The Oyster Bay Cross Country team ran at the Suffolk Officials Invitational at Sunken Meadow Park on Oct. 13. While Oyster Bay High School senior Teddy Hamlin improved by nearly two minutes from last year’s time (placing 12th in the Varsity race, and earning a medal), it was the freshman runners who were most impressive.
The team was able to win by a tie-breaker against Great Neck South. Both teams had scored 57 points, but the Baymen’s sixth runner, Michael Bizzoso scored in front of Great Neck’s sixth man to secure first place. Comsewogue placed third, while Sachem North (79 points) and Huntington (88 points) placed fourth and fifth.
The Baymen freshman team was led by Alex Tosi and Steven Sweet (13th and 16th place). Alex and Steven earned medals for placing in the top 20. They were followed by Jason Cassella (30th), Sam Aquilino (39th), Joe Panella (40th), Michael Bizzoso (52nd), and Ryan Santos (53rd).
According to Coach Kevin Cotter, “The team has had to adjust to running a lot more miles than they were accustomed to. They have had some minor injuries along the way, but they persevered. It is very exciting for them to be rewarded for their effort.”
The future looks bright for this very young team. Sophomores EJ Madden and Jack Sherbal will surely help round out a very strong team in the future. With standout coach Chris Weber leading the way for the seventh and eighth-grade team, this bright future can last a very long time.
