Ronde leads Northport to track title
Elizabeth Fierro of Northport HS and her team wins the girl's 4x800 meter relay. (Feb. 5, 2011) Credit: Bob Mitchell
Northport girls track coach Eric Visconti was counting on his top athletes to come through at the Suffolk Large Schools indoor track championships .
They did and he couldn't have been more pleased.
Sara Ronde won three events as the Tigers upended 10-time champion Bay Shore, 88-85.5, for the large school title at Suffolk CC-Brentwood.
"The biggest thing for my team was for the No. 1 seeds to rise up," Visconti said.
Ronde took first in the 55 meters (7.46 seconds), the long jump (18 feet, 1/2 inch) and the triple jump (36-3/4).
Other individual winners for Northport were Brigid Brennan, who took the 3,000 in 10:31.88 and Suzy Farber in the 1,500 walk.
The meet wasn't decided until the relays, however. Northport won the 4 x 800 in 9:45.4, but it also needed at least a fourth-place finish in the 4 x 400. The Tigers finished third in 4:14.76 to clinch it.
Second-place Bay Shore had a respectable showing with Jessica Gelibert winning the 55 hurdles in 8.61 and its 4 x 200 (1:49.86) and 4 x 400 (4:14.3) teams both taking first place.
Sachem East's Rachel Paul also had a big day, taking first in the 600 (1:36.12) and the 1,000 (3:08.01).
Ward Melville's Mary Kate Anselmini won the 1,500 (4:40.62), Olivia Hallstein of Longwood took the 300 in 42.11, and teammate Imani White won the shot put (39-3).
Koelbel leads Kings Park to small schools win
It was another strong performance for Kings Park in the Suffolk Small Schools indoor championships when it won its third title in the last four years.
Kayla Koelbel led the way, taking first in the 55-meter hurdles in 9.18 seconds and the high jump in 5 feet as Kings Park won its second straight title.
"I had dead legs at the end, but I went for it and it was great," Koelbel said of her victory in the hurdles.
Joining Koelbel in the winner's circle was Tara Greco, who won the long jump (17-93/4).
"She was amazing," Koelbel said of Greco. "You tell her to get something and she does. Everyone did so well and got so confident. We were all ready to go."
The Kingsmen took first with 73 points, followed by Bayport-Blue Point (52) and Harborfields (50).
Other big winners in the small school races were Harborfields Kelsey Margey in the 1,000 (3:04.63) and 1,500 (4:50.37) and her teammate Michelle Gaye (10:35.55). Mount Sinai's Janie Turek in the 600 (1:38.11) and Amityville's Daneen Small, who took first in the 55 in 7.65.
Mercy's Olivia Schumann won the 300 (43.17), Nyashia Hibbert of Hills West took the shot put (35-8) and Sayville's Kelly Santangelo won the triple jump in 36-101/4.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
