Roosevelt girls track's Esmia Thomas wins 55-meter indoor state championship

Last year, Roosevelt’s Esmia Thomas was eighth out of eight. Now, she is one of one.

Thomas completed a “worst to first” tour when she won the 55 meters on Day 1 of the indoor track and field state championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island on Friday. She finished in a personal-record 6.9 seconds, taking home the gold medal and avenging what had been on her mind for 363 days.

Last March 8, Thomas survived the trials of the 55, making her one of eight sprinters left to compete in the finals. However, a nagging hamstring sunk her to an eighth-place finish.

That moment sent Thomas into a yearlong hyperdrive, training vigorously so that no such thing would ever happen again.

“After all of the recovering and mental work, I learned what I needed to do to get to this level,” Thomas said.

That training came back to help at the most opportune stretch of Thomas’ winter: the postseason. At the Nassau Class B championships, the senior moved into a tie for the state’s top ranking in the 55 when she sprinted in 7.01 seconds. At the Nassau state qualifier five days later, she took the state’s No. 1 spot outright with a 7 flat.

She held that place going into the state championships meet where, not only did she improve upon that time, but she validated the ranking and vindicated herself.

“I knew where I had to get and what I had to do; I had to win,” Thomas said. “I wanted this more than anyone. I wasn’t going to take anything else but a win. This makes me feel speechless . . . I’m just so proud of myself and so happy.”

An 'Amazing’ win

Thomas was Long Island’s only individual champion on Day 1, but Friends Academy earned the Division II 4  x  400-meter relay, taking the title in 3 minutes, 57.56 seconds. After senior Cynthia Eustache led off, sophomore Lana Alvarez took the baton and gave her team the lead before handing it off to junior Maia Madeira, who maintained it. Madeira then passed the baton to her younger sister, Ariana, who ran a 56.69-second anchor leg.

“It feels amazing — I’m taking it all in right now,” Ariana Madeira said. “I’m so grateful that I can do that with my sister. Seeing her right before I run is the most amazing experience and it takes all of my nerves away.”

McCormick’s moment

Day 2 featured a long-awaited victory for Bay Shore senior Maggie McCormick, who dominated the 1,500 in a personal-record 4:23.25 on Saturday. She crossed the finish line just as her nearest competitor entered the home straight — more than 50 meters away — giving her a 6.62-second victory.

McCormick has always ranked highly in the event, but she was usually overshadowed by Long Island standouts such as Floyd’s Zariel Macchia and Bayport-Blue Point’s Sophia McInnes. With those two since graduated, McCormick is now the one shining.

From the moment she first registered a time in the 1,500 this winter, she has been ranked atop the state leaderboards, which is a feat she had experienced before. However, she had never held on to the top spot through season’s end, nor had she ever been able to capitalize on it with a championship — until now.

“It’s honestly hard to imagine that I’m No. 1 in New York State,” McCormick said. “I never thought this would be possible. In my freshman year, my goal was to just make it to states, so I never had this in my cards.

“Knowing that I’m able to honor my school, Suffolk, Long Island and New York altogether is really amazing, and knowing that I’ve made my mark on them feels really great.”

Barnett repeats

Baldwin senior Breanne Barnett successfully defended her title in the 300 by sprinting 38.09, which was 1.42 seconds faster than the next finisher.

“Yesterday, my mom asked me, ‘What’s the plan for the race tomorrow?’  ” Barnett said. “My only word was, ‘Dominate.’  ”

Elsewhere, Suffolk repeated as champions in the intersectional 3,400 distance medley relay in 10:15.68. Connetquot senior Olivia DiGaetano led off, followed by Islip sophomore Wilorda Frenel, Deer Park junior Chelsea Cornelia and Sachem North eighth-grader Leah Nowakowski.

Later, North Shore won the Division II title in the 4  x  800 relay in 9:33.26. Senior Chloe Connolly anchored the crew, following eighth-grader Tula Belle Gumm, classmate Joanna Kenney and freshman Sloane Bonvicino.

By Mike Anderson

michael.anderson@newsday.com

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.