Wednesday, December 11, 2024
The wait was well worth it for the Wantagh boys’ cross-country team to learn it captured the program’s first title in 11 years on Nov. 2.
After completing the Nassau County Class III Championship 5K race at Bethpage State Park around 1:20 p.m. that Saturday afternoon, the Warrior runners did not find out about the championship until the team awards were handed out more than an hour later. The title came by the slimmest of margins with Wantagh finishing one point ahead of second place Valley Stream North.
“We were not sure until they made the announcement,” said sixth-year coach Liz Henry. “They announced that there was only a one-point differential between first and second place and the boys just stood there intently with each other as they announced who the second place team was and that's when we finally knew that we had won.”
The Warriors celebrated their title following the announcement by receiving a plaque with all their names engraved and championship tee shirts. The team then got to hold up the Section VIII championship banner to signify the accomplishment.
Wantagh, which had an undefeated regular season, finished with 52 points led by senior Owen Stachlik, who won an individual county title in the 5K event with a personal best time of 15:48:40. Stachlik placed ahead of Seaford’s Myles Munro in the final stretch of the race by 14 seconds.
Junior Ian Frazer finished third in the counties with a time of 16:16:10. It marked a course best time for Frazer this season at Bethpage, where Wantagh competes in many of its meets.
The county title was also paced by junior Brady Wolken, who finished in eighth place with a personal best time of 17:50:30.
Also performing a personal best was junior Ethan Chen, who came in 14th place with a time of 18:47:00.
“His time has dramatically improved since freshman year,” Henry said of Chen. “He has really committed to the sport.”
Rounding out the top five Wantagh finishers was junior Sean Hart, who finished 26th overall with a time of 19:52:90. Hart came through when it mattered for the team after rolling an ankle during warmups.
Also competing during the championship run at Bethpage and finishing among the top 10 team finishers were Brody Meyers, Jason Newbert, Matthew Como, Peter Raiano and Jake Harkin.
All the top 10 runners with the exception of Stachlik will return next season seeking a repeat championship. Henry said Stachlik is planning to run cross country at the Division I college level next year and is still examining his options.
Henry said the team chemistry on and off the course made the 2024 championship run extra special and bodes well for next fall.
“They want to push themselves to their highest ability and I think it really has brought them all together,” Henry said. “They do a big group gathering in a circle before each race and hype each other up and I don’t know what they say to each other but it works. “They're really there for each other not just as teammates but as friends.”
