Sachem North left League I after the 2004 reconfiguration that led to the opening of Sachem East. Sachem East has only known League I in its decade-old indoor track and field history. Sachem North, after a successful one-program history in League I, including nine league championships and four runner-up finishes in 19 years departed for League II – the powerhouse, heavy-hitter League of Champions that featured Bay Shore, already deep into its more than two decade long winning streak as well as Northport and Connetquot among other talented squads that often dominated Suffolk County track and field.
Indeed, Bay Shore (always first), Connetquot and Northport finished in the top three teams in 14 of 17 seasons between 1995 and 2013. In one of the years (1999), Bay Shore was in League III. In another year, the League Championship Meet (1996) was snowed out. In its most successful League 2 Championship Meet season in 2011, Sachem North placed third behind perennial winner Bay Shore and runner-up Northport.
Sachem North underwent trial by fire it its first post-Split League 2 season placing fifth in League 2 rankings in 2005. League scoring was based on County Championship results as the League Championship Met was snowed out for only the second time in League Championship history. Sachem was led by hurdler-jumper Rosie DeFino, distance runner Jen Modzel, high jump champion Erin Rafferty, triple jumper Karyn Geoghan, sprinter-jumper Kiki Johnson and racewalkers Kate LaSorsa and Nikki Wynne in the championship meet.
Sachem North trailed League II’s Big Three as it placed fourth in 2006. Hurdle and long jump champion Rosie DeFino, Kiki Johnson, Karyn Geoghan, Erin Rafferty, jumper Amanda Brennan, shot putter Cynthia DyReyes and three scoring relays led the way for Sachem. Same story in 2007 as Sachem placed fourth again.
Sachem showed more of its sprinter-jumper prowess which continues today as three North Flaming Arrows– Erin Rafferty, Erika Schramm and Gina Medici – placed in the 55 m. dash finals. Rosie DeFino took 1st in long jump and second in hurdles. Erin Rafferty took third and Rosie tied for fifth in high jump and Amanda Brennan placed third in triple jump.
Sachem returned to League I in 2007-2008 season. A young team placed fourth at Leagues behind Sachem East, Ward Melville and Longwood. Sachem North was led by eighth grade sensation Raymona Carryl. Raymona set a championship meet record as she won long jump with a 17’ 10 ¼” leap. After Raymona’s All-County eighth grade winter and spring Sachem seasons, the greatest young athlete ever to compete for Sachem moved (with her family) to Tennessee and never competed in scholastic track and field again.
Sachem scored in 11 of the meet’s 15 events. Amanda Brennan, Keira Wood, Kayla Cataldo, the Waka sisters (Ally and Lauren), Lindsay Romaine, Steph Curcio and a deep sprinters squad including Alyssa Stevenson, Gina Medici, Lindsay Eberhardt and Nicole DeLuca showed depth and talented for a growing county power.
Sachem North was back in League 2 in 2008-2009 with a fourth place finish at Leagues behind – you got it – Bay Shore, Northport and Connetquot. Senior Captain Amanda Brennan scored in three events (hurdles, triple jump, 4×200). Senior Erin Bresnahan took second in racewalk – five months later, Erin would be a national champion. Keira Wood (600), Steph Curcio (600), Shanice Futrell (long jump), Kristin Alfano (high jump), Nicole Mastrototaro (shotput) and all three relays scored. 2010 League II Championship Meet results showed the now-predictable big four order.
This time, Sachem gave Connetquot a run for its money. Kelly Lavan and Leanne DeQuarto joined Kayla Cataldo and Keira Wood in giving Sachem distance depth. Kristie Michta joined Kristin Alfano with strong high jump scoring efforts. Samantha Swift and Steph Richer stood out in hurdles (Swift) and sprints-jumps (Richer). Kelsie Larsen, Mary Cipriano, Becca Duffy, Rachel Steinberg, Brianna D’Amato, Kelly Lavan and Paige Sampson gave Sachem its biggest League scoring roster in many seasons.
Sachem displaced Connetquot with its best finish in League 2 in 2011. Sachem scored 72 points behind Bay Shore’s 157 and Northport’s 124 point scoring efforts. Connetquot scored 34 points to take fourth place in team scoring. Keira Wood (600) was Sachem’s only League II champion but Sachem scored in 12 events as Richer, Swift, Futrell, the Michta sisters (Kristie and Katie), Carly Swinford, Brittany Wienclaw and three outstanding relay squads turned heads in the toughest league in NYS.
Sachem was back in League 1 for the 2011-12 season. The 2012 seniors were in eighth grade and spent their first three high school indoor seasons competing against Bay Shore, Northport and Connetquot in League 2 championship meets. A return to League 1 for only the second time since district reconfiguration and the opening of Sachem East in 2004 gave the North Flaming Arrows a chance to compete against outstanding athletes from East, Ward Melville, Longwood, Commack and the rest of the ten-team league. Sachem East held off the North Flaming Arrows in the League 1 Championship Meet by a score of 127-110.
Sachem North scored in 12 of the meet’s 15 events. A mix of veterans and rookies including Kelly Lavan, Melissa Michels, Alyssa Leto, Becca Duffy, Sunja Joseph, the Michtas, Nikki Fogarty, Kaitlyn Okvist, Monica Abrams, Oriana Howell, Carly Swinford, Gabriella Czerw and Natalie DeQuarto gave Sachem a lot to cheer for. And a core group of scorers that would see all but two graduating seniors return in the following year.
Everything came together in 2013. Sachem North won its first League title since pre-Split days. North edged East 144.5-142. A botched handoff in the meet’s penultimate event, the 4×200 m. relay gave East a glimmer of hope that the meet could be won by the East side of the district for a third straight year. North took care of business with a get-the-job-done 3rdplace 4×800 m. relay in the final event of the meet.
Sachem scored in the meet’s other 14 events with two or more scorers in six events. In the days before the meet took place, two key athletes – Emily Rathmann and Nikki Fogarty – were still nursing injuries that coaches believed may keep the talented teammates out of the meet. The duo scored seven key points in the meet. Melissa Michels and Sunja Joseph won two events apiece.
Sachem had three scorers in three events and theNorth Arrows crowned five League 1 Champions. Elise Ramirez, Kelly Lavan, Alyssa Leto, Kristina Schrepf, Mackenzie Coleman, Katie Michta, Natalie DeQuarto, Patricia Romano, Gabriella Czerw, Carly Swinford, Kaitlyn Okvist, Emily Lin, Corri Moran, Julia Iadanza, Monica Abrams, Jess Humann all contributed to team scoring.
Sachem takes nothing for granted as it looks to repeat in 2013. The Sachems will battle for League 1 supremacy. North’s strengths are East’s weaknesses and vice versa. East will have multiple scorers (sometimes three) in all distance events from 600 – 3000 meters. North looks to its deep sprints-jumps squad to score big points.
The two teams will score many of its points apart from each other with battleground events showing up in the 55 dash and 55 m. hurdles, shotput, high jump and racewalk. Relay points will matter for both teams as North hopes to score enough relay points to keep East’s three strong relays from running away with the meet.
Ward Melville, Commack, Longwood, Brentwood, Middle Country, William Floyd and Pat-Med have talented athletes that are capable of winning events or displacing athletes from either Sachem. The North Flaming Arrows look forward to an exciting meet and another wonderful chapter in the team’s rich history.
Bay Shore is expected to dominate the League 2 Championship Meet and wins its 24th consecutive League Championship.