Seaford sends trio to states

All spring long, Seaford boys’ track and field athletes have had a knack for rising to the occasion. Last weekend’s state qualifying meet was no exception, as the school will send a trio to this weekend’s state championships in upstate Middleton. It was a successful culmination to a season in which the Sailors had already took home first place in the Division 4A championship meet last month.

The Vikings had lost just one meet all season, to Island Trees, before heading into the May 16 division championship, which they hosted. Accordingly, Seaford coach Ed Trentowski said he had considered Island Trees the team to beat, and was pleasantly surprised when his Sailors delivered a commanding performance with 109 total team points, 35 more than second place West Hempstead. Island Trees placed fifth.

Juniors Jason Linzer and Al Munro supplied 60 points combined for the Sailors, each winning three individual events. Linzer took first in the 800-meters, 1600-meters and 3200-meters, while Munro won the long jump, triple jump and high jump.

While those points were indispensable, it was the rest of the team’s stellar performances that helped put Seaford over the top, with points scored in nearly every event. Junior Luke Sulli took second in the 400-meter hurdles and third in the 110-meter hurdles, good for 14 points. Junior Joe Randazzo finished in third place and fifth place in the 3200-meters and the 1600-meters, respectively, and junior Alex Lee placed second in the triple jump.

“It was a day in which everyone came together, and it worked out quite well for us,” said Trentowski. “The throwers did quite well, as did the jumpers.”

A week later in the county championships at Cold Spring Harbor, Seaford had another solid showing, placing fifth out of 18 schools in the meet, which would be won by Valley Stream North. On that day, Linzer was crowned county champion in the 1600-meters and 3200-meters. Munro took fourth place in the triple jump and high jump, Sulli finished third in the 110-meter hurdles, and senior Andrew Cuchel earned third place in the discus throw.

The team finished its season on a high note last weekend. Competing in the state qualifying meet at North Shore, Linzer ran his fastest mile of the season – and his second fastest ever – at 4:23.32. Munro had the best high jump on the day at 5-feet-10 inches, and Cuchel earned his first state championship appearance by tossing his longest discus throw of his high school career of 143 feet and six inches, several feet longer than his previous best.

“That was a tremendous improvement,” said Trentowski of Cuchel’s performance. “It’ll be a good experience for him” in the states.

It was a strong finish to another successful season for Seaford spring track, and a promising lead-in to next season, where nearly the entire roster is expected to return. “We’ve had a good run with these kids,” Trentowski said. ”They’ve really risen to the occasion and it makes it more fun and satisfying for me.”