Port Jefferson girls track's Alexa Jacobs repeats as champ in 55, 300 at Suffolk small school championships

Port Jefferson’s Alexa Jacobs wins the girls 300 meter dash with a time of 41.94 at the Section XI Small School Championship at Suffolk Community College’s Suffolk Credit Union Arena in Brentwood, N.Y. on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. Credit: Jonathan Singh/Jonathan Singh
Port Jefferson's Alexa Jacobs proves her dominance every time she sets foot on the track.
The junior won the 55-meter in a personal-best time of 7.02 seconds and the 300 in 41.48 seconds to successfully defend her titles on Sunday at the Suffolk small school county championships at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood.
"I'm really happy with my 55," Jacobs said. "I've been working on my start, so I'm super proud that I'm seeing progression in it."
Jacobs knew her competition was steep, but it served as the push she needed to train harder.
"I've put in a lot of hard work over the summer, and it's always great to have such good competitors," Jacobs said. "Center Moriches and Islip always push me. I love competing against them, knowing it always results in good times."
Strebel double champ
Westhampton senior Lily Strebel won the 1,000 (3:02.79) and 1,500 (4:53.90) on Sunday.
"It's amazing to be able to run in the Suffolk championships all four years, making my mark from my sophomore year on and setting the bar high," Strebel said. "Being able to win the 1,000 and 1,500 is a great opportunity for me."
Last year, Strebel finished second in the 1,000 to Bayport-Blue Point's Sophia McInnes by 2.37 seconds. But she wasn't going to let the moment pass her by this time.
"Sophia is a great runner, so I saw she wasn't running and knew I had a shot to win," Strebel said. "I prayed that I had a great race, and it all came together."
Strebel, the defending champion in the 1,500, had a commanding lead in the event on Sunday and didn't look back to place ahead of Comsewogue's Lexi Cole.
"I felt I had it within the first 600 meters," Strebel said. "I felt that if I ran my splits and stayed within my range, I knew I could get the win."
Cole first in 3,000
Cole bounced back to win the 3,000 in 10:11.09. After crossing the finish line, Cole was able to revel in the moment.
"For the past two years, I've gotten fifth and sixth, and it's always been my dream to win, so I'm happy to be here," Cole said. "I've gained a lot of experience being here at such a young age. So racing with great runners in Suffolk played a big part."
Deja, Scully win field events
Comsewogue's Sophia Deja won the long jump, clearing 5 feet, 2 inches.
"I always tell myself it's me versus myself," Deja said. "My biggest competition is always going to be me. I like to lock in. My biggest thing is to focus on me, myself, and my jumps."
Miller Place's Jillian Scully won the shot put with a throw of 45-8 1/2. Shoreham-Wading River's Morgan Lesiewicz placed second.
East Islip won the team championship with 75 points, placing ahead of Sayville (71) and Hauppauge (49).