Sachem alum Jeanna Composti competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Los Angeles over the weekend in the marathon event.
Composti, who graduated in 1999, became just the third Sachem alum to compete in Olympic trials after Linda Detlefsen (1984, 1500 meters) and Maria Michta (2008, 2012, 20K racewalk).
She finished in 80th place out of 149 finishers with a time of 2:52:07. She did not qualify for the Olympics, but put in an outstanding effort on the national stage and represented the community on a high level that not many former alums are able to achieve.
Composti, who ran at the University of Virginia and is a vice president and general counsel at JP Morgan Chase, is one of the top distance runners ever in Sachem North’s outstanding cross-country and track and field history. She won the indoor national championship in the mile run in 1998.
“Jeanna ran a brilliant tactical race in winning her junior year national title as she ran a negative split race, covering her second half mile ten seconds faster than her first half,” said Sachem coach Alex Young.
She was a two-time indoor New York State champion as she anchored Sachem’s 4×800 to titles in 1998 and 1999.
A record-holder in a number of events, Composti has the fastest mile time in Sachem history with a mark of 4:51.33 set in 1998.
“Your mile Sachem record still stands as one of the truly special performances ever by any Sachem athlete,” Young wrote on the Sachem Track & Field Facebook page. “Your race today – in one of the most exciting Olympics Trials marathon races puts you in the company of the greatest athletes ever from Long Island. I’m proud of you and happy for you as so many of your Sachem teammates and sisters are today.”
Composti holds records at Sachem North in the following events:
- 800 m. (indoors): 2:13.27 – 1999
- 1500 m.: 4:29.5 (on way to mile) – 1998
- Mile: 4:51.33 – 1998
- 4×800: 9:23.37 – 1996
- 1600 m. Medley Relay: 4:16.6 – 1997
- DMR: 12:01.84 – 1997
- 4×1600 m. relay: 21:40.48 – 1998
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro