Newsday's All-Long Island girls cross country team 2023
The All-Long Island girls cross country first team at Newsday studios on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Front row, from left: Paige Scheiffele of Mt. Sinai, Zaria Hall of East Meadow, Cali Gabrielson of Mt. Sinai. Back row, from left: Mia Wickard of Northport, Ella Masem of Bellport, Sophia McInnes of Bayport-Blue Point, Coach Tom Duffy of Sayville. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Newsday Runner of the Year: Zariel Macchia, Floyd, Jr.
Macchia proved again that she’s not only the best distance runner on Long Island, but one of the best in the country. She finished 10th at Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego this month after breaking tape around the Northeast.
Macchia won the Foot Locker Northeast Regional at Boston’s Franklin Park in 17:13. She won the state Federation championship at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls in 17:59.4, a week after finishing second at the Class A public school state championship in 17:44.3.
Macchia won at the Suffolk Division championships, the Suffolk Class A state qualifier, the Eastern States Championship, the Boston Mayor’s Cup and the Nike XC Town Twilight Classic.
“To be able to consistently place high among the best runners in the country, I definitely have to run hard every time and put forth my best effort that day,” Macchia said after Foot Locker Nationals. “But it’s also a lot of fun.”
Nassau Runner of the Year: Zaria Hall, East Meadow, Soph.
Hall set new personal bests this fall and established herself as one of New York’s top distance runners. She won the Class A race at the Nassau state qualifiers in 18:52.7 and the Nassau Class I championship in 19:37.44.
Hall placed 14th in the Class A race at the public school state championships in 19:07.1 at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School, then finished 15th at the state Federation championships in 19:13.5 at Bowdoin Park.
FIRST TEAM
Cali Gabrielson, Mount Sinai, 8th grade
Gabrielson closed her fall at Nike Cross Regionals, where she placed seventh in 18:48.5 and qualified for the Nike Cross national meet. She finished second in the the Class B race at the public school state championships in 18:43 flat, second in Class B at the Suffolk state qualifiers in 18:54.29 and 11th at the state Federation championship in 19:07.4.
Ella Masem, Bellport, Jr.
One of Class A’s top runners this fall, Masem finished ninth at the public school state championships in 18:55.8 and second at the Suffolk state qualifier in 19:12.09.
Sophia McInnes, Bayport-Blue Point, Jr.
There wasn’t a Class B distance runner faster than McInnes this season, and the Bayport-Blue Point junior left no doubt about that. McInnes won the Class B public school state championship in 18:00.5, 42.5 seconds faster than the field. She also won the V-V-S Invitational in September in 18:17.7, won the Class B race at the Suffolk state qualifier in 18:20.28, placed second at Nike Cross Regionals in 18:25 flat and placed 42nd at Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.
Paige Sheiffele, Mount Sinai, Sr.
Sheiffele placed fourth in the Class B race at the public school state championships in 18:54.3 and was fourth at the Class B Suffolk state qualifier in 19:18.51. She finished her season placing 14th at the state Federation championship in 19:11.2 and 10th at Nike Cross Regionals in 19:11 flat.
Mia Wickard, Northport, Fr.
Wickard finished 11th in the Class A race at the public school state championships in 19:00.3 after finishing third at the Suffolk state qualifier in 19:24.51. Wickard finished her year at Nike Cross Regionals, where she finished 13th in 19:21.5.
Newsday Coach of the Year: Tom Duffy, Sayville
Duffy’s Golden Flashes won the Class B public school state championship and became the first Suffolk girls team in history to win back-to-back state titles. Sayville, with a top-7 of Isabella Gerena, Marianna Duffy, Megan Lankowicz, Mullane Baumiller, Madeline McKillop, Carly Strining and Aubrey Vitale beat Cornwall, 41-53, for the state title and held off Westhampton, 45-55, in the Class B Suffolk state qualifier.