The Oyster Bay High School indoor track teams must be doing something right because both the girls and boys teams placed second at the Conference VI Championships.
“It’s the best we’ve ever done before,” said the girls’ Coach Kevin Cotter, a science teacher at the high school.
“We were very happy with finishing second this year,” said boys’ Coach Chris Weber, a librarian at the school. Last year the boys’ team won the county championships, Weber said.
This year the coaches said both teams had many new athletes, including four middle schoolers who joined the girls’ team.
Both teams competed in a conference with eight other schools, including Locust Valley, Wheatley, Friends Academy, Seaford and Malverne, among others, Cotter said. Weber said Oyster Bay’s teams represent the smallest public school team in the conference.
Cotter said the athletic programs face challenges due to the school’s small class sizes. As the school’s athletic offerings have increased, there are fewer kids on each team, he said.
“Kids have more choice now, which means smaller sports teams,” Cotter said.
Both the girls’ and boys’ winter track teams have 18 students, which can be a challenge while competing in 16 different events. Students double-up and triple-up on events, Cotter said.
“We try to get athletes to be able to compete in many different events,” Weber said.
To succeed in each of the events, Cotter said he works with Weber’s students as well, helping them in certain areas. Similarly, Weber and his athletes help the girls’ team hone skills.
“He and I working closely together really helps manage the variety of events that we are challenged with,” Cotter said.
Cotter and Weber both ran track in high school and college, they said. However, coaching takes a different set of skills, including knowing which areas different athletes excel in.
Cotter has coached the indoor track team since 2016. Over the years, he said, he’s gotten better at determining which athletes succeed in different events. Cotter said the confidence he’s gained as a coach has transferred onto his students.
“Now I think the kids put a lot more trust in what I select for them,” he said.
Even students who have started the season without ever competing in a particular event have succeeded in the conference, Cotter said.
Cotter said all three pole vaulters competed in the event for the first season, and all of the student-athletes scored in the top six at the conference. The three student-athletes came early to practice to hone that particular skill, he said. Cotter said the pole vaulters’ dedication to the event exemplifies the entire team’s hard work.
Similarly, Weber said said every student on the team is “always willing” to contribute to the team. He said every athlete on the boys’ team scored a point for the team, which helped the team earn its second-place title.
Among the teams’ success, five students stood out as conference champions.
On the girls’ team, Oliva Garcia was named a conference champion in the shot put, and Nicolette Lewis was a conference champion in the hurdles. Lewis set a school record in the event with a time of 9.27, Cotter said.
On the boys’ team, Zach Grenne was a conference champion in the 3200m, 1600m and 4x800m relay, Austin Aschettino was a second-time conference champion in the triple jump and Michael Lewis set a school record in the weight throw, Weber said.
Both coaches said this season was a success for the teams and showcased the dedication of the student-athletes.
Read More: Oyster Bay school district looks ahead at budgeting
