4 Photos
Sara O'Brien RON ESPOSITO
Josie Mott DREW BUDD
Bennett Greene RON ESPOSITO
Maggie Greenwald RON ESPOSITO
Pierson girls cross country head coach Yani Cuesta has grown accustomed to having competitive teams year in and year out. This season will be no different — though winning another league title could prove to be difficult.
The Whalers will compete within League VIII as they typically have over the years. But unlike in years past, the league now includes powerhouse Bayport-Blue Point, which has moved down to Class C, and will prove difficult to beat. The league has mixed classification with “C” schools Babylon, Center Moriches, Mattituck and Southampton and fellow Class D schools Port Jefferson and Southold.
Another little quirk the county added was that many of the smallest schools in the county were grouped into an “independent” class. That includes Greenport, Smithtown Christian, Riverhead Charter, Shelter Island, the Ross School and Our Savior New American, a private Christian school based in Centereach.
Although the team did lose its strongest, most consistent runner in Greylynn Guyer, who is now running at SUNY Geneseo, it is returning the bulk of its runners who contributed to winning a league title, finishing second in Division IV and qualified for runners for the New York State Championships. Josie Mott, now a sophomore, senior Sara O’Brien and sophomore Maggie Greenwald all ran upstate last season and return this season, as does senior Bennett Greene. Freshman Olivia Stiglitz and seventh-grader Evelyn Rizzo join the team.
“My goals for this year’s team are to keep everyone healthy and get faster,” Cuesta said. “I would like to win the league title, which will be way more difficult with the new league makeup — Bayport-Blue Point is such a strong team. And I would really like to take a team back up to states this year.”
Pierson had its first meet of the season on Tuesday against Center Moriches at Indian Island and isn’t scheduled to have another meet until September 22, when it hosts both Mattituck and Southold at Mashashimuet Park at 3:30 p.m.
Information on the boys team was not provided.
