Uniondale seeks strong finish

This spring has been far from smooth for Uniondale girls’ track and field, but longtime coach Leigh Pollet believes the Knights are gaining traction at the most important time.
Ongoing construction on the high school athletic facilities eliminated access to a track all year, forcing practices onto grass and in a handful of cases thanks to neighboring Calhoun, off-site after a short bus trip.
“Our Athletic Director [Peter Cardone] has been outstanding and we’re appreciative of Calhoun’s program and athletic director helping us get in five or six practices there,” Pollet said. “It hasn’t been an easy adjustment but I’m so proud of our girls. They’re a great group of kids and working as hard as they can.”
Pollet, who took over Uniondale’s spring program in 1988, reached the 450-win milestone last spring and plans to continue coaching as long as he’s still having fun. “It’s never been about me, it’s always about the kids,” he said.
In a historic run that included undefeated teams from 1990 through 2000, Pollet said senior Chika Akazi is easily a Top 20 athlete in program history. This past winter she was state champion in the 55 hurdles and last spring earned All-America honors.

Akazi, who is bound for the Ivy League’s University of Pennsylvania and boasts a 97-plus GPA, will try to capture the Nassau Class AAA title in at least one of the hurdle events after winning both the 400 and 100 in Monday’s Division 1A championships hosted by Freeport.
“The main goal is to get her back to states in high hurdles,” Pollet said. “We still have some decisions to make. She’s just a great athlete and student.”
Akazi and fellow captain Kimari McKay, who won the 1A 800 meter run, have mentored some of the young talent on the roster such as eighth-grader London White, freshman Christian Smalls and sophomore Olivia Talley.
“It’s important for the younger kids to soak up the experience from the older kids,” Pollet said. “Akazi and Kimari are exceptional leaders.”
McKay is ranked third in Nassau in the 800 and peaking at the right time, Pollet noted. “Kimari is a mellow kid who joined us for the first time last year and showed some sparks this winter,” he said. “She always gives a full effort and walks away with her head held high. She ran away from the field in the division race and it’s going to be an interesting county championship race.”
Talley won the 1A 100-meter dash and also led off Uniondale’s winning 4-x-100 relay that included Akazi, Smalls and White. “Olivia ran a top 3 time in the 100 earlier this year and she’s been making huge strides since last spring,” Pollet said of Talley.
White won the 1A 200 race and has “a great deal of talent,” Pollet noted.
Uniondale placed fourth in the seven-team division meet and will look to make more noise in the Class AAA championships next Wednesday at Westbury.