Led by the senior tandem of Alex DeCicco in 19th (18:59) and Val Romero in 34th (19:15), the Sachem East Girls XC team secured their highest finish ever- 4th place- in the New York State Federation Cross Country Championships held at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls on November 21st.
Saratoga Springs, ranked third in the nation, scored 77 points to take the win. North Rockland (115), Monroe-Woodbury (145), Sachem East (187), and Guilderland (217) followed in that order in the 27 team field that combined the top Public, Private, Catholic, and New York City schools from across NY state.
Also contributing to the outstanding team effort were Rachel Ruggiero (59th- 19:50), Lindsey Dodenhoff (85th- 20:10), Tiffany Ly (116th- 20:31), Jill Manfredi (131st- 20:45), and Ciara Murphy (178th- 21:43). “That was a gutsy race out there,” remarked East Coach Dan Schaub. “The fast pace and the long uphills took their toll on many teams today, but our girls showed their toughness by fighting all the way through to the finish.”
Their effort was worth it. The 4th place finish was the highest for a Sachem team since 1998. One of the members of that squad, Jeanna Composti, will be competing in the US Olympic Trials in February, having qualified for the Marathon Trials with a stellar 2 hour 42 minute performance at last year’s Chicago Marathon.
The Arrows will be returning to Bowdoin Park this Saturday, November 28th, for the Nike Cross Regional (NXR) competition held on the same course. The top two teams and top 5 individuals from each of 9 regions receive an all expense paid trip to Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) held in Oregon in December.