Calhoun Girls Track Earns Third Winter Conference Title

The Sanford H. Calhoun High School girls track team earned its third winter conference championship on Jan. 14. It’s been more than a decade since a team has won three consecutive titles.

Faith Dwyer controlled and dominated the 3000m race. Junior Kristina Losquadro and freshman Julia Baguiao both hit personal bests, with Baguiao breaking the Calhoun freshman record with a time of 7.93 in the 55m dash. Lisa José set her personal best and broke the long-standing school record with a time of 7.62 and was the No. 1 seed going into the finals. José not only re-broke her newly made school record, but moved up to No. 5 in all of Nassau County with a time of 7.52.

“I knew how much pressure there was to win this meet and before I ran, I reminded myself that I not only owed it to the team but to myself to preform to the best of my ability,” José said.

Distance teammate sophomore Julianna Razza ran the 1000m race, taking second, and had to run the mile within the next 30 minutes. Razza and teammate Faith Dwyer started the 1500m race, taking third and fifth respectively, scoring eight points.

Freshman Sara Manson, who was ranked as the No. 1 pentathlete in the nation for all middle school girls last year, dropped a PR of 9.07 in the 55m hurdles (top freshman in Nassau), upsetting East Meadow to finish third. She also took fourth in long and on her last jump take second in triple. Scoring a total of 18 points for the team.

Calhoun picked up points on the 600m race with senior Samantha Latorre placing fourth. Julia Baguiao ran a PR in the 300m race in a freshman record in a time of 45.96 to take fifth place.

The throws squad of Erika Klein, Julia Oladipo and Skylar Bruno dominated the weight throw and Julia Kirpalani stole a point in shot put. Klein led the way in weight throw, earning her first conference title, while freshman Bruno took third, followed by Julia Oladipo, who took fourth.

Returning All-County Race walker Tali Gekhman and teammate Rebecca Sirof took first and second, respectively, in the walking event, adding a big 18 points to Calhoun’s total.

The 4x800m race went off with Calhoun as the fourth seed. Alexandra Unz, eighth grader Omana Phillips, captain Faith Dwyer and Julianna Razza earned their first 4x800 conference title.

“That win was a great team effort,” Migliano said. “Every girl ran their leg hard and then Faith and Julianna were on their last event of three and they did what they always do, perform.”

In the 4x400m relay, Samantha Latorre, sophomores Jenna Stewart and Kelly Martin and senior captain Elizabeth Tuzzolo won, earning the team another eight points

At the 4x200m, Kristina Losquadro (Kiki), junior Kayla Locasto, freshman Katelyn Gladkowski and Julia Baguiao ran another season best and kept the girls in third place and with another championship in hand.