Oceanside on successful track

Everything that could go right for the Oceanside Lady Sailors track team last spring did. They won the Nassau Conference 1-A with a perfect 13-0 season before finishing an impressive second at the Division 1A championship. 

Now, they’re ready to do it all again.

This year’s roster will remain virtually intact from 2017, but with a lot more experience and confidence. The Lady Sailors finished third in the county during the winter season and are hoping to use it as a springboard for their title defense. 

“Luckily, we’re returning most of our runners,” coach Michael Howley said. “We’re in a good position that way. They want to continue the success they started building.”

Junior Andria Scaglione will enter the outdoor spring season on a high note after winning the 3000-meter final in the state qualifier on Feb. 13, a week after being the runner-up in the same event at the county championships. 

Captains Christina Moran, Lauren Rullo and Kaliee Vaseghi are back as well. Rullo is a strong hurdler who finished second in the 55-meter event at the county championships on Feb. 6 and fourth in the 100-meter finale during last year’s state qualifier. Moran is an integral part of the 4x800 meter relay and Vaseghi is the team’s best high jumper with top three finishes in five meets during the winter season, including victories at the Saint Anthony’s Developmental Meet on Dec. 9 (with a season-record five-foot leap) and a Section 8 event five days later.

The 4x800 relay team, which also includes juniors Sera King and Andria and Nicolina Scaglione, set a school record at last spring’s Division 1A meet. The foursome finished first at the Section 8 Conference 1 championships on Jan. 16 and fourth at both the county championships and state qualifier.

“The good thing about them is that they run for the other girls on the relay, not just for themselves,” Howley said. “It’s important for themselves to do well individually, but when they’re carrying that baton, you can tell that it’s important to them to perform because the other the other three girls are counting on them.”

On the boys’ side, all eyes will be on defending state-champion hurdler Anthony Romeo as he winds down his Oceanside track career. His success from last spring carried over into the winter season by winning the county championship and the state qualifier in the 55-meter event, including a personal-best time of 7.47 seconds in the counties.

“He’s one of the hardest working athletes that I’ve had the privilege to coach,” said coach Kevin Carbonetti. “He’s committed his life to track.”

Carbonetti is also looking for big things from fellow seniors Shane Belkin, Jason Ogbue and Gabriel Vega, who compete in both the meter runs and relays. Another senior, Thomas Bloecker, had wins in the high jump and pole vault during the indoor season.

Freshman Ben Schmidt will gain even more experience in the hurdles and Carbonetti is optimistic that he could be one of the future stars of the program.