The Bayport-Blue Point girls varsity track team celebrated victories in their league and county championships last week and completed their state qualifier. In the Suffolk County competition, the team scored 142 points, 10 points over Mount Sinai’s score.
The New York State competition will be Friday, June 7, Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9. Nationals are the following week in Philadelphia at University of Pennsylvania’s campus.
“The biggest thing I loved about this season is that the kids were very team-oriented; [it was a] very team-oriented victory. You didn’t have kids who just wanted to PR for themselves, you know, ‘I just want to get this time for this event’,” said coach Vin Ungaro.
“The kids are great. The families are great. They’re all very close and friendly with each other. The way coach Sullivan and I run practices is to keep everyone on the same page, regardless of skill level, so you will be doing what everyone else is doing, even if at a slower pace. That mentality takes a lot of kids who maybe don’t think they’re good, but allows them to push together,” said Ungaro.
The beginning of the season was focused on form work, but at this time in the season, the focus is on speedwork. This involves having team members run at their race speed.
“We have to keep runners in shape for the race. You’re past the training now. You’re in the thick of it,” said Ungaro, “Everyone needs to be sharp and feel their best. So much of it is mental; if you don’t feel fast, you’re not fast.”
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