Defending County Champions. Three words that can be defined in many ways. Some see “pressure” or “challenge.” Others see “opportunity.” And then there’s the old “rebuilding” vs. “reloading” cliches that dominate all preseason discussion.
Well, all of the above certainly apply to this year’s Girls Indoor Track Team at Sachem East. The 2015-2016 team won the Suffolk County Indoor Title. A number of star performers graduated and are now competing on the collegiate level. So what then are the prospects of the 2016-2017 squad? Who returns to carry the torch?
With six of the 17 events contested in the major meets deemed “endurance” events, East’s distance squad provides the foundation of the indoor team. All-State Cross Country Stalwarts Rachel Ruggiero and Lindsey Dodenhoff will be backed by All-County Melissa Merone, Shayna Arrigo, and Lauren Harris, with experienced Caitlin O’Hehir, Allison Rinfret, and Margaret Atwood primed to break through. Lauren Harris, National Champion in the Racewalk, also leads the strongest Racewalk squad in New York State, with Anna Arrigo, Sam Delano, Chelsea Benedict, Hailey DiCarlo, and Margaret Atwood all amongst the best in Suffolk County.
The long sprint/middle distance events will be led by School Record Holder Kaitlyn Famiglietti, with Angela Calabrese, Skylar Papele, Alice Tsai, Angela Consolazio, Gianna Pepitone, and Judy Le all in the mix. The short sprints will be led by Brooke Papele with Jordan Messineo, Jeilyn Balbuena, Isabelle Jimenez, and Imani Martin sprinting over the hurdles. Some of those same athletes will be counted on in the jumps, with Jasmine Ahmed and Ciera Dolan leading the High Jumpers and Emily Schatz and Alice Tsai leading the Long Jump/Triple Jump unit. Most of these same student-athletes will provide great depth for both the 4×200 and 4×400 relays.
Sachem East also returns a powerful throws squad led by All-County Erin Leonard and Christina Artusa. In addition, Rosalie Gandarillas, Aliya Martin, and Michaela Parker all look ready to move far into the post-season in both the Shot Put and Weight Throw.
With last year’s graduation of many key scorers, the veteran team members will need to step up in both effort and performance to take their place in the scoring line-up. Helping them out should be this year’s crop of “new blood,” rookies that are needed every year to replenish the ranks. This year there are about 10 newcomers who are showing some real potential, with Bridget Abraldes, Olivia Eiden, Juliana Grillo, and Rachel Weber already stepping up.
Where exactly they will make their mark is yet to be seen, as is the answer to the question of what veterans will continue to progress into scoring roles. Who will take the challenge? Who will thrive under pressure? Who will seize the opportunity? Stay tuned to find out!