Anselmini gets record in steeplechase

It's not the barriers that define the runner, Mary Kate Anselmini said afterward, but the spaces in between.

Still giddy after breaking the national high school record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase in 6 minutes, 33.01 seconds Saturday at the Suffolk individual championship and state qualifier at Port Jefferson, Ward Melville's Anselmini was hardly being philosophical. She had just squeezed past Suffern's Shelby Greany's 2009 time of 6:33.70 and defeated the next closest finisher by 47.43 seconds; her thoughts were purely practical.

"It's more [what happens] between the barriers that counts," she said. "You could be the most beautiful hurdler in the world, but if you're not fast between the hurdles, so what?"

Both literally and philosophically, Anselmini proved as adept at the obstacles as with the spaces in between. The senior and defending national steeplechase champion spent the winter with an injured foot and spent the opening parts of the spring season getting back to form. Last week, she had her Long Island record fall to North Shore junior and friend Brianna Nerud, who ran a 6:40.80 at the Nassau state qualifier.

Not lacking in confidence, Anselmini had her eye set on the national record, coach Tom Youngs said. "She was shooting for 6:40.00," he said. "I told her that if she felt good, to go for it."

The key, Youngs said, was to improve Anselmini's time between the barriers -- steeling her both psychologically and physically. That stamina served her well in the 4 x 800 relay, where she, Caroline O'Hea, Kayla Monahan and Juliana Marcucci combined to run a 9:10.56 -- enough for first place.

"She's in the best shape she's ever been in," Youngs said of Anselmini.

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"I'm over the moon," Anselmini said. "I didn't think this would happen today, but my coach told me [before] that amazing races happen when you least expect it. It was there for the taking."

Indeed, Anselmini had a fairly easy go of it, long outstripping her competition (Bayport-Blue Point's Katie Saroka took second in 7:21.34). For the last stretch, it was simply her, a streak of green, unhindered, making the best of the spaces in between.

Sachem wins big

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The Flaming Arrows will send a strong contingent upstate, with winners in the 400 meters, 800, the shot put and the 1,500 walk.

Sachem East junior Melanie Notarstefano took first in the 400 with a time of 58.12, defeating Copiague's Cipher McCloud by 14-hundredths of a second.

Junior Rachel Paul won the 800 in 2:11.59, and Brittany Christiansen took the shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 1 inch. Kelly Maranchuck won the 1,500 walk in 7:02.14.

The Bay Shore 4 x 400 relay team of Danielle Rowe, Cesia Andrade, Aasha Jackson and Jessica Gelibert took first with a time of 3:55.13. Gelibert also won the 100 hurdles in 14.75 and the 400 hurdles in 59.99. Bay Shore took second in the 4 x 100 relay.

Meanwhile, the Smithtown East 4 x 800 relay team of Kelsey Amarosa, Deirdre Connor, Michelle Conrad and Paige Koenig broke the school record with a 9:25.89, coming in third behind Ward Melville and Northport (9:16.85), according to coach Greg Schepanski. The previous mark was 9:35.85.