Emma Cleary Repeats in Pole Vault for SJB

An injured left heel didn’t stop junior Emma Cleary from defending her title in the pole vault.

While her 9-foot effort was a full foot less than her season best, it was good enough Saturday at the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA track and field championships in South Huntington.

“During triple [jump] I landed hard on my heel,” Cleary said. “So I really didn’t want to push it. Intersectionals is next week.”

Pole vault was Cleary’s third event of the day. Cleary was third in the long jump (16-4.75), behind St. Anthony’s senior Katie Gallagher (17-1.5) and SJB teammate Alexis Smith (17-1).

Cleary didn’t place in the triple jump. But it was all part of her team-first attitude. In fact, Cleary took up pole vault a year ago as a way to help her team score in the event. St. Anthony’s had dominated until she came along.

Now it’s her best event and she is a two-time league champion.

“I’m pretty tired, but this is what I do,” Cleary said.

St. Anthony’s swept the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA Large Schools team championships. The from the pack with 110 points. Kellenberg was second (78), St. John the Baptist third (74) and Holy Trinity a distant fourth (19).

St. Anthony’s also with 124.33 points, outdistancing second-place Chaminade (65) and St. John the Baptist in third (59.66).

Up next is the CHSAA Intersectional championship next Saturday at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. The top finishers advance to the state Federation meet.

SJB senior Victoria Lundin won the 100 (12.32 seconds) and the 200 (24.83). The 4 x 100 relay, featuring Lundin, ran second to the Friars (48.48 to 49.47). Lundin and St. Anthony’s junior Olicia Williams shared the track MVP honors.

Senior Anne Carey won the 3,000 10:15.32, besting Holy Trinity’s Colleen Schmdit (10:26.59). But Schmdit won the 1,500 (4:36.62), edging Carey (4:37.45). The 4 x 400 relay, with Carey running, placed second to St. Anthony’s (3:55.84 to 4:01.58).

“I’m really pleased,” said Carey, who will run at Columbia. “I didn’t expect to win. I knew I had a chance.”

On the boys side, senior Matt Zampariello won the 300 steeplechase in 9:59.29.

Senior Seitu Solomon won the triple jump in 45-11 and the long jump in 21-3.5. Solomon also ran second in the 800 (1:58.33). He earned boys field MVP.

The 4 x 100 relay foursome of Lavan Mapps-Whitmore, John Selle, Hunter Burrell and Thomas DuPlessis took home the title in 44.62, holding off Chaminade (45.04) and St. Anthony’s (45.08).