Southampton's Gavalas, Marro Compete At New York State Cross Country Championships

Southampton boys and girls cross country head coach Eddie Arnold uses a saying quite often: “You have to visit the experience to know the experience.”

At the New York State Cross Country Championships at Vernon Verona Sherrill High School on Saturday, junior Jeorgiana Gavalas and sophomore Tanner Marro got to do just that. In their first ever appearance at the state level, Gavalas finished the girls Class C 5K race in a personal best 21:32.1, which placed her 40th out of 129 runners. Marro, meanwhile, crossed the finish line in the boys Class C 5K race in 19:52.9, which placed him 105th out of 131 runners.

“Look, they’re traveling five and a half hours upstate to an unknown course. Like I always say, you have visit the experience to understand what experience is about,” Arnold said. “There are some exceptions. [Westhampton Beach senior Max Haynia] and [William Floyd sophomore Zariel Macchia] ran great races. Those are some kids who perform at some high levels.

“But I’m very happy with their performances,” Arnold said of his two runners, Gavalas and Marro. “There are two things you want to do when you get to states: number one, you want to get a personal best, and two, compete well against your section. If you happen to make All-State, that’s like an added bonus.”

Gavalas said she went upstate a little nervous being that she had never ran the course before. One of the first things Gavalas and Marro did when they got up to the course was walk it and run it. Gavalas thought it was a good mix of just about every other course she’s run before.

On race day, Gavalas said she and Marro were split up being that they were in two separate races. She felt lonely at that point, but the Center Moriches girls, who had qualified as a team, took her in as one of their own and she appreciated that and it allowed her to calm down some. After finishing the race in what was about a 20-second personal best, Gavalas wasn’t unhappy with her result.

“It’s not really all that different, race wise,” she said of states. “Everybody went out really fast, but it was a good pace. There are many different people and a lot of new exposure to new teams but everyone had a certain goal and it was whether you met that goal or not.”

Gavalas, who also runs track in the winter and spring, added that now that she’s competed at states, she would like to finish her career as an All-State runner next season.

Marro admitted that he didn’t have his best race on Saturday. The course conditions could have contributed to that, he said — it did rain considerably the day before making for some wet and muddy conditions. But now that he knows the course and knows what it takes, he’s looking to get back there.

“I got some good experience for next season,” he said. “My hope was for a PR and I was hoping to place a little bit higher, but I definitely didn’t run my best race. I hoping to do better if I can run it next season.”

Marro will also run track in the winter and he said he’ll decide on whether he runs track in the spring or plays lacrosse. Arnold said that running all three seasons can be tough for younger athletes, but he agreed that it certainly gives them an advantage over those who don't. It’s his job, if they do decide to run in all three seasons, to not over train them and put them in situations where they’ll succeed.

“Running three seasons is a lot. It’s a lot of sacrifice, but I believe both Jeorgie and Tanner got the racing bug,” he said. “Just by looking at the competition, in order for you to get to that level like being an All-State runner, something has to give. I think they want it now and I think they understand that if they really want it this has to be my sport.

“Tanner has two more seasons to go, Jeorgiana has one more season — the future is very bright for both of them,” Arnold added. “Their only way is up from here.”