Hewlett's Schwartz wins pentathlon

Though Hewlett had its string of five straight girls’ track and field division meet titles snapped by Manhasset on May 13, the Lady Bulldogs had plenty of notable achievements this spring and will be represented at the New York State championships by senior Gabi Schwartz.

Schwartz won the Pentathlon at the State Qualifier meet held May 28-29 at Roosevelt High School, topping a field of 10 in the five-event marathon. Schwartz set personal bests in every event — 100 hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Long Jump, 800 meters — and is headed to the state meet at Cicero-North Syracuse this Friday and Saturday. “Gabi’s a very good athlete with a wide range of talents,” Hewlett coach Stephen Honerkamp said. “She had two great days. For her to be at her best in all five events is pretty impressive.”

Schwartz was also instrumental in Hewlett’s third-place showing in the Nassau Class AA championships the previous week at Westbury High School when she was runner-up in the Long Jump (16 feet) and third in the Pole Vault.

The Lady Bulldogs totaled 50 points in the county meet, with senior Shari Weiss accounting for a fifth of those by capturing her fourth consecutive title in the Pole Vault (9-feet, 6-inches.) Weiss missed going to the state meet by one notch on the bar. “Shari’s had a tremendous career in the vault,” Honerkamp said. “To be county champ in any event four years in a row is something very few kids can say. The competition this year was the toughest she’s faced, and she tied her PR at the state qualifier.”

Junior Delilah Velez came on strong down the stretch, Honerkamp said, but didn’t compete in the state qualifier due to injury. Velez was second in the county in Discus (111-10) and sixth in the Shot Put while setting a PR in the event.

Sophomore Cynthia Debranche was county runner-up in the 100 hurdles and is knocking on the door of the school record after finishing in 16.43 seconds. Sophomore Emily Cooperstein won the Division 3A title in the 400 hurdles, while Schwartz and sophomore Sabrina Feldman were second and third, respectively, in the division in the Triple Jump.

Belluccia’s pace Hewlett boys

Senior twins Alex and Nick Belluccia helped the Bulldogs to a second-place finish in the Division 3A championships by winning a pair of events apiece. Alex took the 110 hurdles and the Pole Vault, while Nick captured the Triple Jump and High Jump.

“We had a nice group of four-year varsity seniors who are leaving here with a 51-1 regular-season meet record,” coach Eamon McHugh said. “We didn’t have the best of days at the county meet, but we were undefeated regular-season champs.”

Alex Belluccia went on to win the Class AA title in the Pole Vault and was third in the 110 hurdles. Nick was county runner-up in the High Jump, third in the Long Jump, and fourth in the Triple Jump. 

Senior Joe Tansey earned All-County honors in the 200 meter dash, placing third in Class AA. Senior Aaron Gladstein just missed doing so in the 1600m, finishing fourth.