St. Anthony's Marisa D'Angelo flying to top of CHSAA in pole vault

The last year of Marisa D’Angelo’s athletic life has been a constant struggle of starts and stops. But she’s come out of it with a championship, and possibly a career path. The St. Anthony’s pole vaulter, who owns the Long Island indoor record in the event, battled through numerous injuries in the last year, struggling to get back to the airborne state that she loves so much. Now, she’s flying again.

"To say it’s been the hardest season of my high school career is an understatement," D’Angelo said.

Slowly but surely, the light is beginning the shine on D’Angelo’s senior year. She cleared 12 feet to win at the CHSAA indoor track and field intersectional championships Saturday at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island. D’Angelo was voted Field MVP of the meet and qualified for the state championships, scheduled for March 5 at Ocean Breeze.

St. Anthony’s won the girls team championship with 51 points, 21 better than second-place Molloy.

D’Angelo’s issues weren’t solely on the training table. As she’s gotten faster and stronger, she’s struggled to harness that into pole vault success. She failed to clear her opening height three times this season, she said, and is just now learning how to use her increased athletic ability.

"I think, over time, it’ll all come together," D’Angelo said. "It’s just extremely slow and gradual. But it’s going to come at the right time and I need to trust that. That’s OK."

Saturday, D’Angelo used a longer pole — one that is heavier and doesn’t flex as much. With her increased strength, she hopes the new pole, and runway steps that finally appear in sync, will lead to higher clears.

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: CHSAA Intersectional indoor track championships

"I’ve constantly faced so many failures this season," she said. "Today, I just said ‘I want to have fun.’ I want to be able to do what I used to do. I got on the runway and I felt fast. I haven’t felt that in a really long time. When I got up in the air I said, ‘I’m flying again.’ My doctor, when she cleared me, the first thing she said to me was ‘fly girl, fly.' "

As D’Angelo rehabbed tendon issues, she decided that physical therapy was a career path she’d be drawn to. She’ll attend Towson University next school year, where she’ll also pole vault.

"The whole process of my injury and the people I was with, they inspired me so much," D’Angelo said. "It was a profession that just seemed like me. For now, that’s what I want to do."

D’Angelo wasn’t the only St. Anthony’s field athlete to turn in a winning performance. Maria Chiariello won the weight throw, tossing 41 feet, 1 ½ inches. Chiariello, a junior, joined the track team this season after ending her basketball career. Months after learning the weight throw [although, both her father and uncle competed in the event in high school], she is a champion.

"They inspired me to start it," Chiariello said of her father and uncle, Carmine and Vincenzo. "It’s getting me somewhere."

On the track, St. Anthony’s Giavanna Ciaravino won the 55 meters in 7.30 seconds, tied for the 10th fastest time in the state this season, according to milesplit.com.