Nadel, Nerud part of North Shore winning tradition

The foundation is cemented at a young age and the work ethic follows. There is no greater motivator than a winning tradition.

For the North Shore girls track teams, running is a way of life. From the middle school program through the high school team, long distance runners have dominated the competition locally and at the state meet.

The Vikings will graduate two of Long Island's top runners of all time. Brianna Nerud will take her running shoes north to Syracuse University and Samantha Nadel will head south to race at Georgetown University.

Both of those universities are getting quality student-athletes who have left an indelible mark on the racing circuit here on Long Island.

"They have been a big part of our success," said North Shore coach Neal Levy, who has led the Vikings to 14 county titles and two state crowns in his 10 years. "They have inspired others to compete and follow in their footsteps."

North Shore has won eight straight county titles over the past three years between cross country, winter track and spring track. They broke the United States record for the 4x1500 relay. And of the more than 15,000 cross country teams in the National High School Federation, the Vikings were ranked 9th the last two years.

"The success all stems from our middle school program," Levy explains. "The athletes are inspired by our success and they're trained like a high school team. The coaches set the mindset and focus on the preparation. We have a seamless transition from the middle school to high school."

SEE PHOTOSGirls' Track State Championship

All year round you can drive through North Shore and find the middle school kids running together at 7 a.m. And it's all by choice -- because running all the time has become the culture of this program. It's training over time and starts at a young age.

The skill set changes for athletes who participate year round. But that's the norm for distance running. Run all the time, and improve dramatically.

Levy has devoted himself to his North Shore program. The 38-year-old coach, who graduated from Jericho High School before attending Stony Brook and transferring to Cortland, was an avid runner.

"Track wasn't the coolest thing to do," he laughed. "But at our school it is very cool to be a part of this program. We're winners. When teams in other sports cancel practice because of rain or snow, we're out running. There are really no off days. You have to practice every day to be the best."

Levy has been blessed with runners like Nadel, who won the girls invitational mile at the Millrose Games in a meet-record 4:46.19 on Feb. 11. Nerud finished third in that race. Nadel also set an Armory facility record in the mile (4:46.11) at the Hispanic Games on Jan. 7.

And how cool was it when Nadel and Nerud went 1-2 in the U.S. Open at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28? Nadel ran a 4:47.66, Nerud a 4:54.65.

Levy credits the dedication of his runners and working out year round to their success. There are few breaks in the track season and he only has girls take days off if they need an emotional rest.

"The body knows when it needs a break," he said. "We have a seven-day work week. The state says six days of practice is the limit. So we work in cycles and the kids can exercise on the seventh day and it's up to them. The body works better with constant training because it gets acclimated to the workouts."

Nadel experienced a strained calf muscle and Levy shut her down for a period of time until the spring track season. She did not participate in this weekend's state meet.

The girls still performed with Nadel on the sidelines as Nerud earned a second place finish in the 1,500 in 4:29.21. In the 3,000, North Shore juniors Elizabeth Caldwell (10:07.33) was fourth and Jessica Donohue ( 10:07.35) was fifth to earn All-State status at the state championships at Cornell.

It's a run to win mentality in North Shore. And they do it every day.