East Meadow's Zaria Hall captures Nassau Class I girls cross country 5K title in emotional race with sister
Zaria Hall of East Meadow wins the Class I 5K at the Nassau cross country championships on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Credit: /Derrick Dingle
When it comes to running, the Hall sisters own somewhat of a monopoly over Nassau County girls cross country.
Anaya and Zaria Hall have been joined at the hip in their running journey. They have run together on East Meadow’s varsity cross country and track and field teams for three years. They even own a shared Instagram account to promote their careers. When looking at meet results, wherever they may be posted, it is very hard to find one without the other near the top of the list.
Saturday at Bethpage State Park was a case in point when the two sisters finished in the top three in the Nassau Class I 5,000 meter championship run. Zaria, a junior, won the title with a time of 18 minutes, 52.2 seconds, ahead of Great Neck South’s Isabella Spagnoli (18:57.6). Anaya, a senior, took third place (19:05).
Though winning the 2024 Nassau Class I championship was a great moment for the younger Hall, she experienced a variety of emotions.
Anaya and Zaria Hall of East Meadow are joined by Isabella Spagnoli (center) of Great Neck South at the Nassau cross country championships on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Credit: Derrick Dingle
“It was very challenging knowing that this is my last time racing my sister and Izzy [Spagnoli]; It’s very sad.” Zaria Hall said. “It makes me feel really good that my parents can know that we have each other. My built-in best friend gets to do everything with me, like go out for runs and go home. I think it brings us closer together.”
The elder Hall, whose time was a personal-best by 18 seconds, credited her sister for helping her improve throughout her career.
“I’m so proud of my season because I went into high school as a sprinter, and I was just so bad my freshman year,” Anaya Hall said. “I really worked my way up and she helped me get there. She came in naturally faster than me and she really motivated me and the team to work hard and do the best we can by the end of the season.”
As Anaya spoke of their time together, Zaria began to cry and shared a hug with Spagnoli. After all, Zaria had been through a lot just to become the titleholder.
After pulling a muscle in her foot and injuring her ankle earlier this fall, she tripped in a ditch on Oct. 23, spraining her ankle, scraping her knee and tweaking her calf and hamstring in the process. Her trainer did not believe she could get back to full strength in time.
In the end, Hall is simply too fast and too driven to lose to anyone — even her sister.
“It was a really great moment,” Hall said. “It inspired me for the rest of the season. It made me feel like I can get back to where I was last year.”
Elsewhere, senior Aislinn Frazer of Friends Academy won the Nassau Class II title by 40.5 seconds, running an 18:42.5. Frazer left herself a note in her locker at school with a checklist of goals — the first of which is to become a county champion again.
“It’s really exciting,” Frazer said. “It’s been the goal all season. It’s nice to have it come to fruition.”
After Frazer, North Shore junior Chloe Connolly won the Class III championship with a 19:27.1. She crossed the finish line alongside teammate and fellow junior Joanna Kenney (19:27.6).