Four straight titles for VSN

Posted

Valley Stream North’s boys’ track and field team won a fourth consecutive Class A spring county championship at Cold Spring Harbor on May 24, scoring in all but three of 18 events, while the Lady Spartans claimed third place.  

Underclassmen stepped up to contribute to the boys’ 111.25 total points in the 20-team competition. Among them was junior Jacob Schoenfeld, who was crowned county champion in the 400-meters hurdles with a time of 57.63 seconds and the 400-meters run at 49.71, a new school record. He also took fifth in the 200 meters.

“Obviously, as a two-time county champ, his hard work is starting to
pay off real quick,” said Mike Frazer, co-head coach of both squads along with Tim Boyens.

Sophomore Christian Cicilia won the 3000-meters steeplechase, only the third time he ran the obstacle-laden event the past two spring seasons. Two other sophomores earned All-County honors: Matt Marrone took fifth in the two-mile

run and Anthony Anderson placed in the pole vault.

The senior All-County winners were Cornell-bound Shane Johnson, who placed second in the 800 meters at 2:00.19, and Lenz St. Vil, who came in third in the 100 and 200 races. Another senior, Pablo Hernandez, joined Cicilia, Marrone and Johnson by placing in the 4x800 relay.

The Spartans tied with North Shore for the county title last spring. This year, the Vikings placed second in the meet, trailed by Valley Stream South in third.

“Our kids were a little bummed and not satisfied with sharing a title with North Shore, so this season they had that in the back of their minds and wanted to make sure they came out on top,” Frazer said.

Frazer took over both programs with Boyens 15 years ago, and the duo
has since won 11 county titles with the boys’ team. 

The girls’ squad finished behind county champion North Shore and second-place Valley Stream South, all three teams of which are perennial contenders.

Junior Juel Charles shined this spring with All-County honors in the shot and discus. She also qualified on June 1 for the state championships in Syracuse this weekend in the shot put with a second-place throw of 39 feet-7.25 inches.

Seventh-grader Tori Daniels also earned All-County honors in two events by placing second in the 200 and third in the 100. Daniels also qualified to compete at the states by beating the field in the 400 on May 30.

“To come up at that age is one thing, but to go All-County in two events —even for an eighth-grader that is rare,” Frazer said. “So to do it as a seventh grader is just outstanding.”

Two other underclassmen were All-County winners: freshman Oluwatobi Adebowale took second in the discus and fifth in shot; sophomore Casey Well set a new school record with a 7-foot-6-inch pole vault and finished third.