Six Sachem East Girls Earn All-Long Island Track Honors

Open to the state qualifiers and top non-qualifiers from Nassau, Suffolk, and the CHSAA, the Long Island Elite Invitational allows the qualifiers for the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships an opportunity to not only get one more high level effort, but a chance to be named to the All-Long Island Team.

This years meet, held on Friday evening at St Anthony's High School in Huntington, featured many of New York's best with six Sachem East Girls and two Sachem East relays placing in the top 6 in their events.

Sachem East's four State qualifiers all turned in excellent performances. Amanda Zaput equalled her season best of 9'6" to place 4th in the Pole Vault. Diamond Jackson placed 2nd in the Shot Put (37' 3.5"), and Holly Lindoe earned the title of Long Island Champion winning the 1500 Meter Racewalk in 6:52.33. Lindoe is currently ranked 2nd in New York State. Laurie Semetsis, state qualifier in the 600, led off the 4 by 800 relay and teamed with Shannon O'Hehir, Katie Hempfling, and Casey Gelderman to place 3rd with a 10:00.13 clocking.

Also earning the Long Island Champion honor was Weight Thrower Gabby Trejo (44'4") who is currently ranked 10th in the state. Just behind Trejo were Brittany Sepe (3rd, 36'10"), and Taylor Kern (4th, 36'6"). Sepe also placed 6th in the Shot Put (35'5.25") to be named All-Long Island in two events.

Sachem East also turned in an excellent performance in the 4 by 200 meter relay, just missing the school record, as Ebonie Lewis, Shannon Haberkorn, Ashley Mercado, and Essence Sterling teamed to place 5th in a season best 1:49.93. Karli Murphy placed 6th in the Frosh-Soph 1500, also posting a season best (5:05.30), as did Rebecca Carroll in the Frosh-Soph 300, posting 46.56.

Although Sachem East's top hurdler Shannon Haberkorn's time of 9.28 in the 55 Hurdles was not a season best, her teammates in the 5th-ranked 3 by 55 Hurdle Relay squad both hit personal bests with Paige Picascio timed in 9.13, and Katie Sullivan running a 9.51.

Jackson, Zaput, Semetsis, and Lindoe will be traveling upstate to Cornell University on Friday, with the State Championships taking place on Saturday.

This article was submitted by Pete McNeill.