Although winter sports are fully in swing, it’s definitely worth reflecting on the Varsity Boys Cross Country team’s fall season. After winning the state title for Section VIII last year, for the first time since 1984, Coach Steiner and the team took on this year’s season as major competitors.
Their pre-season training began early in July, shortly after they concluded their spring track season in June. The team worked hard everyday in the sweltering summer heat, motivated to achieve success in the upcoming fall months. Their coaches pushed them hard in every long run and workout, to strengthen not only their endurance but their mentality. The boys continued their efforts, when they attended Foundations Sports Camp in late August. With Coach Steiner and other collegiate athletes leading the camp, the team pushed through every run, while still having fun with their teammates. At the end of the first official week of preseason, the coaches held their annual time trial at Allenwood Park. With the boys constant training, logging in more than 50 miles per week, another state championship title was well within reach.
Just as the school year began, so did the first race for the boys at the Wavemania Invitational in Warwick. While the course was difficult, the Manhasset boys were prepared for their season opener, with Emory commit Braeden Jackelow leading the team, followed by junior Nic Katsoulis. The boys were undefeated in their conference this season, finishing 4-0. They travelled all across New York, and even went as far as Wappinger Falls twice during fall. But with the post season not far behind, the team had to stay focused and get ready for the difficult upcoming weeks.
For most, Halloween was a fun night to celebrate — but the boys had to turn in early from their own festivities with the big day that they had ahead. Bright and early the next morning, the cross country team would take on the Section VIII County Championship at LIU Post. The Manhasset team had outstanding performances for their top 10 varsity athletes, with Rutgers commit Blake Sealy leading the team to their third county title. Runners Nic Katsoulis and Braeden Jackelow followed Sealy, securing Manhasset’s victory with their second and third place finishes. Overall, Manhasset had eight of their athletes placed in the top 25, earning them each All County honors. Although the championship was over, the boys would be returning to the same course the following weekend for their state qualifier.
November 8th marked yet another success for this team, as they won the state qualifier for Class B. Manhasset scored key points, with four of their athletes finishing between third and sixth place. This meant that the boys would soon venture upstate to Queensborough High School, where they would compete at the New York State Championship, along with city schools, private schools and other public high schools. Coach Steiner and his team were viewed as formidable opponents, having won the championship in 2024.
On the cold Saturday morning, the boys rode their bus to the competition filled with both nerves and excitement, knowing that all of their hard work and dedication throughout the season was leading up to this race. With the support of their families and teammates, they ran out strong and confidently as the gun went off. Despite the extreme difficulty of the course, the boys ran exceptionally well, scoring 74 points overall and earning third place out of eleven teams. The strongest performance of the entire team, attaining a monumental accomplishment, came from Blake Sealy, who took home the win for Class B by running a time of 15:24.
The following weeks were a conclusion to the cross country team’s triumphant season. The varsity team ran their final race at the NYS Federation Championship where Sealy finished in sixth place, earning him the title of All Federation Honors and narrowly missing the qualifications for the national championship by one spot. Additionally, Jackelow closed in 32nd place, earning All Federation alongside his teammate. Although the team as a whole were very disappointed with their loss earlier at their state championship, the boys were reminded of the great amount of time and effort that they put into the sport every day. This only motivated them further to take on the winter season as they did in cross country, with dedication and confidence, and come out on top.
