Successful run for Lady Cyclones

As the Nassau County cross-country season entered the homestretch, South Side coach Chris Webster had no idea who was going to step up and lead the Lady Cyclones on a particular day.

Senior Molly Quinn was the pacesetter most of the season, although talented sophomores Kieran Travers and Amanda Maughan won some races. So it came as no surprise to Webster when South Side compiled a 12-1 regular-season record and finished with a division title and a third-place showing in the Class II championship meet on Oct. 31 at Bethpage State Park.

“Starting around the middle of October, any of the three led us,” Webster said of Quinn, Travers and Maughan, who all placed in the top 15 in the county. “We had really nice depth,” he added. “We had three All-County runners and five others who made All-Division.”

Quinn, the ninth-place finisher in the Class II championships with a time of 20 minutes, 20.6 seconds, served as South Side’s No. 1 runner for the majority of four seasons. “Molly is a great, disciplined runner,” Webster said. “It’s inspiring to watch her compete. We could always count on her to finish at or near the top.”

Travers was the first Lady Cyclone to finish the state qualifier meet on Nov. 7 at Bethpage, setting a new PR of 20:06. She placed 11th in the county meet in 20:30.58. “Kieran was a solid runner last year and now she’s just starting to realize how good she can be,” Webster said. “She has the patience and the confidence.”

Maughan, who Webster noted had a healthy competition with Quinn, pushing both to another level, placed 14th in the county in 20:46.79. “Amanda came up big throughout the year,” he said.

Senior Emily Rosenberger, a four-year varsity runner, parlayed a strong summer workout routine into her most successful and consistent campaign. She was South Side’s fifth scorer in the county meet, finishing No. 31 overall. Junior Brigit Kelly, who the coach said does an excellent job analyzing races and planning strategy, was 29th. “Brigit is always focused and wants to run hard every time,” he said. In addition to Rosenberger and Kelly, senior Sofia Tavella, a fourth-year runner, and juniors Talia Cutrone and Elisabeth McCarthy earned All-Division honors.

Webster said the highlight of the regular season was its victory over Wantagh. “We spent a lot of time talking about what we needed to do to beat Wantagh,” he said. “Depth was going to decide it.

“We came into the county meet with a shot to win it,” Webster said. “The girls ran well, but Manhasset and Great Neck North ran a little bit better.” 

*****

South Side’s boys’ cross-country team finished 7-6, led by sophomore All-Division runners Chris Collins and Michael Luvin. “It’s a young, developing team,” Webster said.

A pair of newcomers also contributed to the Cyclones’ success. Senior Sean Donnelly and freshman Dan Finning were consistently in the top three and five, respectively.