Mustang Winter Track Hits Stride in Friendship Games' Second Week

The Mineola boy's winter track team made another solid showing at during the this past Thursday at . The track squad had 13 runners compete against schools from all over Nassau County. 

Coach Zachary Sabatino was pleased to see how the team was doing after the long break. Many of the practices leading up to the Games were cut short due to the blizzard. “We didn’t get as much work as we would have like to get in,” he said. “Our track is still partially buried under snow, and we have a good 60 meters that we can use, but we are making due with what we have.” 

The first year coach, who took the reins from Coach Michael Santa Maria, says that their goal for the Friendship Games is that same for any track event: to always be competitive.

Sabatino says the young team has shown a lot of heart and talent going into this competition.

At one point the hurdling event had to be delayed for 30 minutes as a freshman from Roosevelt High School injured himself after hitting a hurdle. Coaches, track federation officials and emergency personnel attended to the young man, who lay on the floor in the prone position.  It was not known if he had any cranial or spinal trauma. An ambulance arrived shortly afterwards to take him to the hospital.

The Friendship Games conclude Jan. 17.