Newsday's All-Long Island girls cross country team 2022
Floyd’s Zariel Macchia crosses the finish line during the girls Class A race at the NYSPHSAA cross country championships in Verona, N.Y., on Nov. 12. Credit: Mark McGauley
Newsday Runner of the Year: Zariel Macchia, Floyd, So.
Macchia continued her reign over the Long Island running scene this fall. On the menu for her sophomore year? A state championship. Macchia won the Class A public school state championship, running an 18:02.6 at Vernon Verona Sherrill High School in upstate Verona. The victory was lopsided – 15.8 seconds, an impressive feat in the difficult Class A.
Macchia’s talent is very much a national thing. She placed third in 17:47.90 at the Champs Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx over Thanksgiving Weekend and was second in 17:34.2 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships at John Hunt Running Park in Huntsville, Alabama, on Dec. 3.
Nassau Runner of the Year: Aislinn Frazer, Friends Academy, So.
Friends Academy’s Aislinn Frazer in Verona, N.Y. Credit: Mark McGauley
She’s quickly becoming one of the top distance runners on Long Island. Frazer placed sixth in 19:44.8 in the Class B public school state championship. She was the top Nassau runner at the meet across all four classes. She was also the top Nassau runner at the state Federation championships, placing 36th in 19:38.3 at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls.
Mullane Baumiller, Sayville, Jr.
On top of being the lead runner on the team that won the Class B public school state championship, Baumiller also was the fastest Long Islander at the state Federation Championships, placing 15th in 19:19.3.
Emily LaMena, Glenn, Sr.
She ran ninth in 19:46.9 in the Class B public school state championships. LaMena was third in Class B in 20:00.85 at the Suffolk State Qualifiers at Sunken Meadow State Park.
Clockwise, from top left: Mullane Baumiller of Sayville, Emily LaMena of Glenn, Finnley Wickard of Northport, Mia Wickard of Northport, Isabella Spagnoli of Great Neck South.
Isabella Spagnoli, Great Neck South, So.
Spagnoli was the top runner at the Nassau Class County Championships (18:53.48) and the Nassau State Qualifier (19:08.24), both held at Bethpage State Park.
Finnley Wickard, Northport, Eighth Grade
Wickard was the second-fastest Long Islander at the state Federation championships, placing 25th in 19:30.5. She was third in 19:45.88 behind Macchia and her twin sister, Mia Wickard, in the Class A race at the Suffolk State Qualifiers.
Mia Wickard, Northport, Eighth Grade
She was the second-fastest Long Islander in the Class A race at the public school state championships, placing 18th in 19:26.9. She was second in 19:37.51 in the Class A race at the Suffolk State Qualifiers.
Coach of the Year: Tom Duffy, Sayville
Duffy led Sayville to the Class B public school team state championship. It was first team state title for Sayville and only the fourth in Suffolk history, he said. Sayville placed fourth at the state Federation championships and barely missed a Nike Cross Nationals bid.
