Sports
East and North Runners Qualify for States
Both Sachem schools run well on first day of qualifying.
Running the 200-meter event in 22.91 seconds to make the finals in the Suffolk County state qualifying track meet, Davon Christopher had to hit the brakes just a bit. Not to be mistaken for slacking but rather shrewd strategy, the Sachem North junior seized an opportunity left by Bellport, who to his surprise had dropped out of the event.
"Today I took it easy," he said. "But tomorrow, I'm going all out."
Christopher competed in two other events for North during the sweltering Friday afternoon at Port Jefferson High School, including the 4X400-meter relay, which he, C.J. Weilbracher, Alex Lazarich, and Brian Wersan finished for a time of 3:31.68. In the 4X100-meter relay, Christopher joined Ryan Calabrese, Darius Cooper and Bonifacio Aguila for a combined time of 44.97 seconds.
Connor Dolan came out in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:46.12 - one second off his personal best, but still a strong performance according to assistant coach Ryan Stillufsen. Pentathletes Joe Johnson and Tim Randazzo, finishing shotput, high jump and the 100-meter hurdles today, will finish the remaining two events tomorrow.
The East boys fell short of greater glory in Friday's running events, with only high jumper Greg Markfelder representing East in the field (jumping Saturday afternoon at the qualifiers' second half). Brandon Davis finished fifth in the 100-meter run with a time of 11.7 seconds. Joe DiRienzo finished fourth overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.8, and Nick Caffaro completed the 400-meter hurdles in 60.7 seconds.
North and East boys will reconvene at Port Jefferson High School Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. to compete in the second half of the Suffolk County state qualifying meet.
Girls results and news
Like all competitors, Rachel Paul has a particular distaste for losing. But placing second didn't seem so bitter after she qualified in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:12.17, allowing the East girls track runner to go on to the state meet by beating the state standard time of 2:14.8.
"Sure, the performance could've been better," said East head coach Peter McNeil after the first half of the Suffolk County state qualifying meet held at Port Jefferson High School Friday afternoon. "Rachel was not happy about being beaten, but she made it through and that was the goal."
Another success story for East: Lisa Luchsinger qualified for the states in both the 100-meter and the 200-meter, with respective times of 12.37 (first place) and 25.67 seconds (second place).
"She blasted by that in over two seconds, so she got her spot," said assistant East girls track coach Dan Schaub of Luchsinger's time.
Unfortunately, Meghan Walsh fell just shy of a state spot in the 400-meter run with a ninth-place finish of 69.39 seconds. In long distance, Caitlyn Ryan took eleventh in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 11:08.45.
Among North's contenders, Joanna Staniewski made it to the states in discus, placing seventh with a distance of 95' 10" (a career best). Staniewski said it would be her last time throwing before graduation, adding that the path to the states was cleared further by the scratching of at least three other girls, and mirroring Paul in that she was pleased to be moving on though she found her placement disappointing. She hopes to keep throwing in college, when she attends SUNY Geneseo in the fall.
Shanice Futrell, joining Staniewski in the field, had a career best with a long jump distance of 17' 2 3/4". Leann DeQuatro finished the 3,000-meter run with a career-best time of 11:12.13. Kiera Wood enjoyed a season best in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:17.22.
East and North will return Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. to Port Jefferson for the second half of the Suffolk County state qualifying meet.
