Manhasset's Blake Sealy and Farmingdale's George Thomatos both win at Nassau cross country state qualifier
Blake Sealy of Manhasset and George Thomatos of Farmingdale at the Nassau cross country individual championships and state qualifier on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Credit: Derrick Dingle
There is a spot about two miles into the 3.1-mile cross country course at Bethpage State Park that takes the runners around a bend alongside a baseball diamond. The curve offers a vantage point where one can not only see who is ahead of them, but also who is behind. The view offered very different things to Manhasset’s Blake Sealy and Farmingdale’s George Thomatos at Saturday’s Nassau state qualifier.
Sealy was running in fourth place in the Class B race when he hit the turn, and it was the moment he felt he needed to take control of the race. The junior found another gear, took the lead and just kept pulling away until he finished a winner in 15 minutes, 37.80 seconds, almost 22 seconds ahead of Matteo Somma of Valley Stream North.
“The guys who were ahead of me really pushed me and set me up to do well,” Sealy said. “When I got to the polo field [for the final 900 meters], even though I was in front, I really turned it up.”
His finish would have been good enough to earn the first of five spots in the state public school championships next weekend at upstate Queensbury. However, when teammates Nicolas Katsoulis, Stije Huinink, Alexander Armendaris and John Hogan all finished among the top -12, Manhasset earned the team title and guarenteed they will all be making the trip for a shot at the state team championship.
Thomatos set out to grab an early lead and steadily extend it throughout the Class A race, even though he’d required several days off in the previous week to deal with left hip discomfort. Things were going according to plan until the senior hit the curve at the baseball diamond.
“I felt like I might be slowing down and that’s when I glanced back and saw they were closing the gap on me,” he said.
Thomatos picked up his pace, extended his lead again and cruised to finish in 16:03.90, more than 11 seconds ahead of Syosset’s Gavin McGann.
“I did what I can to do and took the win,” Thomatos said. “I am looking forward to ‘states’ because I think I will run an even better race with people out ahead of me. . . . I was 69th there last year and I want a top-10 finish. I want to die on that course because it’s my chance to make my mark.”
McGann didn’t win but got something equally good. Syosset teammates Luis Cruz took sixth in 16:30.9 and Tyler Gany was 11th in 16:50.3 to lead it to the team title and a chance to capture a team state crown next weekend.
Zach Greene of Oyster Bay grabbed an early lead and held it all the way to win the Class C race in 16:06.40. West Hempstead’s Justin Delavandel (17:45.5), Jeremy Haynes (18:00.3) and Joseph Santos-Acosta (18:01.2) finished 3-5-6 to carry the Rams to the team title and a chance to vie for a state crown next weekend.
“When you’re running the course alone, it’s on you to keep pushing yourself,” said Greene, a junior who will be looking to improve on a 21st-place finish at last season’s state race. “I kept saying ‘I can go faster’ all the way to the end. I won’t have to do that next weekend.”
Manhasset's Sealy and his teammates believe they have a real shot at a state team championship after taking second place in 2023 behind Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, which won its seventh straight state crown.
“We’ve been feeling like we can do something special this season,” Sealy said. “I know I’ve had a good season, but I wouldn’t be anywhere without my teammates. The ultimate prize would be winning a state title together.”
“We have four of our top five back from last season,” ’Set coach Steve Steiner said. “We feel that puts us in a pretty good position for a great finish.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
