Hewlett captures county crown

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For the Hewlett girls’ track and field program, winning county titles has become as predictable as a rooster crowing at sunrise.  

On the heels of a county championship in the winter circuit, the Lady Bulldogs dominated the field and captured their third straight Nassau County crown on May 23 at Glen Cove High School. Hewlett amassed 124 points. Manhasset was a distant second with 60.

Senior Patsy Iannico had a huge performance. Iannico capped off her illustrious career by winning her fourth consecutive county title in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. She was undefeated in the event for her career against Nassau competitors. She also finished second in the 400-meter dash, and ran a leg for the 4x100 relay team that took second place.

With over 100 points being earned by competitors who will return next season, a fourth straight county championship is certainly within reach for Hewlett.

“The goal from the beginning of the season was to win another county championship,” Hewlett coach Stephen Honerkamp said. “I’m very happy for them and very proud. I can’t believe the season has come to an end. We set goals, and the girls came through in big spots. Now, there’s a bit of pressure on the girls who are returning next season to keep it going.”

Sophomore Kayley Ragazzini earned her county title in the shot put in dramatic fashion. Needing a big toss to dethrone defending champion Natya Glasco of Roslyn, Ragazzini threw her career-best 38-feet, 4-inches, a foot farther than her previous best, to beat Glasco by a couple of inches. 

Sophomore Emma Blumenstein finished first in the 100-meter high hurdles in a time of 16.35 as the Bulldogs continued their dominance in the event. A different Hewlett hurdler has finished first in the event in each of the past three spring seasons. Blumenstein was part of the 4x100 team and also finished second in the pole vault with a personal best 8-feet, 6-inches. 

Thalia Reveil, also a member of the 4x100 team, took second place in both the long jump and triple jump. Fellow junior Anyia Wilson picked up 14 points, finishing third in the long jump and high jump, and fifth in the triple jump. Senior Adanaya Kay-Njemanze, and juniors Taylor Ferrara and Ronnie Hillel also took part in the 4x100.

Junior Kaylyn Forbes ran her fastest time ever to take second in the 1500 meters, and also finished third at 3000 meters. Sophomore Jade Wilkes finished third in the triple jump, while Hillel took third in the pole vault.

Iannico, who will compete collegiately at Buffalo after setting a multitude of school records as a Bulldog, left her mark at Hewlett. “It’s not just what she does on the track,” Honerkamp said. “It’s her attitude, how she carries herself, her work ethic, and the respect she gets from her teammates. They didn’t want to let her down.  She’s just a great person who will be sorely missed.”