Girls Varsity Track

Emily Menges' record setting 3000m run.

The Girls Varsity Winter Track team continues to excel during the indoor season. Coaches Fregosi and Skrivanek led a group of girls to Ithaca, NY and Cornell University last weekend for the 6th Annual Southern Tier Invitational meet and came away with several outstanding performances and a very solid overall team showing. Heading the cast of outstanding runners were senior Maddie Adams and sophomore Emily Menges. Maddie, headed to Yale University next year, continued her strong senior year with a dominating 1500m run of 4:45.97, setting a new school record and quali-fying for the NIKE Nationals, as well as being ranked 5th in New York state. Maddie also finished third in the 600m race and anchored the 4x800 relay team to a 1st place finish. As for Emily, she is literally running away from the competition in almost any race she toes the line for. At the meet in Cornell, she set a school record in the 3000m with a blistering 10:19.72 (an amazing 35 second final 200m) to capture first place and qualify for the NIKE Nationals, as well as being ranked 2nd in the State. Then she took first place in the 600m race with a fast 1:39.55 and capped off her winning day by joining Maddie, Brooke Senken and Michelle Rotondo with a first place finish in the 4x800 relay.

Erin Adams duels in the 400 meters.

With these two terrific runners leading the way, Garden City's program is one of the top ones on Long Island with several additional state rankings. Previously we mentioned that the mile medley and distance medley teams had qualified for the NIKE Nationals. Based on their performances, the mile team of Taryn Schmelzinger, Brooke Senken, Tara Mahon and Emily Menges is ranked 2nd in New York State, while the distance team of Taryn Schmelzinger, Brooke Senken, Maddie Adams and Emily Menges is ranked 6th in the State.

Rounding out the efforts at the Cornell meet were solid performances by Brooke Senken in the 1000m (4th) and the 4x800 (1st), Michelle Rotondo in the 1500 (9th), 4x800 (1st) and high jump, Taryn Schmelzinger in the 300m (6th), the 55 dash and the 4x200 (2nd), Lauren Wil-liams in the 55 hurdles, long jump and 4x200 (2nd), Tara Mahon in the 55m, the 300m and the 4x200 (2nd), Katie Reilly in the 55m, the 300m and the 4x200 (2nd), Jenna DeAngelo in the 800 meters, Liz Weber in the 1000m and Laura Martens in the long jump, triple jump and 4x400.

Michelle Rotondo goes airborne for the long jump.

On Sunday, the team went East to Suffolk Community College for the third conference meet of the season and continued their winning ways with Molly Josephs (1st) in the 1500m race walk, Michelle Rotondo in the high jump (1st) and long jump (4th), Liz Slattery in the 800m (3rd), Taryn Schmelzinger in high jump (3rd) and long jump (5th), Alexandra Schlapp in the shot put (2nd), Katie Reilly in the 55m dash (7th) and the 200m (8th), Laura Martens in the long jump and 200m, Rachel Dooley in the 200m (9th), Victoria Chimento in the 400m (7th) and the 800m (7th), Lauren Williams (4th) in the high jump and 400m, Kelsey Harrington (5th) in the high jump, Deanna Ceriano in the 200m and 400m, Brittany Stufano in the 55m and Aoi Nishimura in the 800m. And putting away her distance shoes, Emily Menges showed her versatility and broke the school record in the long jump (2nd) and then ran the 55m sprints (3rd).

Taryn Schmelzinger flies in the long jump.

These girls continue to perform above and beyond any reasonable expectations and are delivering top level results at each meet they attend. Next up is the 4th and final conference meet tonight at Suffolk Community College. Then on Saturday, it's the Molloy Stanner Games at the Armory in Manhattan. Keep up the fantastic season and good luck!

Kelsey Harrington eyes the bar in the high jump. Lauren Williams with the approach. Katie Reilly is a blur in the 55m. Brittany Stufano into the 55m semi's.