Sachem East has won eight league titles in 13 years
When Sachem East took the track on Sunday morning for the Section XI League I championship meet, they did so in a slightly different position than usual. Despite a fall season which saw the XC squad earn their third Suffolk County title in four years, they entered this winter season knowing that due to the graduation of so many talented student-athletes across multiple track disciplines (distance, sprints, throws, and racewalk) that this season’s expectations would be more than slightly altered. In fact, in the weeks leading up to the meet, untimely illness and injury made the team’s scoring prospects even more challenging.
While team expectations were slightly different for a squad that had won three consecutive league titles heading into this year’s meet, their mindset was unaltered. In the days leading into the meet, Sachem East rallied around core team principles of trusting themselves, trusting each other, maintaining a calm and focused approach, and establishing a team lineup that could cover as many of the 15 track events as possible. Rather than deferring to the rest of League I’s top teams (Longwood, Ward Melville, and Sachem North), the squad embraced the idea of the challenge of discovering where among this list they could finish.
When the dust settled at Suffolk Community College West on Sunday, January 20, Sachem East found itself in a familiar position that felt brand new to this year’s team: atop the podium in League I with a total of 104 points ahead of Longwood (72 points), Ward Melville (71 points), and Sachem North (58 points). The victory is the fourth consecutive league title for Sachem East and their eighth victory in the last 13 years.
The victory was also the 12th consecutive League championship meet seeing the Arrows score over 100 points, a feat accomplished this year by a squad that truly embraced the full team mentality.
Key figures in scoring include: Julianna Mercado (55 Hurdles and 4×200 Relay), Arya Desphande (55 Hurdles and 4×200 Relay), Bridget Abraldes (600 meters and 4×400 Relay), Ariann Robinson (600 meters and 4×400 Relay), Lauren Trejo (1000 meters and 4×400 Relay), Lindsey Dodenhoff (1500 meters and 3000 meters), Sabrinna Mena (1500 meters and 3000 meters), Marissa Sciotto (Racewalk), Angelina Colón (Racewalk), Marcela Araujo (Racewalk), Jasmine Ahmed (High Jump and 4×400 Relay), and Arianna Moore (High Jump). Seniors Lindsey Dodenhoff and Jasmine Ahmed each clinched individual League titles in the 3000 meters and High Jump, respectively.
Adding to the scoring were Kaylee Vanella (55 Hurdles), Chiara Marziali (3000 meters), Gianna Pepitone (4×200 Relay), Erica Hecht (4×200 Relay), and Melissa Merone, Alexis Violi, Anna Murphy, and Rachel Weber (4×800 Relay).