Girls Winter Track preview
SUFFOLK LARGE SCHOOLS
Bay Shore has enough to win its ninth straight large school title with seniors Kim Moran and Stephanie Barnes. Middle-distance runners Olivia Civardi, Alexas deLyra, Kathryn Glynn and Megan Donovan add depth. Brittany Silipo (hurdles) will also be a factor. Ward Melville’s strength is in distance with Caroline O’Hea and MaryKate Anselmini. North Babylon has field specialist Vanessa Stewart and sprinters Nieema Lewis and Natalie Green. Commack has distance runner Allison Stapleton. Brentwood could emerge with Essence Felder and Donna Jeanty. Lianne Farber and Elizabeth Fierro lead Northport, and Longwood has Jenny Johnston.
GIRLS INDOOR TRACK STATE QUALIFIER: Anselmini, O’Hea go distance for W. Melville
Henry, Marcus. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 11 Feb 2009:
The type of effort put forth by distance runners Mary Kate Anselmini and Caroline O’Hea at the Suffolk indoor track state qualifiers at Suffolk CC-Brentwood yesterday is exactly what the Ward Melville girls program needed.
Anselmini, a sophomore, took first in the 1,000 meters in 2 minutes, 57.53 seconds and O’Hea finished first in the 3,000 in 10:25.25.
Both runners qualified for the New York State indoor championships at Cornell beginning March 7.
“We lost a lot of talented runners from last year, but we are building the program back up,” Anselmini said. “I was so proud to see Caroline win the 3,000.”
Anselmini, who held off Mount Sinai’s Janie Turek (3:00.98) and Lianne Farber of Northport (3:02.23), said her time was nearly a personal best.
“I like to do the final kick at weird times during a race,” Anselmini said. “Instead of doing it at 200 meters, I’ll do it at 250 or something just to throw everyone off.”
O’Hea’s race was decided a bit earlier as she took a commanding lead midway through the race. Caitlyn Ryan of Sachem East finished second (10:37.22) and Allison Stapleton (10:45.54) took third. “The air is a little dry and it’s a little hard to breathe,” O’Hea, a freshman, said. “But it’s the same for everyone, so you just have to keep working hard.”
O’Hea was hoping to run closer to 10:20, but said winning the race was the most important thing.
Winners in the sprints included Floyd’s Corine Magee in the 55 meters (7.37) and Glenn’s Mary Kate Sivilli in the 600 (1:35.52). Magee topped Mount Sinai’s Janet Mellor (7.59) and Lisa Luchsinger of Sachem East (7.53). Longwood‘s Jenny Johnston finished second in the 600 in 1:38.83 and Christina Cristobal (Hills West) was third in 1:41.84.
North Babylon’s Vanessa Stewart won the shot put (46 feet, 11 inches) and will make her second straight trip to the state championship. Shoreham-Wading River’s Ashley Clasen took second in 41- 1/2 and Bay Shore’s Cherrice Brown was third (39-3 1/2).
East Hampton’s Emily Hren took first in the high jump (5-3), edging Ashley Beck (5-2) of Smithtown East and Half Hollow Hills West’s Alyssa Buccella, who jumped 5-1.
Brentwood’s Essence Felder took first in the long jump (17-10), beating Bay Shore’s Stephanie Barnes, who took second in 17- 1/4, and Nicole Stanko of Connetquot, who jumped 16-8.