Friday, June 13, 2025
Valley Stream North boys’ track and field won the Nassau Class A championship May 29 following an indoor title victory in February with a similarly dominant outdoor triumph.
The Spartans scored in every event, earning 156 total points and defeating their nearest rival by 72.
“We spread out as coaches and the kids spread out and get a lot of attention on every single event,” coach Mike Frazer said. “When you look at the county championships, we’re scoring in just about every single event. We’re extremely well rounded and that’s how we’re going to continue to do things.”
Many Valley Stream North athletes were heavy favorites in their respective events at the championship meet. Frankie Polizzi was not, but that didn’t stop the sophomore from finishing second in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
“He’s only a sophomore, and he’s really going to lead our distance crew in the next couple of years,” Frazer said.
Senior Matteo Somma led North’s long-distance core with points finishes in the 1600- and 3200-meters, but Polizzi was one of several younger runners who demonstrated that Somma is leaving the division in good hands.
The Spartans were a force throughout the meet, but their performances in several field events made an overwhelming difference.
In the shot put, senior Antonio Casoria finished first with a towering throw that traveled 46-1.5, just ahead of teammate Eddy Turcios. Senior Danial Haq had to settle for fourth on the losing end of a tiebreaker.
North just missed out on a podium sweep in the shot put, but the Spartans left no doubt in the pole vault. Senior Michael Muoio finished with a clearing mark of 14 feet, well ahead of Max Estrada’s 11-foot mark for second. Junior James Romano successfully broke a tie for third to help lock down 24 points.
In the high jump, senior teammates Ryan Simpson-McKenzie and Jayden Gonzalez had to settle a tie for first in a jump-off. Clearing six feet, Simpson-McKenzie did just enough to edge out Gonzalez, who was far from disgraced in the hard-fought defeat. The runner-up had spent most of the season working his way back from an injury.
Gonzalez was not the only one who had to overcome setbacks to compete. Sophomore Dominick Rios battled a hip strain at the championship meet and still entered in the 400-meters, 400-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles. He scored points in all three.
“He was completely upset with himself that he didn’t win all three events that he was in,” Frazer said. “That’s the level he demands of himself.”
After a runner-up finish at the county level last year, North won 14 straight league meets this spring on the way to its third county championship in the last four years. It was the 15th county title since 2006, carrying the Spartans’ dynasty into yet another generation.
