In January, the Roslyn High School varsity boys winter track team earned the title of Nassau County Conference Champions.
In that competition, Zach Davidson was the pole vault champion, while Julian Pinilla was high jump champ. Bryan Molina was eight throw champion. Ben Veneziano scored second place in the high jump. Liam Reilly had the same showing in the weight throw competition.
Several of those fine athletes advanced to state-wide competition. In early March, Davidson placed 14th in pole vault competition after being ranked 22nd. Ben Veneziano finished 22nd in ht high jump, reaching a peak with a 5’8” jump. Davidson upped his game to a 12 feet, 6 inches high leap in this most demanding of all track competition.
“It was an amazing accomplishment for both of them to get to compete at that level,” head coach Kristin Hamilton told The Roslyn News. “Zach Davidson came into the meet seeded 21st and he had a great day. He improved his season best performance to 12 feet 6 inches, which betters his own school record as well. At the end of the day, he finished 14th. It’s very difficult to have your best day on such a big stage and Zach proved that he was willing to go for it and has both the mental toughness and physical ability to be a great vaulter. His attempts at 13 were really solid, so I think he has a good chance of clearing that height pretty early on in the spring season, which would be fantastic. Ben Veneziano had a slightly tougher day at high jump. He finished 22nd overall with a best jump of 5’8”. His attempts at 5’10 were good, especially his second one, where he had more than enough height but just clipped it with his feet as he was going over. I think he was disappointed in the height he cleared, but fortunately he also qualified to compete in the emerging elite section of Nike Indoor Nationals this Friday at the Armory. He’ll get another chance to clear a height he’s proud of and compete with not just the state’s best but the country’s as well. Regardless, I’m incredibly proud of the season that he has had. He’s an amazing athlete. While he’s always been on the spring outdoor team, this is Ben’s first season of winter track, which can be an adjustment for athletes, so it is incredibly impressive for him to make it this far.”
For the women’s team, Riley Green also competed in a statewide tournament. She, too, turned in a stellar performance.
“Riley Green is a freshman, this was her first year on the varsity gymnastics team,” gymnastic coach Stephanie Orfini said. “Riley was seeded 8th in the county on uneven bars at the end of the regular season. She placed 4th on uneven bars at the state qualifier meet on 2/14. She competed only on uneven bars at the state meet in Buffalo and placed 13th.”
