Nadel leads North Shore girls to state A title

The North Shore girls cross country program has achieved a lot over the last few years.

Their greatest feat yet was performed Saturday as junior Samantha Nadel led the Vikings to the NYSPHSAA Class A championship at Lakeside Park in Pawling, N.Y.

It was the first state championship of any kind for North Shore and the first Nassau County team - girls or boys - to win a state title in cross country since the Wantagh girls did it in 1992, coach Neal Levy told Newsday.

North Shore finished with 59 points, ahead of Canandaigua with 75 points and Burnt Hills (78).

"It's pretty good for us when you consider Burnt Hills came into the race heavily favored to win," said Levy, whose team will compete in the NYS Federation championships next Saturday at Bowdoin Park.

North Shore ran to third-place finishes as a Class B team the previous two seasons.

Nadel took seventh in 18:58.9, Jessica Donohue (19:02.4) was ninth, Elizabeth Caldwell (19:23.5) finished 15th, and Brianna Nerud (19:36.3) was 23rd. Danielle Muoio (20:37.5) rounded out North Shore's top five.

"The goal was to move forward from last week," Levy said. "This was the best overall team performance this year."

Harborfields junior Kelsey Margey took second in the Class A race in 17:52.7, and teammate Michelle Gaye (18:55.7) was sixth.

In other races: Brigid Brennan finished 18th in 18:58.8 as Northport finished fourth in the Class AA championship race.

Ward Melville's Mary Kate Anselmini (18:51.3) came in 14th in the AA race, and Rachel Paul (19:02.7) of Sachem East took 19th.

Bayport-Blue Point's Katie Saroka (20:09.7) was the highest finisher among Long Island runners in the Class B race with an 18th-place finish.

Friends Academy Kira Garry ran to a ninth-place finish in the Class C race in 19:36.

"New York State cross country is the most competitive in the country," Levy said.