The Calhoun High School girls track & field team clinched the Nassau County championship on Feb. 6.
Coach Joseph Migliano noted the team “knew they were going to have their hands full this year facing a strong and deep Valley Stream North team.”
Calhoun graduated amazing talent, totally over 50 points from last year.
Kaitlyn Stibritz got the team going, setting a personal best and claiming her first All-County honor of the meet, taking third in the 1,000 meters, with Sophia Delcid finishing sixth overall to give the girls seven early points. Yolina Bastien and Danielle Lawrence closed the gap on Valley Stream with a strong showing in the 55-meter dash.
“Both running personal bests and Yolina going 7.34 to break her own school record taking second overall, while Dani took fourth, scoring 12 points for the team,” Migliano said.
Freshman Alexa Zohar may have been the surprise of the meet, walking a personal best and earning her first ever county title in the 1500-meter racewalk.
“Her racewalk mentor Taylor Halvorsen took third overall, totaling 16 points for the team and getting them back into the meet,” Migliano added.
During the past six years Calhoun’s bread and butter has been the jumps; and this year was no different. The girls were crowned as the best overall jump team in New York State last spring, but they graduated a big part of that.
“Sophia Hines led the girls into the long and triple jump,” Migliano said. Sophia became a two-event county champion, leaping 17-9.50 inches in long and 36-4 in triple jump.”
Yolina Bastien got back on the track and took third overall in the long jump and second in the triple jump, finishing her day scoring 22 points for the team. Danielle Lawrence hit her third personal best in as many events, jumping 16-5 in long and 34-2 in triple jump, and took fourth and third respectively.
“It’s hard to deny what these three have done for the team and themselves this season,” Migliano added. “They had big shoes to fill and fill they have. They are the heart and soul of this team, and I knew going into the meet, we could only go as far they would take us. These three will go down as some of the best to ever do it at Calhoun, Long Island and New York State.”
The girls scored 44 points over all in the long and triple and took a two-point lead over Valley Stream.
“The girls 4x800m team of Annie Fitzpatrick, Brynn Hutchins, Sophia Delcid and Kaitlyn Stibritz would lead the team to an All-County finish earning six big points,” Migliano added. “The 4x400m team of Makayla Condela, Sofia Zampela, Paulina Kakalos and Emily Tuzzolo, would shock the meet taking fourth overall and knocking Valley Stream out of scoring position.”
Dana Wauchope, who in her first winter season threw a school record and personal best of over 7 feet, took second in the weight throw, breaking up Valley Stream North in an event they should have dominated.
“The girls entered the season with a goal and had a drive and determination like no other,” Migliano said. “All their hard work paid off in the end. The girls demonstrated why track is a TEAM sport and picked each other up the entire night. We are more than a team, more than a program, we are a family. I love these girls like they were my own and words can’t express how much they mean to me. I couldn’t be any prouder of a team than I am now."