North Girls Track Toughs Out Win Over Connetquot

Sachem North Girls Track & Field team evened its League II record at 2-2 with a strong win over Connetquot last Thursday. The meet score of 87-63 belies how close the meet was as Sachem did not clinch victory until long jump was contested just before the relays.  

Sachem scored its 74th team point (76 points wins a dual meet) when Marysa Mullen placed third in the 3000 meter run behind Connetquot’s Jess Smillie and Erin Melly (the duo also went 1-2 in the 1500 meter run).  Sunja Joseph and Melissa Michels went 1-2 in long jump and team victory was ensured as Sachem was up 82-53 going into the relays.  Sachem won the 4x100 meter relay to close out its scoring day.

Connetquot held the lead nearing the halfway mark with wins in the 1500, 400, racewalk, and pole vault. Sachem sprinters and jumpers scored high in the early rounds of the meet as Sachem took the top two spots in triple jump, 100 m. hurdles and the 100 meter dash. Following Connetquot’s surprising sweep in shotput, the T-Birds were up 38-34 going into the 800 meter run.

The 800 meter run would be a turning point in the meet as Sachem’s Kelly Lavan and Becca Duffy sprinted to a lead they would never relinquish at the gun and went 1-2 as Kelly controlled the pace and Becca ran to a career-best 2:27.3.  Sachem took the meet lead 42-38 and never looked back. The Flaming Arrows won four of the next five events (200, 400 m. hurdles, discus, long jump) as it began to pull away from the T-Birds.

Sachem had some inspirational scoring during the meet. Eighth grader Mackenzie Coleman led a strong Sachem pack including freshman Elise Ramirez and sophomore Oriana Howell (in a season-best) to place third in the 1500 meter run. Freshman Ashley Williams closed a 15 meter gap on the final straightaway in the 400 meter dash but ran out of real estate as she was out-leaned by a Connetquot rival at the finish line as both runners were timed in 62.8 seconds.

Team cheers erupted as sophomore Madalyn Iadanza cleared a career-best 8’ 0” on her first attempt at the height in the pole vault. Madalyn tied for second in the event. The loudest cheers of the meet were for junior Emily Rathmann in the 4x800 meter relay.

Emily – in her first 800 meter run of the season – was locked in a back and forth duel with Connetquot’s second leg of the relay. Emily caught her rival shortly after receiving the baton from leadoff leg Becca Duffy and held off several passing attempts by an experienced distance runner over the two lap run.  Emily used her sprinter speed to outkick Connetquot’s runner and handoff the baton to teammate Oriana Howell in a 2:39.8 split and a temporary race lead.

FOOTNOTES

• Sachem won the battle for top 2 scoring.  Sachem took 9 firsts and 11 seconds in the 15 open events.  Sachem swept one event (high jump) and won 8-1 in seven events.
• Sachem throwers rebounded from a Connetquot sweep in the shotput by going 1-2 in discus.
• Sachem sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers showed typical dual meet dominance by outscoring Connetquot 55-7 in high jump, long jump, triple jump, 100 m., 200 m., 100 m. hurdles and 400 m. hurdles.
• Third time’s a charm! – Sunja Joseph and Nikki Fogarty scored in three events today.  Both athletes had event wins in their third event, too.
• Four times is pretty charming, too! – Melissa Michels scored in all four of her events today with three event wins (100, 200, 4x100) and a second in long jump behind teammate Sunja.
• Sachem hurdlers had an outstanding day in both scoring and season-bests.
• The team was delighted and inspired by the arrival of Coach O’Brien at today’s meet.  Coach “O’B” was back with the team for the first time following knee surgery one week ago.

Article/photos courtesy of Alex Young, head coach of North girls track and field