Youthful South Side thrives

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When people talk about athletic success at South Side High School, the conversation usually begins and ends on the soccer pitch where the Lady Cyclones are practically perennial champions. However, this spring, those participating in track and field made a little noise and earned some praise.

While the girls didn’t pick up a county, conference, or division title, the team with fewer than five seniors among the 60-girl roster represented itself very well, sending four to the state qualifier meet. South Side finished in second place behind Hewlett, the eventual county champion, in Nassau Division 3A.

Freshman Olivia Rodriguez, junior Brigit Kelly, and sophomore Julia Lanzillotta earned division championships in the high jump, 3000 meters, and 400 meters, respectively. Rodriguez went on to win the county championship in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, and finished fourth in the event at the state qualifier.

In a sport where the participant’s grueling workouts and mental preparation are often overlooked, coach Linda Weiss is pleased to see her team’s achievements garner the recognition it deserves. 

“Some of the girls are three-season runners, competing in fall, winter, and spring,” Weiss said. “They study the sport. They know the competition they’re facing, and get mentally and physically ready to compete. This is the best season we’ve had in five years. The girls definitely deserve to be recognized.”

The season had its up and downs with senior captain Molly Quinn, a News 12 Scholar-Athlete, suffering an injury in early April forcing her to miss nearly the entire season. But, South Side had a deep roster composed of athletes willing to put team success ahead of individual goals.

Lanzillotta, who competed in the high jump as a freshman, was asked to abandon the field event and compete in the 200 meters. She ended up finishing third in the division championship meet and setting a personal best time at the county meet. The team received leadership from senior captain Emily Rosenberger.

Along with Kelly and Rodriguez, sophomore Amanda Maughan and junior Talia Cutrone competed in the state qualifier. Maughan finished in second place in the 800 meters, and in third in the 1500 meters in the division championships. 

The 4x400 relay of junior Meghan Fahy, Lanzillotta, sophomore Stephanie Jackson, and freshman Grace McCarthy finished second in the division meet. Sophia Chu finished third in the division and fifth in the county in the pole vault, and fellow sophomore Tymeera Hodge was in the mix in both the shot put and discus.

Weiss is optimistic about the future of the program. “With only a few seniors on the team, we have a bunch of girls with two or three seasons left to go,” Weiss said. “We have girls competing in all 17 events. Their willingness to be flexible and try new events was key. They’ll get better as they get more experienced. It was a fun and exciting season, and the future looks good.”