Sports

Sacred Heart runners race to the finish

North Merrick parish hosts semiannual track meet

Posted Tuesday, June 14, 2011 3:06 pm

Sacred Heart's Kate Heidenreich dashed with the baton at the meet.

Scott Brinton/Herald

Parent volunteers and competitors at the concession stand.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Sacred Heart competitors warming up before their races.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Kelsey Clabby, 11, Nicole Targia, 10, Colleen Terry, 10, Gianna Villante, 9, and Sarah Hoffman, 10, before their races.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Sacred Heart handed out dozens of trophies, medals and ribbons to the children.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Sacred Heart competitors gave it their all on Sunday.

Scott Brinton/Herald

Sacred Heart girls gathered for a portrait.

Scott Brinton/Herald

The Sacred Heart boys had a blast hanging out in between races.

Scott Brinton/Herald

Sacred Heart’s Jaclyn Brigandi 14, Danielle Lodato 13, LaMaya Samuel, 13, and Patricia Kelly, 14, were all smiles at Sunday’s meet.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Sacred Heart girls co-coach Susan Carroll, who has volunteered for the CYO program for 15 years, rallied her team before a race.

Scott Brinton/Herald

Alyssa Pallotta sang the national anthem during opening ceremonies for Sunday’s meet.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Sacred Heart parent volunteer Kathy Mancini helped to lead relay competitors to their positions on the track. At the front of the line was Sacred Heart runner Gianna Villante, who is in fourth grade. At back was Sacred Heart girls co-coach Ed Corona, who acted as the race manager during the meet.

Scott Brinton/Herald

Caitlyn Perrone, 11, who normally runs the relays for Sacred Heart, gave the running long jump a try on Sunday.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Sacred Heart runner John Carroll, 9, prepared for his race.

Penny Frondelli/Herald

Matthew Weiss, the Sacred Heart boys coach, who was among the main parent organizers of the meet, joined sixth-graders Ryan Mancini, from left, Shane Sanders, Matt DeFalco and Ryan Flash in celebrating their victory in the 4x100-meter relay. Weiss co-coaches with John Boyle.

Scott Brinton/Herald

The Sacred Heart fifth-grade girls swept the mile run, taking the three top spots for their grade level. Katie Corona, right, was first among fifth-graders in a time of 6 minutes, 30 seconds. Alexandra Brinton, left, grabbed second place in 6 minutes, 31 seconds. And Nadya Resnick, center, earned third place in 6 minutes, 47 seconds. For the mile, children in grades four to eight compete together. Overall, Corona and Brinton were the second- and third-place finishers in the race, respectively. A seventh-grader took first.

Scott Brinton/Herald

The Sacred Heart CYO in North Merrick hosted a track meet that attracted teams from across Nassau County on Sunday. Above, Sacred Heart runner Ariel Tillman handed off the baton to Samantha Federico during a relay at the event.

Scott Brinton/Herald

By Scott Brinton

The Sacred Heart CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) in North Merrick hosted its semiannual track meet on Sunday, and dozens of runners from seven teams came to Calhoun High School to compete in races ranging from the 50-meter dash to the mile run.

The skies were cloudy, threatening rain, but the weather held, and children in grades kindergarten to eight had a blast at the daylong event.

In addition to the Sacred Heart team, squads from Curé of Ars in Merrick, Our Lady of Lourdes in Malverne, St. Aidan’s in Williston Park, St. Anne’s in Garden City, St. Agnes in Rockville Centre and St. Brigid’s in Westbury took part in the meet.

Sacred Heart parent volunteers spent months preparing for this parish meet, and on the day of the event, there were more volunteers than were actually needed. All children came away with trophies, medals or ribbons, depending on how they placed in their respective races.

More than 24,000 youngsters annually participate in CYO sports in 95 parishes across Long Island. The Diocese of Rockville Centre administers the program, which is open to children of all faiths.

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Sacred Heart runners race to the finish

North Merrick parish hosts semiannual track meet

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