Calhoun's Logan Schaeffler sets Bethpage 5K course record, wins Class A race at Nassau cross country state qualifiers

It hit Logan Schaeffler when he was 10 feet from the finish line.

That’s when the Calhoun senior realized he was closing in on a Bethpage State Park 5-kilometer course record at the Nassau state qualifier meet on Saturday afternoon.

Schaeffler won the Class A boys race in 15 minutes, 22.8 seconds, breaking the previous record on the current Bethpage course, set by Garden City’s Charles White, who ran 15:46.1 in 2006, according to MileSplit.

“I hadn’t looked at my watch throughout the whole race,” Schaeffler said. “I wanted to just win the race, and then getting a [personal record] was second to that.”

Schaeffler held off Oceanside’s Jason Kerber, who finished second in 15:35 flat, over 10 seconds faster than White’s 2006 record.

“I could hear [Kerber] behind me for most of the race,” Schaeffler said. “That helped push me a lot.”

Schaeffler ran 15:06.01 and set a course record at Eisenhower Park earlier this season. He won the Class A state qualifier race last year and placed 15th at the 2022 public school state championships.

Now, he’ll have a chance to improve on that position at the public school state championships next Saturday at Vernon Verona Sherrill High School in upstate Verona.

“It just feels amazing,” Schaeffler said. “From the beginning of the season we were aiming to go to states, and other than that, just getting a [personal record] here as well as Eisenhower.”

Port Washington won the boys Class A team title with 69 points, led by Lukas Derasmo, who finished fifth in 16:50.1. Kerber, George Thomatos and Luke Ferraiolo from Farmingdale, and Andrey Podskrebkin from Massapequa each qualified individually for the state championships.

North Shore's Robby Levy won the Class B boys race in 15:55.85, a personal best at Bethpage and nearly 25 seconds faster than his time at the Nassau Class County championships last week.

“I started turning it on and started closing about 400 [meters] out, took a big lead and went,” Levy said. “It feels really good. The weather was good today, not 75 degrees like last week, so I was able to really push myself.”

Levy said the race went out at around a 5-minute mile pace with a large group of runners intact through the first mile.

But as Levy and the rest of the lead pack entered the polo field for the final 1,000 meters, the senior didn’t look back. Levy’s lead grew before holding off second-place finisher, Myles Munro of Seaford, who finished in 16:03.68.

Levy finished second in the Class B race at the Nassau state qualifier last year. He’ll enter the state championships next weekend as the top runner from Nassau’s Class B.

“It just feels good,” Levy said. “Puts me in a position to potentially win.”

Manhasset won the Class B team title with 48 points, led by Stije Huinink, who finished eighth in 16:40.42. Munro, Ryan McAlea of Garden City, and Ian Frazer and Owen Stachlik from Wantagh each qualified individually for the state championships.

Oyster Bay’s Chris Tardugno won the Class C boys race, for the second straight year, in 15:47.42. Tardugno, who placed fifth at the state championships last year, led Oyster Bay to 30 points and the Class C team title.

Alex Santos-Acosta, Jeremy Haynes and Justin Delavandel from West Hempstead, Anthony Baldasano from Wheatley and Alex Lombardo from Cold Spring Harbor each qualified individually for the state championships.