing, so it's nice to see it come to fruition," coach Madison Stapleton said.
For the boys, the headliners included Oraldini Mpoy, who won the conference long jump title and was awarded all-conference honors in the 55-meter dash, and Tyler Booker, who managed to bring home conference titles in the 100-and 1600-meter runs.
"The history of the boys and girls' teams have been that we always won many counties, both teams. The goal, at the beginning of the season, is to win the county…they know that's the focus from day one," Coach David Hendler told Patch.
In total, 11 girls and 10 boys were awarded all-conference honors.
The girls named all-conference are as follows:
Jamie Low-Menninger
Noora Ibrahim
Kristen Higgins
Cayleigh Tuzzolo
Jessica Viggiano
Jenny Gasparello
Isabella Barnes
Sofia Maganuco
Alexa Zohar
Sky Zohar
Sophia Del Cid
The boys awarded all conference are as follows:
Oraldini Mpoy
Diego Martinez
Tyler Booker
Alexander Nalbone
Andrew Ammirati
Luke Pierce
Matthew Bailey
Andy Granados
Jack Ciccimarro
Hanson Cao
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