Camenzuli, Zampariello are 1-2 for SJB
The red jerseys were impossible to ignore. They came early and often, and St. John the Baptist's seven varsity runners were finished within the first dozen.
So, it came as a formality that Baptist won the 2.5-mile varsity A-1 race at yesterday's St. Anthony's Cross Country Invitational at Sunken Meadow State Park.
With 22 points, the Cougars were 74 ahead of runner-up Scarsdale. Coach David Wood lauded the team effort.
"My boys program has always been behind my girls," Wood said. "It's nice to see them step out."
St. John senior Brandon Camenzuli won the race in a time of 13.24. Teammate Matt Zampariello took second in 13:26.18.
Camenzuli took control of the race after the daunting Cardiac Hill, a monstrous incline located near the course's mid-point. Camenzuli and Wood had devised a strategy to break the race open
"I knew I would be in the top five, but my coach saw me before Cardiac and said, 'make the move after Cardiac,' " Camenzuli said. "And I knew what to do and how to do it."
Paolo Fiore (fourth, 13:59.86) Christian Rojas (seventh, 14:08.87)and Dylan Sweeney (eighth, 14:09.80) rounded out Baptist's scorers.
It all started with Camenzuli and Zampariello, who were also a one-two punch during their summer training sessions. They both logged more than 500 miles, ending each week with a Sunday 12-miler around Connetquot with assistant coach Michael Petrina.
"It made a lot of difference in their running," Wood said. "That changed Brandon and Matt."
Calhoun senior Tim Campbell won the Varsity A-2 race in 13:03.79, the fastest time of the day by nearly three seconds.
Campbell engaged in a spirited sprint to the finish with Monroe Woodbury's Sean Egan (13:05.06) before pulling away in the final 50 meters.
"I figured [Egan] going to be close," Campbell said. "I didn't know if he was going to be able to make a move on me, but I was prepared in case he did."
During the race's final stage, Campbell did not rely on the steady clomping of feet behind him to gauge his status. Instead, the late-morning sun was his guide.
"I saw his shadow next to me," Campbell said. "The sun really helped me out there. If this was an afternoon race, maybe I wouldn't have won."
Despite Campbell's best efforts, Calhoun finished second in the A-2 race to host St. Anthony's by three points. The Friars, led by junior Thomas Diliberto (13:23.03) in fifth place, had five runners in the top-10.
Coach Tim Dearie said he had no idea that Calhoun would be in their race until minutes before the start. But their presence ensured a tightly-fought race between a top Nassau and CHSAA program.
Competing without two of their normal varsity runners, Dearie likes what he sees at this juncture of the season.
"We're not quite where our team was at this point last year, but we are not far off," Dearie said.
In the small school race, Manhasset junior Charlie Morris finished second (13:24.48) as the top Long Island finisher.
