Newsday's Top 25 Long Island girls cross country runners to start 2024
From left: Ashley Carillo of Port Washington, Marianna Duffy of Sayville, Shannon Flachner of Wheatley.
Newsday's annual look at the top Long Island high school girls cross country runners for the fall of 2024, listed in alphabetical order. (All times and stats are from last season, and at the 5-kilometer distance, unless otherwise noted.)
Riley Adams, Wantagh, Jr.
Amongst the 469 competitors who ran at the state public school championships at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School , Adams finished in the top third of the merge with a 20 minute, 40 second finish.
Ashley Carillo, Port Washington, Sr.
Carillo ranked 59th in the public school state meet merge in 19:42.7.
Elana Ciaccio, St. Anthony’s, Soph.
As a freshman, Ciaccio’s 20:41.8 at the state Federation championships at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls placed her in the race’s top 100.
Fina DiBiaso, Westhampton, Fr.
As an eighth grader last year, DiBiaso had a strong showing at the highest level. At the public school state championships, she finished 91st in a 20:03.6. At the Federation meet, she finished 52nd out of 287 in 20:10.3.
Olivia DiGaetano, Connetquot, Jr.
Based on her times from last year’s public school state and Federation meets, DiGaetano is already a top-10 runner on Long Island. She ran a 19:23.8 at the public school meet — good for 35th — and a 19:45.9 at the Federation — which ranked 29th.
Marianna Duffy, Sayville, Soph.
Duffy’s times from both the public school state and Federation championships last year are 10th best among returning Long Island runners. She ran a 19:34.4 in the public school state meet and a 20:12.3 at the Federation championships.
Shannon Flachner, Wheatley, Jr.
The reigning Nassau Class C champion placed 13th in Class C in 19:58.8 at the public school state championships and 60th at the Federation championships in 20:12.3.
Kayla Forsch, Northport, Jr.
As one of the top members of a strong Northport team, Forsch ran a 20:25.7 at the public school state championships, which ranks 19th amongst all returning Long Islanders.
Aislinn Frazer, Friends Academy, Sr.
The Nassau Division B runner-up qualified for the public school state championships last year and ran a 20:34.7, which placed her in the top third of all racers.
Cali Gabrielson, Mt. Sinai, Fr.
Gabrielson is already one of the best runners in the state. She finished eighth overall, and second in Class B, at the public school state championships in 18:43 flat. She was 11th at the Federation championships in 19:07.4.
Clockwise, from top left: Aislinn Frazer of Friends Academy, Cali Gabrielson of Mr. Sinai, Maeve Going of Sacred Heart, Emma Gold of Center Moriches.
Maeve Going, Sacred Heart, Jr.
One of the Catholic league’s best, Going finished in the top half at the Federation meet with a 21:05.9 .
Emma Gold, Center Moriches, Jr.
The Suffolk Division C runner-up ran a 20:24.8 at the public school state meet, which is the 18th-best time among returning Long Islanders .
Anaya Hall, East Meadow, Sr.
The elder of the Hall sisters had a big junior year, but she had it cut short due to an illness right before the public school state championships. Hall qualified for the meet after running a 19:23.8.
Zaria Hall, East Meadow, Jr.
Newsday’s 2023 Nassau Runner of the Year is back after a big sophomore season that saw her finish 21st in the merge, and 14th in Class A, at the public school state championships with a 19:07.1 and 15th at the Federation championships with a 19:13.5.
Joanna Kenney, North Shore, Jr.
After becoming the 2023 Nassau Division B champion, Kenney finished in the top half of all competitors at both the public school state and Federation championships. She ran a 20:46.3 at the public school meet and a 21:20.7 at the Federation.
Fiona King, Northport, 8th grade
King wasted no time putting herself on the map. As a seventh grader, she finished 55th at the public school state meet in 19:38.7.
Megan Lankowicz, Sayville, Jr.
At the public school state championships, Lankowicz finished just 0.9 seconds behind teammate Marianna Duffy, , placing her 53rd in 19:35.3. Lankowicz ranked 42nd at the Federation meet in 19:57.6.
Zariel Macchia, Floyd, Sr.
Newsday’s three-time Long Island Runner of the Year is back to end her high school career with a bang. She won the Federation title in 17:59.4 and finished second in Class A, and in the merge, in 17:44.3 at the public school state championships. The BYU commit, who already has a Class A title to her name, is the fastest returner in the state...and one of the fastest girls in the country.
Clockwise, from top left: Zariel Macchia of Floyd, Ella Masem of Bellport, Sophia McInnes of Bayport-Blue Point, Zaria Hall of East Meadow and Isabella Spagnoli of Great Neck South, Megan Lankowicz of Sayville.
Ella Masem, Bellport, Sr.
Masem made last fall's All-Long Island team after placing 14th overall, and ninth in Class A, at the public school state championships in18:55.8.
Sophia McInnes, Bayport-Blue Point, Sr.
The defending Class B public school champion, McInnes is back to challenge Zariel Macchia for the title of "Long Island’s fastest runner." She won Class B in 18:00.5 and was third at the Federation championship in 18:33.1.
Isabella Spagnoli, Great Neck South, Sr.
Spagnoli finished 27th overall at the public school state championships in 19:16.1 and 39th at the Federation meet in 19:54.1. Both of those numbers are the seventh-best times amongst returning Long Island runners.
Lily Strebel, Westhampton, Sr.
Another top-10 returner, Strebel is primed for a huge year. She finished seventh in Class B in 19:18.4, a top-five returner in the competitive grouping . At the Federation championships, Strebel ran a 19:18.1 to place 17th.
Lily Strebel of Westhampton, left, and Mia Wickard of Northport.
Maggie Taylor, Northport, Sr.
As the elder statesman of Northport’s young team, Taylor is looking to build on a good 2023. At the public school state championships, she ran a 20:21.
Jane Tucker, Northport, 8th grade
Tucker outpaced two of her older teammates (Maggie Taylor and Kayla Forsch) at the public school state meet when she posted a 20:06.9, placing her in the top 100 that day.
Mia Wickard, Northport, Soph.
Wickard was 11th in Class A at the public school state championships, posting a 19:00.3. She's the eight-fastest returner from the state's toughest class.
