Sachem East's Holly Lindoe wins national race walk title

Holly Lindoe was catching her breath and awaiting validation of her 7:26.07 national championship winning time in the one-mile race walk at the New Balance National Championships at the Armory.

Last year, Lindoe described her performance in the nationals as "poor." So when Lindoe, a senior at Sachem East, got the thumbs-up from an event official, it marked the culmination of a year of waiting for another chance to prove that she is the best at what she does.

"I'm ecstatic," Lindoe said. "This is the best moment of my life. I've been talking about this race since August and now it's here -- and I just won it."

It wasn't easy. Katie Kang of Flushing's Townsend Harris High School had a sizeable lead early and was being chased by a strong Long Island contingent. It was Lindoe who edged her right at the finish line, winning by just 0.35 seconds.

"I don't even remember it," Lindoe said. "I was just pushing through it -- I just saw it and I went for it."

It was second nature at the finish line for Lindoe, who has been training with Sachem alum and Olympic race walker Maria Michta. Michta's sister Katie, a junior at Sachem North, was in the race as well and among three top-four Long Island finishers, also including Stephanie Saccente, a senior at Kings Park, who finished third.

"She's definitely an inspiration to me," Lindoe said of Maria Michta. "I have her name written on my arm, too. She's been telling me to be mentally strong because I've been hard on myself but I knew I could do it and she just told me to believe."

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Lindoe also had the names of many of the people who have supported her written on her arm, intertwining them with the word "Believe" in big letters.

"Holly started off as a freshman in high school and has progressed over the four years and worked her butt off for this moment," Sachem East coach Joe Coffey said. "The national championship today probably could have went to five or six different girls, but with all the hard work and dedication to race walking it was her day."

Said Lindoe: "It's amazing, it's incredible, I don't even know how to describe it."

Her coach described her walking the perfect race.

"She walked very consistently today and she walked a very smart race," Coffey said. "No lap was too fast -- she just hung in and reeled the girls in and crossed the line a few tenths ahead to win the national championship for herself and for Sachem East. It was quite special."