Track titles for V.S. South

It was a banner spring for Valley Stream South’s track and field program as both the boys’ team, with 156 points, and the girls’ squad, with 128, captured Division 3B championships.

“We far exceeded my expectations,” Lady Falcons coach Nicole Bertrami said. “It was a very young team, but with a lot of talent and great chemistry. Everything just fell into place.”

Sophomore Maya Campbell (400 Intermediate Hurdles, Triple Jump) and freshman Alana Williams (200 and 400 meter runs) both took home a pair of division titles, while the 4-x-100 relay consisting of seniors Farida Bada and Danielle Mapp, and juniors Destiny Thompson and Val Fernandez finished first and went on to place second in Nassau Class AA. Sophomore Breanna Knight was also a division champ, capturing the Long Jump crown, and like Campbell, who was runner-up in the 100 High Hurdles, finished no worse than third in three events.

“We had some outstanding athletes and also great leadership,” said Bertrami, who lauded the efforts of senior captains Nuha Hamarsha and Kara Johnson. “We couldn’t have won without the senior leadership.”

Williams, who won the 200 in 26.5 seconds and the 400 in 1:01.2, went on to capture the county championship in the Long Jump with a leap of 16-feet, 3 ½-inches, and was fifth in the 400. “I knew she had potential to do it,” Bertrami said. “She’s a true performer with an amazing work ethic.”

Also scoring for South (11-2 regular-season record) in the division meet were seniors Jakira Shaw and Chelsea Vera, juniors Marah Jolibois, Vanguie Armijo, Jaclyn Andracchi, Stephanie Persaud and Christy Truong, sophomore Nancy Vasquez, and freshmen Jaclyn Rafferty and Julia Heaney.

Seniors lead Falcons to top
Seniors Shaquille Hodge, Jeyson Lee Jones and Yves Monsia combined for four individual titles, and Jones keyed the winning 4-x-100 relay as the Falcons held off Manhasset to win the Division 3B meet following a 12-1 regular-season mark.

Hodge crossed the line first in the 200 (22.4) and 400 (52.9), Jones won the High Jump (5-8) and went on to become a repeat county champ in the 200 (22.2) after finishing division runner-up to Hodge, and Monsia bested the field in the Triple Jump (37-7 ¾.)

“Shaquille and Jeyson work out together and push each other in the 200,” South coach Katie DeRuvo said. “They’re great athletes.”

Jones anchored the sprint relay, which finished in 46.7 seconds to edge Great Neck North, and produced consistent points in jumps with little practice in those events, DeRuvo said. “He can jump 6-feet with no problem,” she noted.

In his first and only year with the team, senior Daylan Robertson excelled and took second in the division in the 100 dash and Long Jump, and was part of the 4-x-100. Junior Brandon Dunn led the group of hurdlers, while freshman Michael Gordon did the same in distance events. Juniors Bryan Providence, Nnamdi Nwaigwe, and Anthony Corona, and sophomores Michael Murray, Patrick Egbuchulam and Frank Romano also had integral roles.