St. Anthony's girls run to CHSAA title

When St. Anthony's junior Olicia Williams stepped on the track to compete in the 400 meters at the CHSAA Intersectional at Icahn Stadium Saturday, she knew her team needed a boost.

The Friars were trailing Kellenberg by 11 points for the Intersectional championship with just five events left.

Williams did her part as she won the 400 in 54.75 seconds. Her teammate Megan Fiedler took second (57.21).

Emily Taussig followed two races later with a victory in the 100 in a career-best time of 12.2, propelling the Friars to the Intersectional title with 76 points.

Kellenberg was second with 66.

"No playtime. No recess," Williams said after crossing the finish line. "It's time to run."

The Friars were lethal in most facets of the meet.

SEE PHOTOSCHSAA track and field intersectional championships

Katie Gallagher won the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches), St. Anthony's 4 x 800 relay team, anchored by Williams, won in 9:28.54, and the Friars' 4 x 100 team (48.54) was also victorious.

Imani Williams won the javelin (100-10).

"We were checking out the scoreboard all day, but we knew we still had the relays left," Taussig said.

Kellenberg nearly got the win thanks to a great all-around performance from Odrine Belot, who won the 400 hurdles in a school-record time of 1:03.66, and the triple jump (38- 11/2).

SEE PHOTOSNewsday's best high school photos

The versatile junior took second in the 100 hurdles (14.77).

"It was amazing today," Belot said. "I hit personal bests in everything."

Belot's last event of the day, the 100 hurdles, didn't start in positive fashion as her teammate and top seed Michelle Anthony was disqualified after a false start.

Seeing Anthony, a senior, leave the track wasn't an easy thing to face. But the Firebirds still came up aces as Katie Cavanaugh finished first in 14.67, just ahead of Belot.

"I told Katie to just go hard, because that's what Michelle wants us to do," Belot said.

The Firebirds got help from Kim Mackay and Ashlin Conroy, who won the 800 (2:17.74) and the 2,000 steeplechase (7:22.04), respectively.

Deciding to run the 800 wasn't easy for Mackay, who was hoping also to compete in the long jump. With the long jump and 800 checking in at the same time, Mackay had a decision to make.

"They were calling both events at the same time, so I could only check in at one," Mackay said. "Of course I was going to do the 800."

Holy Trinity's Colleen Schmidt ran to a first-place finish in the 3,000 in 10:00.04, ahead of St. John the Baptist's Anne Carey. It was a big turnaround for the senior, who came in second to Carey at the CHSAA league championships last weekend. Carey had reason to smile a short time later as she took the 1,500 in 4:41.35.

Victoria Lundin and Emma Cleary were also winners for St. John the Baptist, taking the 200 (25.09) and the pole vault (10-7).