Five Scarsdale Track and Field Athletes Bring Home State Championships

Following an incredible year for the track and field team, 13 runners earned the opportunity to compete at the state championships which took place this past weekend at Webster High School in upstate New York.

The number of qualifiers for the state championship was the highest ever in the team’s history. Five individual qualifiers and two relay teams– the girls 4x400 team and the boys 4x800 team– each earned the right to race at the state championships.

In the end, following a fierce weekend of competition, five athletes became state champions. Representatives from the boys 4x800 meter relay team and Andriana Pettinelli in the girls 800 meter race, took home first in their respective events.

The boys 4x800 meter team consisting of seniors Charlie Rich, Nathaniel Lynch, Yuhan Cruz and junior Brandon Lin came into the race ranked #4 in New York State. After the team raced to a 7:52, just two weeks ago which helped them qualify for states, the boys together finished with a time of 7:46.49, good enough for second overall in the race behind Long Islands’ Port Washington. Despite finishing in second overall in the race, Scarsdale did win Class A, which is why they are being celebrated as state champs. Right behind Scarsdale were our downstate neighbors from New Rochelle, who as a relay team, ran a 7:48.02.

On the flipside, sophomore superstar Ana Pettinelli also brought home a state title following a strong run in the girls 800 meter relay. Pettinelli’s time of 2:07.40 was good enough for first overall in the state and exactly one second ahead of the second place finisher, Olivia Solomon from New Rochelle. Melinna Santee from Horace Greeley also finished sixth, concluding the race with a time of 2:10.74 and helped to make sure Section One was well represented across the leaderboard.

Pentinelli also finished second overall in the 1500 meter relay race, finishing with a time of 4:21.09.

The girls 4x400 meter relay team of Leia Patel, Rachel Rakower, Alice Nicassio and Ziying Su, finished with a time of 4:07.93, a personal record as a relay team. Last, Anna Van den Broek, who is having an amazing season for Scarsdale, qualified for states as a freshman, which in track and field, does not happen often. While at the state championship, Anna brought home a personal best in the girls high jump. Truly incredible stuff.

Along with the five track athletes who became state champions across the two events, the Track Team joined the Boys Tennis Team, who captured the NYS title.