Newsday's All-Long Island girls track team 2023
Newsday's All-Long Island girls track and field team for 2023. Front row, from left: Uniondale's Chica Akazi; North Babylon's Djoonicka Buissereth, Mackayla Nerjuste, Shavanna Richards and Samara Lawrence; Central Islip's Stephanie Weiner. Back row, from left: Port Washington coach Jeremiah Pope; Sachem East's Abby Callinan; Hempstead's Anissa Moore; St. Anthony's Lindsey Yakaboski; Floyd's Zariel Macchia; Elmont's Ashley Fulton; Bayport-Blue Point's Sophia McInnes; Smithtown West's Laina Friedmann; Port Jefferson's Alexa Jacobs. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Athlete of the Year: Anissa Moore, Hempstead, Sr.
It was less than a full calendar year, but Moore took Long Island by storm as a senior. The Vanderbilt-bound runner was known to Long Islanders before 2023, but mainly as one of the stars of the PSAL, a champion at Brooklyn’s Paul Robeson High School. When she moved to Hempstead last summer with her family, she instantly became one of the best athletes in Nassau.
When Moore finally stepped on the track in December, she became the best athlete on Long Island and only amplified her reputation as one of the best in the state. Moore won the 600 meters indoor state championship in 1 minute, 32.01 seconds, starting off unusually fast and maintaining that pace throughout. She also placed an All-American second in the 400 (54.96) at Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory in Manhattan.
That was just a warm-up for Moore’s top event – the outdoor 400. She won all but one of the races she entered at that distance this spring, placing second at the Loucks Games in mid-May, according to milesplit.com. She won the state Federation 400 championship in 55.09 seconds and the Division I title in 55.72.
Anissa Moore of Hempstead races to victory in the girls 400-meter dash during the East Meadow Track and Field Invitational at East Meadow High School on April 11. Credit: James Escher
Suffolk Athlete of the Year: Julie Thomas, Commack, Sr.
There was a sort of awesome finality to Thomas’ season that just didn’t exist this time last year. A rewind back to June 2022 would have found the Commack thrower disenchanted with the way her outdoor campaign ended. She had won an indoor shot put state title in the winter, but wanted more.
This year, she got it. The Monmouth-bound senior not only defended her indoor state shot put title, but also added an outdoor state Federation one as well – throwing 44 feet, 1 ¼ inches at Middletown High School in mid-June.
Thomas repeated as indoor state shot put champion with a 41-8 ½ toss in March.
Julie Thomas of Commack poses for a portrait during Newsday's 2023 track and field season preview shoot at Newsday's photo studio in Melville on March 22. Credit: James Escher
Chica Akazi, Uniondale, Jr.
She won the Nassau Class AAA 100 hurdles championship in 14.56 in May and the Nassau Class A 55 hurdles title in 8.69 in February.
Abby Callinan, Sachem East, Jr.
The indoor 1,500 race walk state champion, she came from behind on the home straightaway to win in 6:55.79. She also won the outdoor Suffolk Class AA championship in the same event in 7:18.19.
Maria Chiariello, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
The best thrower in the CHSAA and one of the best in the state. Chiariello won the shot put (36-1) and discus (132-0) at the CHSAA Intersectional outdoor championships.
Logan Daley, Holy Trinity, Jr.
The state champion in the 100, Daley ran 11.73 in the Federation final to take home the crown at Middletown High School. She also was second in the 200 (24.79).
Sariah Doresca, Baldwin, So.
The state champion in the 55. Doresca ran 7.02 in March to take home the title in the school year’s shortest sprint. She also was on the state championship 4x200 meter relay team that won in 1:41.17.
Laina Friedmann, Smithtown West, Jr.
Friedmann is the Suffolk Class A 800 champion after running a 2:13.78 in May. She won the Suffolk Large School title in the 600 (1:37.78) and 1,000 (2:56.86).
Ashley Fulton, Elmont, Jr.
Fulton again proved to be one of the best sprinters in the state. She won the Federation 200 (24.05), the Division I 200 (24.26), and the Division I 100 (11.88) at the outdoor state championships after winning the public school 300 (39.58) state title in March.
Gloria Guerrier, West Hempstead, Sr.
The Yale-bound runner is part of the fastest twins in the state. She took home hardware in the 400 hurdles, winning both the Federation (59.76) and the Division II (59.74) titles.
Victoria Guerrier, West Hempstead, Sr.
Also headed to Yale, Victoria Guerrier won the Division II 400 championship in 55.65. She was second in the Federation 400, running 55.59 – 0.50 seconds behind Hempstead’s Anissa Moore.
Melissa Gueye, Valley Stream South, Sr.
She won the 100 hurdles (15.42), high jump (5-2), and long jump (17-6 1/4) at the Nassau Class A outdoor championships. She also won the pentathlon (3,015) at the Nassau state qualifier.
Alexa Jacobs, Port Jefferson, Fr.
She won the Division II 100 state title in 12.36 seconds. She won the same event in 12.42 at the Suffolk Class C championships.
Zariel Macchia, Floyd, So.
The best distance runner on Long Island, and one of the best in the country. Macchia was second in the 3,000 (9:35.82) and third in the 1,500 (4:25.02) at the outdoor state championships. She was second in the 1,500 (4:26.16) at the indoor state championships and was second in the high school mile (4:47.0) at the Millrose Games.
Sophia McInnes, Bayport-Blue Point, So.
McInnes won the Division II outdoor state title in the 1,500 (4:25.95) and the 3,000 (9:43.85).
Lauryn Piccirelli, Bay Shore, Sr.
She finished second in the high jump at the outdoor state championships, clearing 5-8. The senior cleared 5-3 to place third at the indoor state championships.
Lizzie Schreiber, Whitman, Sr.
Schreiber placed second in the triple jump at the outdoor state championships, flying 40 feet, 6 inches. She was third in the same event at the indoor state championships (38-8).
Olivia Simonetti, East Islip, Sr.
She was third in the high jump at both the outdoor (5-6) and indoor (5-3) state championships. She won the Suffolk Class B outdoor championship in the 400 hurdles in 1:05.00.
Stephanie Weiner, Central Islip, Sr.
Weiner was fourth in the long jump (17-11 ¼) at the indoor state championships. She won the same event at the Suffolk indoor state qualifier (18-5).
Lindsey Yakaboski, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
She was fourth in the 600 in 1:35.06 at the indoor state championships. She was third in the 800 (2:13.39) at the CHSAA outdoor Intersectional championships.
North Babylon’s 4X100 meter relay (Djoonicka Buissereth, Mackayla Nerjuste, Shavanna Richards, Samara Lawrence)
They won both outdoor state championships, taking the Federation title in 47.57 seconds and the Division I championship in 48.16. Lawrence was third in the Federation 400 in 56.16. Richards was on Suffolk’s intersectional distance medley relay team that won in 10:14.9 at the indoor state championships.
Coach of the Year: Jeremiah Pope, Port Washington
For the second straight year, Pope’s Port Washington team won county titles in both the winter and spring seasons. This year, they won the indoor Nassau Class A championship with 86 points and the outdoor Nassau Class AAA title with 75.
