Track & Field: McDonnell wins 600, anchors 4 x 400 team
Shoreham-Wading River senior Shannon McDonnell won the 600-meter race at the small school county championship Monday night in a career-best time for a race at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood.
McDonnell led start to finish and closed out the race in 1 minute 36.98 seconds for her first career county title in the 600. Last year she finished second at the county meet before coming back to win at the Section XI State Qualifier.
McDonnell’s night was just beginning after winning the 600. She anchored the 4 x 400 relay team that finished first in 4:14.75. When McDonnell took the baton for the final two laps, she trailed Bayport-Blue Point by a few meters. McDonnell wasted no time surging in front and she never looked back in closing out the victory.
Junior Laura Lee, who was fifth in the 600, ran the opening leg of the relay before handing off to Genevieve Kuczewski. She maintained the lead for senior Kaitlyn Taddeo on the third leg.
Immediately after running in the 4 x 400, McDonnell took a few minutes to catch her breath before lining up to run in the 4 x 200 relay. Lee also ran the back-to-back race. Exhausted, the team ran 2:04.34 to finish last.
Shoreham scored 22 points to finish seventh.
McGann-Mercy senior Sasa Vann had her best finish at a county meet by running 43.49 in the 300 for second place. Hills West junior Kerri Graber edged her for the title by running 42.91.
Mercy eighth-grader Meg Tuthill was sixth in the 1,000 in 3:11.33. Sophomore Delina Auciello was sixth in the 600 in 1:44.08.
