Floyd's Zariel Macchia wins her first state track and field state championship with a 1,000-meter triumph
Zariel Macchia of Floyd wins the girls 1,000-meter run in a time of 2:49.23 at the New York State indoor track and field state championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island on Saturday. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
A state title in track had eluded Zariel Macchia for too long.
Already one of the most accomplished high school distance runners in the country, the Floyd junior finally added a track state championship to her long list of accolades Saturday at Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility on Staten Island.
Macchia edged out Smithtown West senior Laina Friedmann to win the 1,000 meters in 2 minutes, 49.23 seconds at the indoor track and field state championships.
Macchia found herself in the middle of the pack for most of the race, but launched herself into second place with a 33.08-second penultimate lap.
“Going into the second-to-last lap, I wasn’t where I needed to be,” Macchia said. “I decided to put in a surge and I thought, ‘It doesn’t matter how much I have left for the last lap, I just need to get into position now.’”
Macchia trailed Friedmann by 0.03 seconds entering the final lap but wasted no time taking the lead. Friedmann pushed ahead before the final turn, but the last 60 meters belonged to Macchia. Friedmann finished second in 2:49.41 and Bellport’s Ella Masem took third in 2:49.77. The Suffolk trio led the race for the final two laps.
“I was like, ‘This is awesome. We’re all Section XI and we’re going to place first, second and third,’” Macchia said. “Laina and Ella are the best. I just barely caught Laina, it was so exciting.”
Earlier in the day, Macchia placed second in the 3,000 in 9:25.77. Despite the time being Macchia’s personal-best time and a new Long Island record, she wasn’t thrilled with her performance. Saratoga Springs' Emily Bush won in 9:20.40.
“I didn’t race as well as I wanted to in the 3,000. The time was really good and getting the Long Island record is really exciting, but I wanted to stick to Emily Bush a little tighter,” Macchia said. “I was really focused and determined in the 1,000. There were a few points where I wasn’t too sure, but I just had to stick with it.”
In November, Macchia won the state Federation cross country championship. A year before, she won the Class A public school cross country championship. She won the Nike indoor two-mile national championship in March 2022.
A state title on the track was long overdue.