East Outdistances North in Friendly Rivalry

In Tuesday’s cross country meet between Sachem North and Sachem East, there was an intense “battle” for second place between East’s Thomas Rascona and North’s Colin Eberhardt. (East’s Ryan Scarpelli didn’t waste much time in determining who would finish first.)

For the better part of the race, Rascona and Eberhardt sprinted, climbed and twisted their way through East’s 3-mile course, never more than a heel-to-toe distance from one another. Rascona crossed the finish line first, edging out Eberhardt by one second. “Coach told me ‘don’t let him beat you to the dinner table,’ ” Rascona said.

But where most competitors would simply shake hands at the finish line, the two runners joined winner Scarpelli for a series of hugs and smiles. So goes the rivalry between these two cross country squads.

“[North runners] are my friends, more than my competitors,” Rascona said. Added Eberhardt, “[East] is a rivalry, but also there’s a camaraderie.”

That camaraderie has built up over many years, and East coach John Horst has been there the entire time. The “first-year” coach previously coached North for 36 years. That makes him uniquely qualified to talk about the friendly rivalry.

“We train together all summer,” Horst said. “It’s a combined training program. Everyone knows everyone. It makes for great competition.”

Tuesday, Scarpelli got out fast, distancing himself early from other runners. While recognizing the added excitement of running against familiar opponents, he keeps a simple philosophy.

“I’m friends with a lot of these guys, but all I’m thinking about is keeping my focus on the course,” he said. Scarpelli’s winning time was 17:24, a full 24 seconds ahead of Rascona.

“Ryan’s got to be considered in the conversation when you’re talking about the best runners in the county,” Horst said, adding that beating North 21 – 35 was “bittersweet.”

Top Finishers:

1. Ryan Scarpelli, East; 17:24

2. Thomas Rascona, East; 17:48

3. Colin Eberhardt, North; 17:49

4. Zach Patsy, East; 18:20

5. Franklin Perez, East; 18:37

6. Michael Loschiavo, North; 18:53

7. Chris Penteck, North; 19:05

8. John Onken, North; 19:08