Winter track is approached from various angles by local squads. Some schools have a plethora of athletes needed to compete in the myriad of events. Some coaches look at winter track as an opportunity to keep competitors in form until the spring season kicks off. Whatever the motivation, once on the track the competitive juices start to flow and terrific performances are often the result. Here’s a look at the local programs’ winter prospects.
Spackenkill
The Spartans team will be dominated by runners from this fall’s cross country team.
“Most of the core of the team will be distance runners,” said coach David Swift.
On the girls’ side, Deirdre Dwyer and Phoebe Long are fresh off appearance in the state cross county meet. The pair figures to be front and center in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter events. Sara Callagy is also adept at running distance.
As Swift sees it, the change from cross country to track demands “shorter, faster stuff, where you need more speed.”
The team will have 14 boys, with about half running distance events.
Scott Colello is a speedster who excels in the quarter-mile, while Jing Fang and Keyshine O’Sullivan are suited to the longer events, including the two-mile run. Tommy Hurlbert is a crossover athlete, able to compete in distance, sprints and hurdles. Swift said newcomer Nick Contelmo is adept at sprints.
Oliane Gore is the squad’s top shot-putter, as well as the captain of the team. “He’s been working hard and he’s got a very good routine in terms of strength training and working on his form,” said Rother.
The team is competing in Section IX, with meets every weekend at West Point.
Poughkeepsie
The Pioneers have small team, albeit one with promise. Senior Rachael Susser and junior Nate’ya Lassie are the leaders of the girls squad. Sussser excels in distance while Lassie is a sprinter.
“Both are committed and dedicated and work hard. They improved through the winter and spring and by the end of the spring they were good performers,” said coach Kevin Rother. Tiahn West and Tylie Wilks will be major contributors in middle distance and relay events, he said.
The boys team will be one of Poughkeepsie’s largest with 35 members
“We can compete in all events. Our distance runners will be competitive toward the end of the season. Since we have no cross country, we’ve been practicing for three weeks, while other schools have been going for three months, so they have more of a base,” said Rother.
Sprinting is Poughkeepsie’s strength. Dorrell Carter went to the state meet in the 55-meter dash. Joshua Graham and Tyrone Gadsden are football players looking to hone their speed. John Johnson showed promise last year as a freshman, in the 4x800 relay
Senior Curtis Abraham and Enow Neda Awuk Edott, a native of Cameroon, played soccer and ran track last year and should be much improved. Another strength should be in the shot put with Erskine Green, who won the Section I freshmen/sophomore meet last season.
Roosevelt
Although FDR lost many athletes from last year’s team, the cupboard is far from empty. The roster includes 75 athletes, many of them underclassmen, which bodes well for the future.
Nonetheless, this will be a rebuilding year for first-year coach Erin Williams.
On the boys side, seniors Jesse Jackson, Craig Francis and Matt Franklin will join junior Mark Ligouri and sophomore hurdler/sprinter DeVaghn Millington as prominent players in the short distance events. Sophomore Lauren Woods is coming off a strong season, where she made the 200-meter finals.
Distance-wise, juniors Trevor Thomas, Cameron Thompson and Jason Skiba and sophomore Andrew Egerton welcome newcomer Andrew Rune to the short distance mix. The girls distance team will be comprised of senior Rebecca Miller and sophomores Cassie Boland and Victoria Statsenko. That triumvirate will be joined by newcomers Janette Jafany and Angelina Incorvaia.
In the boys jumping events, seniors Dan Roe and Jason O’Shea will be joined by sophomores Dan Trocino and Doug O’Shea. The team has a trio of returning pole vaulters in Mark Liguori, Cameron Thompson and Bill Beers, while sophomore Stephanie Valenzuela leads the girls team.
Seniors Dan Roe, Alex Trocino and Ian Underwood are joined by juniors Andrew Carroll and Jason Skiba to highlight the boys shot putters, while the girls are led by seniors Carly Ghee, Mary Moss and Lindsay Farkas.
Ketcham girls
Indians girls coach David Budd is excited about the promise of this winter’s team.
“We have a lot of new young girls with great attitudes that are ready to work and get better. We also have three senior captains with a lot of experience that are ready to compete and lead the way,” said Budd.
That triumvirate of captains includes Kelly Grogan, a pole vaulter and sprinter, distance runner Erin Jedlicka and sprinter/middle distance runner Ashley Wilson. Other returning middle distance runners include juniors Melissa Mahoney and Makenzie Melley as well as sophomore Holly Atkins.
Key newcomers include versatile runners who can compete at sprints and middle distance. This stable includes Lindsey Barassi, Malena Price, Maggie Tierney and Samantha Tierney.
“I’m very excited to coach such a great team and look forward to what they are capable of doing,” said Budd.
Arlington
The Admirals are the unquestioned pacesetters of the local track scene, capturing both the league and county titles last year. As the biggest school in the area Arlington has a large pool of talent to choose from, but coach Steve Arnett says his team is large by choice, giving students an opportunity to sip from the competitive chalice.
“We probably have more people running in college than other teams, but for the vast majority, running becomes recreation or a way to stay in shape. This gives them something to hang their competitive hat on,” said Arnett.
Arlington’s strength comes from its excellent cross-country program. Chelsea Hanson and Briana Service are the team’s best 3,000-meter runners. Nicole Collins, who missed last year due to injuries, is back, as is distance runner Nicole Collins.
Hurdlers are led by seniors Cynthia Herivaux and Alyssa Greco. Top middle distance returnees include Vicky Sanford and Samantha Olyha. The team’s top pole vaulters are Aislinn Mcllvenny and Maggie Logan.
On the boys side, senior Dan Kane is the top competitor in the two-mile run. John Miller, Zach Fitzsimmons, Jared Leslie and Adam Doherty will all be top contributors to the distance effort.
Senior Andrew Howard is the defending league champion in high hurdles, as is Derrick Hunter in the 55-meter dash. Other promising sprinters include Jamarie Ennis, Matt Moore and Dominique Thompson. The utility player of the team is Will Johnson, who will compete in sprinting and jumping events.
Kyle Albrect will anchor the shot put, while Andrew Lopez will handle pole vaulting duties. Although the team has suffered some losses to graduation, Arnett has high hopes for the season.
“Our goals for both teams are the same: to be league and county champions. We’ll look to defend what we look upon as ours,” he said.