Foote edges Lavoro in girls 3,000 at Long Island Invitational
West Islip's Ali Foote (left, winner with a time of 10:25.62) starts her run to take back the lead from St. Anthonys Lauren Lavoro (right who ends up in second place with a time of 10:25.88) during the girls 3000 meter race at the Long Island Track and Field Invitational. (February 27, 2010) Credit: Photo by Richard Slattery
West Islip's Ali Foote wasn't thinking about how she would feel after her race at the Long Island Invitational at St. Anthony's Saturday.
All she wanted to do was win.
The junior distance runner did just that as she edged St. Anthony's Lauren Lavoro on the final leg of the 3,000 meters.
"That's how I usually race," said Foote, who won in 10 minutes, 25.67 seconds. "The last 200 meters, I give it everything I have. I don't think about I feel. I just think about the finish line."
As for Lavoro, the second-place finish was disappointing, but she was pleased with her effort.
"I didn't even see her coming. But I feel OK because I got my best time of the season," said Lavoro, who finished in 10:25.88. "I think I made a few too many moves . . . If I could have laid back a little more, I might have had a better kick in the end."
The 1,500 was a carbon copy of the 3,000 as Holy Trinity's Colleen Schmidt needed a big kick in the final 50 meters to overtake North Shore's Samantha Nadel.
Schmidt's time of 4:34.80 is the fastest time in New York State this season. She also shattered her own school record by 10 seconds.
"I was looking to break 4:40 and to get into the first heat at the states," Schmidt said.
Competing in a field against some of Long Island's best athletes was a big movitator.
"I knew everyone in this race was going to be elite, so I had to push myself," Schmidt said.
Garden City's 4 x 400 relay team of Emily Menges, Catherine Cafaro, Michelle Rotondo and Taylor Hennig tried to accomplish two goals. The first was to win and the second was to get a good qualifying time for the Nike Indoor National meet in two weeks.
It was mission accomplished as the Trojans won in 3:57.05. "We definitely wanted to beat our best time for a better seed at nationals," Menges said.
St. Anthony's Karen Henning felt a lot of pride in her weight-throw victory.
"I didn't know about this meet for a while, but when I found out we were hosting, I got excited," said Henning, who won in 51 feet, 4 inches. "I love it here and I love throwing here."
Bay Shore, paced by Destiny Lalane's win in the 1,500 walk (6:57.85), won the team crown with 38 points, edging St. John the Baptist and Manhasset, which had 36 each.
St. John the Baptist's team of Chelsea Penn, Victoria Lundin, Ryan Wolley and Bridget Cary won the 4 x 200 in 1:46.64, and North Shore's 4 x 800 team of Emily Osman, Charlotte Manogue, Samantha Nadel and Brianna Nerud also had an impressive performance with a first-place finish in 9:28.21.
Lawrence's Alexx Baum set a school record in the triple jump, taking first in 37-11/4, and Vanessa Steward dominated the shot put (47-3/4).
Manhasset's Emily Easton (7.41) and Jasmine Blocker (7.42) took first and second in the 55. They traded places in the 300 as Blocker won in 41.57 over Easton (42.33).
Brentwood's Donna Jeanty won the 600 in 1:35.77, Kellenberg's Michelle Anthony took first in the 55 hurdles (8.66), and Kelsey Margey (Harborfields) won the 1,000 in 2:57.76.
Cold Spring Harbor's Caroline McManus won the pole vault (9-6), Alex Budd of Riverhead won the high jump (5-1), and Kings Park's Cookie Wyckoff the long jump (17-4).
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