STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Across two days of competition among the best track and field athletes in the state, eight borough natives found themselves atop the podium as part of the top eight finishers in their respective events, highlighted by Notre Dame Academy’s Coryn Nestor-Hubert finishing as the silver medalist in the 300 meters.
Coming off her win at the Catholic State Championships in a time of 39.71 seconds, Nestor-Hubert lowered that mark even further, blazing to a 39.51 to improve upon her already standing second-best time ever among borough athletes in the event and claim second place while racing the best sprinters in the state.
“It feels great because I know I worked really hard for this. We’ve been working on my start, and I think I showed that improvement today,” the Gators senior said after the race.
Nestor-Hubert’s coach, Stephen McLean, also praised his athlete’s work ethic, saying that “She did a lot of hard work over the fall and the first part of the winter, so it was nice to see her come out here and put all the work together. Getting second place is a big thing, especially with the stakes.”
With one more season of her high school career to go, McLean said he feels confident that the senior’s composure on the big stage will propel her to success at the next level, sharing that “as that maturity comes, the results get better.”
“It’s always nice to see them start believing in themselves and the ability they have, and seeing that translate onto the track. Today was a very proud moment,” he finished.
Susan Wagner’s Alex Acosta—the PSAL champion in the 55-meter hurdles—also put the borough on the map, earning bronze in the event with a finish of 7.28 seconds, just behind the top two finishers who ran 7.26 and 7.27.
After missing out on the state final in every other indoor season he had competed in, the senior knew he wanted to make his first and only appearance at the prestigious meet count, saying that “my work ethic definitely increased, but so did my belief in myself.”
“My coach’s motto this year is ‘believe in you,’ and I’m really taking that to heart. I don’t really need anyone’s support. I just go out there confident, knowing what I can do. I was tired of not getting what I deserve,” he shared.
The Falcon’s head coach, John Padula, also praised Acosta for being willing to learn, saying that “I think we have a lot of kids on the team who are dedicated. What separates Alex from many of them is that he’s a student of the event and really takes the time to watch extra videos.”
“After each rep, we film it and go over it. We do a lot of homework, where a lot of kids don’t want to be coached. He wants to be coached. He wants feedback on every rep, and he takes that feedback and goes to work on it. A lot of kids today feel insulted when you give them feedback, but he really wants to be coached,” he continued.
Wagner’s Kaedan Herbert also cracked the top eight in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.46 seconds, providing a highly commendable 1-2 punch for the Falcons at the state level.
Moving further down the podium, the Island’s PSAL contingent was also well represented thanks to McKee/Staten Island Tech senior Simon Saffayeh’s big race in the 1600 meters, as he ran a personal-best 4:15.12 to finish fifth.
“It feels great. We’re at our home at Ocean Breeze and are so used to training here. It’s amazing to come home, defend it, and crush it. I love this sport. I love everything about it. I’m so thankful for my coaches who got me here, and I can’t wait to continue in the outdoor season,” Saffayeh said with a smile following his effort.
MSIT head coach Scott Crabbe was just as thrilled for his distance specialist, especially considering the effect he’s had on the Seagulls’ program.
“He’s so impactful—not just as an athlete, but as a team leader and mentor to the younger guys. Many on the team will miss him when he moves on next year to UChicago. It will be tough to see him go because he does a great job of bringing them along and working with them. Hopefully, someone else takes the reins and continues what he’s been doing,” Crabbe said.
Meanwhile, the St. Joseph by-the-Sea Vikings continued their recent sustained success in pumping out elite middle-distance runners, as junior Christopher Perez nabbed seventh in the 600 meters with a split of 1:21.81.
Perez shared that while practices have been a grind, “it felt good to push through all that pain and end up getting a medal at the State meet.”
It’s all the more exciting for Sea head coach Chris Mancusi that of the top eight finishers in the event, six were seniors, meaning Perez has a real shot at a gold medal next season.
“He’s been buying in. His confidence was a little low the last couple of races, so I think he needed a big confidence boost, but he’s finally running what we think he’s capable of,” the HC shared.
Finally, while they might not have been representing their schools, Monsignor Farrell’s Matthew Venditti and St. Peter’s Vincent D’Amato earned second place representing the CHSAA in the All-Section Distance Medley Relay, while Tottenville’s Maeve Heck did the same with a quartet of some of the PSAL’s best, finishing seventh as a group.
“It was great, honestly. It’s a great experience. A lot of good energy out here. We just came to compete, and that’s what we did, so can’t complain,” Venditti, who split a time of 2:35.38 in the 1,000-meter leg, said.
As for D’Amato, who ran a personal-best split of 22.31 in his 200-meter leg, he said, “It feels very good. I focused on running the shortest leg to make an impact on the team. I ran my best, and my split was fast—my best of the season. All good stuff.”
Lastly, Heck, who recorded a mark of 5:12.89 in the 1500m leg while still a freshman, said that getting a taste of competing at States on a PSAL relay has only inspired her to return as an individual.
“I missed qualifying for the individual 3K at States by half a second, so that definitely motivated me. I don’t want that to happen again. Next year, I definitely want to come back and run the 3K,” she concluded.
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