By Joseph Staszewski
The city was again a hotbed for girls’ track and field talent.
The spring was dominated by a historic season from distance runner Alexis Panisse and Cardozo, which repeated as PSAL indoor and outdoor champs even though Clinton, Port Richmond and Medgar Evers closed the gap. Medgar Evers’ Kadecia Baird emerged as one of the nation’s top sprinters by year’s end, while Archbishop Molloy and St. John Villa continued to be two of the CHSAA’s best squads.
All-City girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Alexis Panisse, Cardozo
The Tennessee-bound Panisse enjoyed a season for the ages as the Judges again captured the PSAL indoor and outdoor city titles. She was first PSAL female cross country runner to qualify for the Foot Locker National Championships and was the first in a decade to run the invitational mile at the Millrose Games.
Panisse ran the state’s best 600-meter time indoors this season and broke the 2,000 steeplechase meet record at the Mayor’s Cup. She won a city and state title in the 3,000 indoors as well, adding to her memorable year.
All-City girls Track & Field Coach of the Year: Gail Emmanuel, Cardozo
It was again a dominant season for the Judges, but not the way they are used to. In a year where many thought it might finally falter, Cardozo won its sixth straight PSAL indoor title and did so without Miami-bound star Lateisha Philson. Plus, it’s fifth consecutive outdoor crown came by a narrow margin. Emmanuel and assistant Coach Ray James developed more depth around less star power than in years past, and completed the four-year transformation of standout Alexis Panisse.
FIRST TEAM
Adrienne Alexander, Bishop Loughlin
The Lions’ senior was again the city’s top shot-putter, winning indoor and outdoor CHSAA intersectional titles. Alexander took home an indoor state title with a season-best toss of 42 feet 8 inches.
Akayla Anderson, Cardozo
Anderson captured the PSAL and state crowns in the 100-meter hurdles and posted a state-leading time of 13.98 seconds during the outdoor season. In indoors, she won the PSAL 55-meter hurdles, placed second at the state meet and came in second at Eastern States in 7.98.
Brittney Adams, DeWitt Clinton
The Clinton senior was as versatile as they come. Adams won the pentathlon and was a member of the winning 4×400 team at the PSAL outdoor championships. She was also one of the state’s best 600 runners during the indoor season and broke out as a top 400 hurdler.
Kimberly Bailey, Taft
The junior sprinter enjoyed success across the board. Bailey was second at the outdoor states and PSAL championship meet in the 200 with a time of 24.32. Indoors she took home the state crown in the 55-meter dash at 7.15.
Kadecia Baird, Medgar Evers
Arguably the nation’s top sprinter, the junior closed the year by winning the 100, 200 and 400 at the PSAL outdoor championship and 200 state and national title. The later crown came in 52.14, the top time in the country this season.
Lateisha Philson, Cardozo
The Miami-bound star moved away from her signature hurdles to concentrate on sprinting, and she ran the state’s fastest 55-meter dash time of 7.01 during indoors, took home the Mayor’s Cup crown and placed second in the event at the Millrose Games.
Christina Melian, Susan Wagner
The Stony Brook-bound senior emerged as one of the city’s top distance runners, placing second in the PSAL cross-country final. She set the PSAL record in the 2,000 steeplechase in 6:56.20. Melian won the PSAL city title in the event and placed second in the 3000 and 1,500 indoors.
Sabrina Southerland, Cardozo
The junior won the PSAL indoor and outdoor city championship in 1,500 meters and finished second in the state meet this spring. Her best time, 4:36.15, came in an outdoors Mayor’s Cup win Southerland was second in the outdoor PSAL 800 and third at the city cross-country championships.
SECOND TEAM
Mariah Claudio, St. John Villa
One of the city’s top middle-distance runners helped Villa remain one of the CHSAA’s top squads. The Rhode Island recruit ran one of the state’s top times of 56.64 while placing third in the CHSAA Intersectionals in the 400 during the outdoor season.
Kerri Butler, Notre Dame Academy
The St. John’s-bound Butler won the 1,500 runs at the outdoor Eastern States Championships and the indoor CHSAA Intersectionals. She was also third in the CHSAA cross-country championship and was a member of the distance medley relay that reached the Championship of America at the Penn Relays.
Monique Green, Campus Magnet
Green shined in a loaded PSAL sprint field. She won the league’s 55-meter dash indoor title with the seventh-best time in the state at 7.17 and placed second at the state championships. In outdoors, she was second in the 100 at the Mayor’s Cup and PSAL championship, and fourth at states.
Shenika King, Canarsie
One of the city’s most underrated runners, she was second in the 400 and third in the 200 at the outdoor PSAL championships and third at states in the 400. King won both events at the Mayor’s Cup and was third at states in the 300 indoors.
Lauren Lyons, Cardinal Spellman
The freshman showed remarkable versatility and promise. She was second in the CHSAA Intersectional 55-meter dash and third in the 300 during the indoor season. Lyons followed that up by finishing second in the 400 and second in the long jump in 17-08.50.
Firdaws Sammi, St. John Villa
The city’s best all-around thrower was at it again. The junior took home the CHSAA and Mayor’s Cup crowns in the discuss with her best toss being 118-3. Sammi also placed second and third in the shot put at the indoor and outdoor Mayor’s Cup.
Yazmin Wilson-Jones, Port Richmond
The sophomore is one of the five borough’s emerging middle distance runners and was the anchor leg of a Port Richmond 4×800 relay that reached the Penn Relays Championship of America final. She was also the PSAL city champ in the 600 indoors and was third in the 400 at the outdoor Mayor’s Cup.
Kathleen Woods, Archbishop Molloy
The senior has been one of the Stanners’ stalwarts over the years and was one of the CHSAA’s top distance runners this spring. She finished second in the CHSAA Intersectionals in the 2000 steeplechase and fourth in the 3000 indoors,
HONORABLE MENTION
Breanna Brukalo, McKee/Staten Island Tech
Jonelle Campbell, Taft
Amanda DeLaCruz, Port Richmond
Treasure Glymph, Truman
Katie Hanss, Brearley
Jalilissa Marcus, St. Edmund
Kassandra Pierre, Brooklyn Tech
Ashley Tasher, Medgar Evers
Paige Thompson Charles, Medgar Evers
Ji Wong Kang, Townsend Harris
