Cross country teams running strong
It was a busy week with the boys and girls varsity cross country teams competing at both an Invitational and a Class D dual meet.
On Saturday, September 27, the boys and girls’ teams traveled to Sunken Meadow State Park for the Suffolk Coaches Cross Country Invitational. This was an eye-opening experience for our athletes, showing up an event where almost 1,500 runners from Class A to Class D were ready to race in mixed competition.
The Shelter Island girls ran in a varsity 5K race on a hilly course with 97 runners on a hot day, running against both large schools and small. Three of our girls earned medals for finishing in the top 25: freshman Lindsey Gallagher (21:24) captured 6th place, 7th grader Emma Gallagher (22:28) captured 19th place and freshman Caitlin Binder (22:57) captured 25th place.
On Tuesday, September 30, the boys and girls varsity cross country teams traveled to the Knox School to compete against Knox in a 5K race. The Shelter Island boys team chalked up their first win, a resounding victory, with a score of 18-40 (low score wins). The girls team continued their winning streak through the mid point of the season, with a score of 15-50, bringing their record to 3-0.
Junior Jack Kimmelmann (20:08), freshman Joshua Green (20:10), and 7th grader Kal Lewis (20:30) ran as a pack for the majority of the race and finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The other scorers for the team included 7th grader Jonas Kinsey (22:45) and 7th grader Liam Adipietro (23:25).
The remainder of the Indians, 8th grader Michael Payano (23:29) and freshman Jack Lang (26:14) posted respectable times as well. After losing the first two meets of the season to Port Jefferson and Southold, the top two teams in the division, this win is a testament to the positive attitude and drive that this young team carries forward through the season.
In cross country the top five finishers of each team are scored based on their place. The Shelter Island girls took all seven of the top seven positions, resulting in the best possible cross country score that can be achieved (15-50). Freshman Lindsey Gallagher (21:11), 7th grader Emma Gallagher (22:02), freshman Caitlin Binder (22:26), freshman Francesca Frasco (24:30) and 8th grader Elizabeth Cummings (24:40) all scored for the Indians.
The rest of the team, 8th grader Lily Garrison (27:20), sophomore Olivia Yeaman (28:56) and 7th grader Lauren Gurney (29:41) ran well, evenly pacing their races.
Special recognition for achieving new personal records goes to Francesca Frasco, Jonas Kinsey and last but not least, Elizabeth Cummings, who learned the value of pairing up with a teammate, dropping over two minutes off her 5K time. Absolutely amazing!
COACH BRYAN GALLAGHER
