On The Right Track

On The Right Track

by VIVIAN ROSE

On Tuesday, May 10, Divisions took place at Syosset High School for the Oceanside Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field team. It was a rather windy day, something that usually doesn’t help any person running at a track meet. However, there were some impressive times run by the members of the Track and Field team. Addison Vice came in 3rd place for the 400 IH and 3rd again in the 400m. Jada King came in 3rd for the 1500, Erin McGuinness was 2nd in shot and disc, Kiersten Beirne was 3rd in triple jump, and Grace Dowd was the 800m Division Champion. The 4×800 meter relay also grabbed the division title. The members of the relay are Grace Dowd, Nora Nestico, Olivia Zielinski, and Isabel Colley. 

The girls’ team coached by Mr. Howley and Mr. Ginnane is a strong team with senior captains Jada King and Erin McGuinness. The team is very cohesive, always cheering for one another and giving each other support when they need it. Even though these may seem like simple acts of kindness, they go a long way. Rather than getting angry at a slower time, each teammate truly wishes the best for the team and everyone equally pulls their weight to make the team successful. 

This was evident throughout the meet which ended with the Sailors taking 2nd place with over 100 combined points. Unfortunately, Syosset proved to be too much, but it was still an impressive showing and eight girls garnered All-Division honors. 

Although the most notable teammates can be those with the fastest times, the best throws, or the highest jumps, some teammates definitely contribute to the success of the team in other ways. Kierstan Beirne is always at the sidelines, screaming at the top of her lungs for each and every runner whenever she is not running hurdles or at the triple jump. Along with Kierstan, Sydney Rose is always cheering for her teammates to beat their best time. Sophie Weissman and Brianna Cinnamon also encourage thier fellow teammates as well. In addition, before every meet, Jessica Cinnamon and Jessica Herzog help the girls by giving inspirational speeches to get the girls ready to race. These are just some of the people behind the scenes who help make the team successful while simultaneously making it feel like a big family. 

Of course, in track and field, the outcomes can be a bit fickle. Kiersten Beirne who has had a strong season came away from Divisions a little disappointed: “I would have liked to get my best in each event but getting All-Division in two of my three events is good.” Cassidy, a freshmen on the team and fellow hurdler was happy with her performance at Divisions and with the shuttle hurdle relay at the Massapequa Under the lights meet: “I thought our relay would place higher, but I’m happy with our performance.” Another freshman on the team, Julianna T. said, “I’m really proud of all of us the other night and think we did a great job. Even though we didn’t get first, second was great to get and not to mention we hit over 100 points! I definitely expected us to do well, but our final results went past my expectations.” Finally, Cassie Lucero, a sophomore, said, “…it was my first division meet so I was very thankful that we got there with such an amazing team.” 

While Divisions were intense and competitive the mood at the Under The Lights Meet was a little more festive. It was a lively event, nearly all the track teams got together to run on the field and do the macarena at one point while the music played for the entire meet, contributing to the high energy. The best performance during the invitational was from Erin McGuinness who won both shot and disc, throwing a personal best of 35 feet in shot – nearly beating the school record.. Jordana Halpern finished third in discus with a new personal record of 92 feet, while Jada King qualified for counties in the steeplechase with an 8 minutes run. Addison Vice took third place in the intermediate hurdles and continues to get better.  

Overall, it was a successful meet for the Girls’ Track and Field Team. Good job girls!

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