Bonac Boys May See More Success On The Track This Season, While Girls Will Rebuild After Losing Key Athletes To Graduation

The East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton boys track team is looking to have one of its strongest seasons in recent memory and took a good step in that direction by defeating host Comsewogue, 67-44, in their season opener on March 28, the team’s first victory in a few years, according to head coach Ben Turnbull.

The Bonackers have a good mix of seniors who will lead the team this season with some talented underclassmen who will provide depth. Pierson senior P.J. Ramundo will lead the distance group, but can run in anything from the 400-meter run to the 3,200-meter race and will compete in what should be a strong 4x800-meter relay team. Both Ramundo and East Hampton senior Evan Masi both competed in the state cross country meet this past fall and will provide a formidable 4x8 team, along with East Hampton senior Amari Gordon and sophomore Brayan Rivera. Masi will also run both hurdling events and the 1,600-meter race. Gordon will run in the middistances and will also run on the 4x400-meter relay along with the 4x8. East Hampton senior Jackson Bakes will run the sprints and compete on the 4x1 and 4x4.

Junior Marcus Krotman will compete in the 100- and 200-meter dashes along with the 4x1 and 4x4. Rivera will run long distance for East Hampton, while fellow sophomore Liam Fowkes will compete in the hurdles and 4x4. Judah D’Andrea (throws), Isaac Rodriguez (jumps, pole vault) and David Armijos (jumps, 100-meter dash, 4x1) are all additional sophomores who could score for the team.

The Bonackers moved up from League VI to League V this season, and the only team they’re familiar with is Westhampton Beach, which also made that same move. Comsewogue, Eastport-South Manor, which East Hampton lost to, 78-48, at home on Monday, Half Hollow Hills West, East Islip and Hauppauge round out the rest of the league.

“Our goals for the season is to be competitive during the dual season and have some people qualify for the state meet,” Turnbull said.

The boys have their next meet scheduled for this Tuesday, April 12, at Hills West at 4:30 p.m.

After losing four strong athletes to graduation, and navigating what is a new landscape across track overall, East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton girls track head coach Yani Cuesta is hoping to see improvement as the season goes on.

“We are such a new, young team, and we know very little about the majority of our opponents, that we are looking for as much growth in our young girls as possible,” she said. “Individual accomplishments are key. In the meantime, Coach DeLuca, Coach Malecki, and I will look to maximize the girls’ strengths when we have our dual meets and see what we can do in this new league. The expectation is that the girls will try as many events as they can so that they can find a place to be successful point contributors for our team.”

Those aforementioned four athletes that graduated — Ava Engstrom, Bella Espinoza, Penelope Greene and Bella Tarbet — all competed in multiple events for the Bonackers and brought not only consistency but experience from having been on the varsity for multiple seasons. Green was All-County in the 3,000-meter race last season and reset school records in that race plus the 1,500-meter race. Espinoza competed in the pole vault for years and was All-County last spring and Tarbet was an all-around athlete who competed in the pentathlon in postseason meets.

Dylan Cashin, a sophomore, will be one of the team’s strongest runners competing in the 800, 1,500, 3,000 and 4x800-meter relay team. She was All-League last season in the 1,500.

East Hampton senior Tiffany Georgopoulos will compete in the triple jump, fellow senior Daniela Yanza will compete in the throws. Bridgehampton junior Leslie Samuel was All-League last season in the long jump and will also be a sprinter. Pierson junior Meredith Spolarich was All-League last season in the high jump, but Cuesta said she is such a strong athlete she can compete in just about any event. East Hampton junior Casey Stumpf will compete in the pole vault and sophomore Lyla Wilson will compete in the triple jump.

Eighth-grader Sara O’Brien, who emerged as Pierson’s top cross country runner and helped lead that team to states this past fall, comes over to track where she’ll help the team in the distance events. She competed in the 800, 1,500, 3,000 and 4x8 in the girl’s season-opening 69-63 victory over Comsewogue at home on March 29.

Like the boys, the girls moved up to League V this season, and similarly, after a victory over Comsewogue, lost to Eastport-South Manor (75-66) on Monday. They will also face Hills West, East Islip, Hauppauge and Westhampton Beach.

What makes things a bit different this season in track is that the county has streamlined its postseason events. There will be separate county meets for each class (AA, A, B, C) — each athlete in the county used to compete at one big meet — and then a state qualifier on June 2 and 3. East Hampton boys and girls compete in Class B.

The girls are slated to host Hills West this Tuesday, April 12, at 4 p.m.