Newsday's top 25 girls indoor track and field athletes for 2023-24 winter season
Laina Friedmann of Smithtown West makes her entrance on to the track to compete in the final heat of the girls 800 meter run during Day 2 of the Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory in Manhattan. Credit: James Escher
Newsday’s annual look at the top Long Island girls indoor track and field athletes for the 2023-24 winter season, listed in alphabetical order.
Chica Akazi, Uniondale, Sr.
Akazi ran the 55-meter hurdles in 8.38 seconds and placed fourth at the state indoor championships a year ago.
Mullane Baumiller, Sayville, Sr.
Baumiller ran the 3,000 in 10:01.67 and placed seventh at the state indoor championships last winter.
Abby Callinan, Sachem East, Sr.
Callinan is the defending state champion in the 1,500-meter race walk after winning the event in 6:55.79 last March.
Logan Daley, Holy Trinity, Sr.
Daley, a Virginia Tech commit, won the 100 in 11.73 seconds at last year’s state outdoor championships and placed third in the 55 at last year’s state indoor championships.
Top row, from left: Chica Akazi of Uniondale, Mullane Baumiller of Sayville, Abby Callinan of Sachem East. Middle row, from left: Logan Daley of Holy Trinity, Sariah Doresca of Baldwin, Aislinn Frazer of Friends Academy. Bottom row, from left: Laina Friedmann of Smithtown West, Ashley Fulton of Elmont, Cali Gabrielson of Mt. Sinai.
Sariah Doresca, Baldwin, Jr.
Doresca won the indoor state championship in the 55, running a 7.02 last March.
Aislinn Frazer, Friends Academy, Jr.
Frazer ran 1,500 meters in 4:44.82 at the outdoor state championships last spring and 4:47.78 at the indoor state championships last winter.
Tracy Freeman, Syosset, Sr.
Freeman hit 42 feet, 6 inches in the weight throw and finished 10th at the state indoor championships last winter.
Laina Friedmann, Smithtown West, Sr.
Friedmann was the runner-up in the 1,000 at last year’s state indoor championships when she ran a 2:51.6.
Ashley Fulton, Elmont, Sr.
Fulton won the public school 300 title in 39.58 seconds at last winter’s state indoor championships.
Cali Gabrielson, Mt. Sinai, 8th grade
One of only two Long Islanders to qualify for the Nike Cross National meet this fall, Gabrielson ran 4:43.93 in the 1,500 as a seventh grader.
Alexandra Geositis, Deer Park, Sr.
Geositis ran the 600 in 1:35.97 and placed ninth at the state indoor championships last winter.
Maeve Going, Sacred Heart, Soph.
Going won the CHSAA Intersectional indoor title last season in the 3,000 in 10:06.56. She then ran 10:00.65 in the event and placed sixth at the state indoor championships.
Riley Griffith, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
The Friars’ top cross country runner this season ran 4:47.66 and won the 1,500 meters at the CHSAA Intersectional outdoor championships last spring.
Zaria Hall, East Meadow, Soph.
Hall was Newsday’s Nassau cross country Runner of the Year this fall and finished 12th in the 1,000 last winter at the state indoor championships, where she ran 2:56.74.
Clockwise, from top left: Maeve Going of Sacred Heart, Zariel Macchia of Floyd, Sophia McInnes of Bayport-Blue Point, Zariah Hall of East Meadow, Ella Masem of Bellport.
Samara Lawrence, North Babylon, Sr.
Lawrence ran the 55 in 7.23 seconds to finish seventh at the state indoor championships last winter.
Isabella Lucas, Port Washington, Jr.
Lucas launched herself 35 feet, 3 inches in the triple jump to place 14th at the state indoor championships last year.
Zariel Macchia, Floyd, Jr.
Newsday’s cross country Runner of the Year placed 10th at Foot Locker Nationals this fall and finished second in the 1,500 meters at last year’s state indoor championships, where she ran 4:26.16.
Ella Masem, Bellport, Jr.
A member of Newsday’s All-Long Island cross country team, Masem finished ninth at the Class A public school state cross country championship and ran the 1,000 in 3:02 as part of the winning intersectional relay team at last year’s state indoor championships.
Maggie McCormick, Bay Shore, Soph.
McCormick ran 1,000 meters in 2:55.54 and finished eighth at the state indoor championships last winter.
Sophia McInnes, Bayport-Blue Point, Jr.
McInnes placed 42nd at Nike Cross Nationals this fall and finished fifth in the 1,500 meters at last year’s state indoor championships, where she ran 4:38.06.
Paige Sheiffele, Mount Sinai, Sr.
Sheiffele placed fourth at the state Class B public school cross country championship this fall and ran 10:00.38 in the 3,000 at last year’s state outdoor championships.
Lily Strebel, Westhampton, Jr.
Strebel ran 1,000 meters in 2:53.65 to place fifth and ran 1,500 meters in 4:38.86 to place sixth at last winter’s state indoor championships.
Clockwise, from left: Emily and Mia Wickard of Northport, Lily Strebel of Westhampton, Paige Sheiffele of Mt. Sinai.
Emily Wickard, Northport, Sr.
The Northeastern commit ran 2:56 in the 1,000 at the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational and 5:03 in the mile at the North Shore Pre-Nationals Invitational last year.
Mia Wickard, Northport, Fr.
Wickard, Emily's younger sister, finished 11th in the state Class A cross country public school championship this fall, and placed 12th in the 3,000 last year, when she ran 10:06.42 at the state indoor championships.
Ja’Dah Williams Booker, Riverhead, Sr.
Williams Booker launched the shot put 33 feet, 7.5 inches and placed 13th at the state indoor championships a year ago.