Ryan Boldi was racing around the final turn, victory was assured, and the other three members of the Manhasset High School 4×800 relay team watched and could hardly believe what they were seeing.
For years, these four kids, along with others who were formerly on the relay squad, had dreamed of the Holy Grail: A state championship. Each of them had sacrificed individual glory, foregoing the chance to win in other events just for the chance to finally win this event.
It had been tantalizingly close for them last season, as the Set boys finished second to Saratoga twice, at the indoor and outdoor states.
And now it was finally here. The accomplishment was done.
And senior Cole Thalheimer felt overjoyed and … sad?
Yes, sad.
“We were all hugging and standing next to each other and it was just so much emotion, I was happy but also sad,” Thalheimer said. “It was like, yes it’s great we did it, incredible, but also I felt a little sad. Because after so many years it finally happened, and now the goal was over. We did it, and we didn’t have to keep trying anymore.”
What Manhasset did was win its first state relay championship of any kind, running the race in 7:48.32 and easily beating the second-place finisher, St. Joseph by the Sea, by nearly three seconds. It was the fastest time by any public school in New York State indoor history.
The quartet of seniors Boldi, Thalheimer, John Hogan and sophomore Nic Katsoulis jumped out to an early lead and cruised from there.
“I was speechless; everything hit me all at once,” said Katsoulis, who would’ve had an excellent chance to medal in individual events like the 800 meters and 1,000. “I would’ve liked to run all the races, but it was more important to help the team and finally get us this one.”
Manhasset’s 4×800 win highlighted an outstanding meet for both Nassau County boys and girls at the state meet on March 8 at Ocean Breeze complex in Staten Island.
In addition to Manhasset’s win, Plainview-Old Bethpage’s Ethan Kaufman took third place in the weight throw. An unusual event that requires the athlete to spin around furiously in a circle and then launch a 25-pound disc as far as possible, Kaufman said he shocked himself by hurling the object 64 feet, 9 inches.
“I never ever thought I could get Top 3. I thought best case I get fourth or fifth,” said Kaufman, who finished eighth in the event in 2024. “I was completely stressing out the week before the meet, all like ‘what if I foul on all my throws?’ But once I got out there I calmed down and it was a really great event.”
Kaufman said he first discovered the weight throw as a freshman when Stephen Hassard, a teacher at Plainview-Old Bethpage and a former field athlete at the University of Albany, suggested he try it out.
“I started out doing discus and then I tried weight throw and thought it was a lot more fun,” Kaufman laughed. “It’s definitely something different and challenging.”
Also on the boys side, Roslyn senior Zachary Davidson, a state competitor the last two years, once again earned a medal in the pole vault, placing sixth with a final total of 14 feet, 3 inches, and Herricks junior Kenneth Ramdayal had a fabulous performance in the shot put. Ramdayal’s toss of 56 feet, 4.25 inches landed him a fourth-place finish.
On the girls side, the great program at North Shore once again had a terrific performance. Junior Joanna Kenney snagged a fifth-place finish in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:46.55.
“I went in with no expectations so I was definitely happy with how I did,” Kenney said. “I went out slow, in like last place, and just kept chasing down some of the other girls. It was super exciting to get fifth.”
Kenney, who won a medal in the steeplechase at states last spring, said she thinks Top 3 is definitely in reach for next season.
North Shore girls 4×800 team also placed fifth in Division 2, with Kenney, Hannah Sadowski, Sloane Bonvicino and Madison O’Donnell running in 9:59.01.
East Meadow also had a strong meet, with Zaria Hall taking fourth place in the 1,000 meters (2:49.05) and sixth in the 1,500 meters (4:37.30).
The Jets’ Katelyn Coffey also took fifth in the weight throw (48 feet, 9.5 inches).
