Bethpage girls cross country rebounds from disappointment, wins Class B title at Nassau state qualifier
The Bethpage girls cross country team wins the Nassau Class B cross country championship on Saturday in Greenvale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Losing by one point can be a devastating thing. Nobody knows that better than the Bethpage girls cross country team, which saw its season end at last year’s Nassau state qualifier meet when it finished a single tally behind South Side. After holding onto that feeling for a year, the Eagles can finally let it go. They are going to the public school state championships.
Bethpage scored 54 points to win the Class B team championship at the Nassau state qualifier meet on LIU Post's 5-kilometer course Saturday. Though North Shore made a very strong bid for the title by placing three of the top nine, all seven of the Eagles’ runners placed between sixth and 20th to punch their tickets to Queensbury High School for the state's showcase meet, scheduled for Nov. 15.
“It was always a chip on our shoulder the entire season,” junior Carolina Cagna said. “We knew how bad it hurts because we didn’t get to go last year, and that was one of my main motivations this year.”
Sophomore Emma Sheahan led Bethpage’s charge with a sixth-place finish in 19 minutes, 22 seconds. Cagna followed her in seventh at 19:29.2. North Shore senior Joanna Kenney won the race in 18:21.7.
The Eagles came into this season as underdogs in their class. That, mixed with the painful feeling of falling just short in 2024, lit a fire that burned hot enough to lead it to both a class county and sectional title over the last two weekends.
“It feels really good, especially since people didn’t expect it,” Sheahan said. “It’s a great feeling to come from nowhere and finish all the way at the top.”
Elsewhere, Syosset won Class A with 69 points. Classes C and D raced together, with Friends Academy being the only Class D team in Nassau. Locust Valley scored 29 points to win Class C.
Though Friends Academy was the automatic Class D qualifier regardless of results, freshman Ariana Madeira made the combined race worth her while and beat all of the Class C girls. Madeira finished in 18:53.7, ahead of Cold Spring Harbor freshman Claire Delli Carpini, who ran 19:01.1 to capture the individual Class C title.
“I’m so happy I was able to do that,” Madeira said. “I didn’t think I would be able to top both C and D, but it’s so cool. I’m excited that I proved myself. I’m not going just because my team qualified, but because I deserve to be there.”
In her final cross country race on Long Island, East Meadow senior Zaria Hall won Class A and placed atop the merged results in 18:07.1.
Nassau State Qualifiers
LIU Post, 5K
CLASS A INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
1. Zaria Hall, East Meadow, Sr., 18:07.1
2. Gemma Budek, MacArthur, Jr., 18:22.9
3. Kyra Florio-Marinello, Massapequa, Sr., 18:59.7
4. Julia Glenz, Long Beach, Soph., 19:02
6. Adelyn Mathew, Herricks, Soph., 19:31.7
CLASS A TEAM QUALIFIER
Syosset: 69 points
5. Linda Lin, Jr., 19:16.8
7. Adriana Sadrarhami, Jr., 19:34.8
9. Julianna Macaskill, Sr., 19:50.1
17. Juliana Raigosa, Sr., 20:29.4
31. Gianna Lavacca, Jr., 21:06
32: Rin Furukawa, Sr., 21:09.9
44. Sophia Raigosa, Soph., 21:51
CLASS B INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
1. Joanna Kenney, North Shore, Sr., 18:21.7
2. Nora Miller, Manhasset, Fr., 18:45.8
3. Taylor Maguire, Garden City, Jr., 18:51.3
4. Fayola Allison, South Side, Sr., 18:51.9
5. Sloane Bonvicino, North Shore, Fr., 19:10.9
CLASS B TEAM QUALIFIER
Bethpage: 54 points
6. Emma Sheahan, Soph., 19:22
7. Carolina Cagna, Jr., 19:29.2
12. Grace Miller, Sr., 20:22.4
15. Ariana Joe, 7th, 20:38.7
16. Gabrielle Severin, Sr., 20:39.2
18. Brianna Leahy, 8th, 20:47.6
20. Sarah Bachman, 8th, 20:54.4
CLASS C INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
1. Claire Delli Carpini, Cold Spring Harbor, Fr., 19:01.1
3. Isabella Garra, Cold Spring Harbor, Jr., 19:13.2
4. Liana Altamirano, Oyster Bay, Soph., 19:42.6
5. Emalyn Zeller, Oyster Bay, Sr., 20:10.2
8. Shannon Flachner, Wheatley, Sr., 20:51.5
CLASS C TEAM QUALIFIER
Locust Valley: 29 points
2. Lillian Thompson, Fr., 19:02.5
6. Delilah Modlin, Sr., 20:28.1
7. Emily Martinovich, Fr., 20:37.5
13. Riley Iannotti, Soph., 22:55.3
14. Scarlett Modlin, Jr., 22:56.7
19. Gianna Aldorasi, Soph., 24:27.1
DNF. India Arrillaga, Jr.
CLASS D INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM QUALIFIERS
Friends Academy: 15 points
1. Ariana Madeira, Fr., 18:53.7
2. Charlotte Yanke, Sr., 20:11.5
3. Franci Foresta-Carraro, 8th, 23:40
4. Maia Madeira, Jr., 23:56.3
5. Abby Frazer, Sr., 25:44.5
6. Cynthia Eustache, Sr., 26:51.5
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
