Scaglione sisters find winner's circle for Oceanside at Nassau Conf. 1 track championships

It’s probably not the best idea to find yourself in a foot race with one of the Scaglione sisters. At a time of year where a lot still hangs in the balance, one thing is for sure – this is one fast family.

Andria and Nikki, who run for Oceanside, won the first two girls distance events at the Nassau Conference I track and field championships Wednesday night at St. Anthony’s High School. Andria, who has made her name over the last two seasons as one of the top distance runners in Nassau, won the 3,000 meters in a dominating 11 minutes, 43.91 seconds. Nikki won the 1,000 in 3:12. The Scaglione’s are actually triplets, but the third sister – Giulia – does not run on the track team  

Andria led the 3,000 from the beginning, opening an insurmountable lead before the race hit the 50-meter mark.

“I just wanted to secure the win for our team,” Andria said. “I think I went out faster than I would have liked to, but then I just tried to stay on pace.”

Andria kept that lead, eventually building to a 60-meter lead midway through the race and a 70-meter lead at the beginning of the final lap. She won by 8.88 seconds. Her teammate, Sera King, was second in 11:52.85.

A lead that large isn’t always welcome. With no one to chase her, Andria had to create motivation. That isn’t typically a problem for runners when a championship is on the line and it wasn’t one for Andria Wednesday night.

“I just told myself that I wanted to win,” Andria said. “I just tried to hold on.”

SEE PHOTOSNassau Conference I track and field championships

Nikki’s victory in the 1,000 wasn’t all that close either. She won by a comfortable 5.42 seconds. Freeport’s Nyah Porter was second in 3:17.42.

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t go out too fast, but also wanted to make sure that I got a good position for the rest of the race,” Nikki said.

The two sisters led the 1,500 later in the meet, but were overtaken by Syosset’s Mayu Lio who won in 5:00.71. Andria was second in 5:05.65 and Nikki was third in 5:11.02

On the boys side, Farmingdale’s Patrick Smyth won the 3,200 in 10:08.90 and the 1,600 in 4:45.36. Smyth battled down the stretch of the 3,200 with Syosset’s Gary Sautner. Smyth kept looking back at Sautner as the two barreled down the final straightway, but Smyth was able to hold him off. Sautner was second in 10:09.19.

“Going into the last lap, I thought I had (the win) because I had more room,” Smyth said. “But then, with 300 to go, I heard (Sautner) start catching up, and I knew he had the foot speed. With 150 left, I took a look over my shoulder and he was closer than I thought, so I had to really push.”

Smyth blew past the field effortlessly on the final lap of the 1,600 to secure the win.

Elsewhere, Uniondale’s Giordano Williams won the 55 dash in 6.67 seconds, Massapequa’s Michael Turner won the 1,000 in 2:45.71, and Freeport’s Kevon Smith won the 600 in 1:25.02.