The 2019-20 Track and Field season opened in November with a young team looking to take back the indoor CHSAA League title. The Friars will be looking forward to a strong returning group of sprinters and distance runners to lead the squad this winter.
Based on the performance in cross country from the distance girls, we should have a good chance of climbing to the top. The distance team finished cross country 3rd at CHSAA States Champs and they hoped to move forward with a strong indoor performance. The distance girls are paired with a strong group of sprinters and high expectations for throwers and pole vaulters makes this indoor season look very promising.
We asked Head Coach Olivier St. Aude a few questions about the upcoming season.
The first question we asked was, “What do you expect from the team this season?” He replied – “We have a lot of freshmen, so the expectations are for them to learn how to compete and run. The expectations for our returning upperclassmen are to place high at nationals and states, and to win a league and state championship.”
Our second question for Coach O was, “What do you hope that the team improves on?” He answered, “Togetherness, we need everyone to support each other. If we are going to wear gray, then we are all going to wear gray. We need team comradery.”
Our final question for Coach O caught him off guard. We asked, “What is your favorite movie?” He responded, “Casablanca”.
The team has run in several meets since the season opened in November and have performed very well. Leading the team will be seniors Larisa Dorrian, Samantha Torres and Nyah Butler along with Sophomore Trinity Williams, the team captains. Coach O said, “We’ve had small pockets of success. We’re in the developmental phases of our program. I’m looking forward to our championship meets where our upperclassmen should do very well.”
When asking Coach about his expectations for leagues, in the beginning of the season. In the sprinting category, you have a young group of runners returning who do you see emerging as a leader and or top performer?
This year we have a very young group of runners. The list of sprinters is long, but right now I would have to say, Nyha Butler a senior looks to be having a great start to the season. Her practices have been very impressive. I’m looking forward to her competing this season she has been recovering from back issues. Our first competition will be this Saturday at the armory track & field center in the city, where she will lead a small group of sprinters to their first meet.
In the distance area the girls are coming off a good season, how do you expect that to translate into the winter season?
I’m very pleased and excited about how well the girls did with the cross country season. I’m hoping to keep the momentum going into the winter season. I’m looking forward to those girls running very well. We have great numbers and the girls are super excited about the season. We are expecting great things from the 600 to the 3000 meters. Two of our lead distance runners juniors Kelly Parker and Kyle Mandelane will lead this group along with freshmen Emma Rodriguez and junior Angelina DesJardon.
2020 CHSAA & State Pole Vault Champion
What do you see happening in the league with the field events where do you see SA placing in some of those areas?
We are coming off a great season last year, where the field event had a lot to do with our success. The pole vault will be led by sophomore Marisa D’Angelo, The throwers, will be lead by junior Arianna Alladio-Zacpal who is looking to really lead her group and look to contribute to the team. The league has gotten really tough when it comes to the field events, we are hoping for a strong finish with all the work that our girls have been putting in.
At league championships held at St. Anthony’s on Jan. 26th, the girls varsity landed in second, by ONE point. We all fought extra hard to reclaim our crown, but we came up short in the end. This loss made the team stay determined and train harder to make sure that we would win at states. Everyone was determined not to repeat the league result at states.
Sarah Dolphin, Valencia Beaubrun, Giavanna Ciaravino, and Nyha Butler
At the state championships on Feb. 8th held at the Ocean Breeze Sports Complex on Staten Island, the team proudly took home the 1st place trophy that we gracefully call Eleanor. This was the teams 8th consecutive CHSAA State title winning with 48 points. Everyone has been working hard for this meet and it paid off. The Friars will be representing 8 events at NYSPHSAA States Champs to be held at Ocean Breeze on March 7th. Coach Oliver said, “All we had to do is keep pushing, and that is what you guys did, from running on the track to cheering in the stands”.
As freshmen members of the track and field team we invite all to come and join the squad, have fun and make some solid friendships.
Come watch the 49th St. Anthony’s Spring Invite May 1st and 2nd to see some of Long Island’s top runners this spring.
CHSAA State results can be found at MilesplitNY.com
CHSAA League results can be found at Just-in-time
By Alexa Whitton-Sosa & Isabella Moseley they are first year writers for the Friar Scoreboard and member of Saint Anthony’s track team
