Thursday, October 1, 2026
A third straight Nassau County Class C winter track and field title came easily for North Shore's girls juggernaut on Monday night.
The Vikings posted their third straight winter track county title and 44th overall county title combining cross-country and spring track for legendary North Shore coach Neil Levy.
"Yeah, it is (feeling like a given),'' junior racewalk champion Chloe Brady said. "I feel cocky saying that, but that's what it feels like at this point.''
The Vikings posted 118 points – swamping the runner-up Oyster Bay (76). North Shore had 12 All-County finishers.
"You can't control what other teams do,'' Levy said. "We just had a plan in place and the kids executed it. We were hoping to get over 100 and we did that. In some aspects, we met our goals and some were exceeded.
"It's the first time I can remember that everyone who participated in the meet got a medal (top 4) or was All-County (top 3),'' Levy added.
Per usual, North Shore dominated the middle distances. In the 1000 meters, the Maroon were 2, 3 and 4 with seniors Joanna Kenney, Chloe Connolly and eighth-grader Tulla Belle Gumm.
Gumm was one of two eighth-graders who showed their excellence. The other was Millie Valente in relays.
"I'm happy for the new kids who hadn't been part of it before,'' Levy said. "We have two eighth graders specifically. They're new to winter track with us and there's a lot of history and tradition. The girls really supported them. Whenever a young kid for the first time does very well, it makes me happy.''
The brilliance of Levy is he guides athletes to events they never dreamed about competing in.
Take Brady, for example. Brady never envisioned being a winter racewalk specialist. Yet Brady won the event Monday, doing the mile in 9.09. Brady does the 800 and high jump in the spring.
"Levy likes me to focus on racewalking because I'm the best at that,''' Brady said.
She started as racewalker last season. "At the start of every season, he has everyone try out in niche events like race walk in the winter,'' Brady said. "It was mostly as a joke I tried it. Levy told me that I was actually very good at it and wanted me to start doing it. I did my first race and finished first.''
Last season, she was third in the counties. "It was really nice,'' Brady said of copping the first-place medal. "I worked hard this season and last season too. It's nice to get credit for the effort I put in.''
There were other stalwart performances. Danielle Demillio won the pole vault title with a 9-07. In the 1500 North Shore was 1-2-3 with Connolly, Kenney and freshman Sloane Bonvicino. (Kenney also won the 3000).
In the 600, senior Hannah Sadowski finished third. Two relay teams finished in second place to earn All-County — the 4x800 with Valente, Bonvicino, Sinead Reagan and Hannah Checo, and the 4x400 with Gumm, Sadowski, Harper Wilson and Kashvi Bhogadi.
A trove of Vikings head to the state qualifier meet next Monday back at St. Anthony's. Kenney, a 3000-meter superstar, is already All-State from last winter in that category. She could compete for a state title next month when the state meet is held at a new venue in Staten Island for the first time.
