HUNTINGTON – Emily Lipari doesn’t know if this will be her last 800-meter race. But she knows it’ll be her last one in high school and it was haunting the Roslyn senior that she had never broken 2:10.
She’s a distance runner and runs one 800 per season and in fact had a personal best of 2:13.58. But it hasn’t been that kind of year for Lipari. Outside of losing the mile at the Millrose Games, Lipari has marked off just about everything on her checklist. She broke the indoor state record winning the indoor mile championship, won the 3,000 at Penn Relays and all she wanted was a respectable personal best for one of the best distance runners in state history.
That’s what pushed her hard off the start line in the 800 at the St. Anthony’s Invitational. It pinned her to Garden City’s Emily Menges for 600 meters before Lipari trademark kicked left to the field to win in 2:09.35.
“My brother told me that I ran my last 800 (in the mile) at nationals in 2:16,” Lipari said. “He said he didn’t understand why I couldn’t have a faster 800 time.”
Menges took the pace on the hottest day of the spring season. Lipari followed to the 600 mark when St. Anthony’s Olicia Williams tried to pass them both on the turn. Williams went by Lipari and battled Menges around the bend until Lipari went by them both for the win. Bayside’s Alaine Tate tagged on to Lipari’s move and grabbed second in personal-best 2:11.12.
Williams, a sophomore in only her second race of the season, was third in 2:11.36. Leading the pace and fighting off Williams hit Menges on the homestretch. She was fourth in 2:13.05. But for Lipari, was just another landmark reached, another thing off the list.
“I just wanted to go under 2:10,” she said. “Farewell to the 800.”
Villanova-bound Lipari returned a half hour later to handle the tempo in the 1,500 then shake off Holy Trinity’s Colleen Schmidt to win the double in 4:32.12. The meet was mostly a tune-up for Lipari who will have a rematch with Cornwall’s Aisling Cuffe at the Glenn D. Loucks Games next weekend at White Plains. This time Lipari and Cuffe will challenge each other in the 2-mile. The last time they squared off was at Penn Relays last week were Lipari dramatically outkicked Cuffe in the home stretch in the 3,000.
While Lipari dominated the middle distance events, Elmont’s Valencia Hannon owned the sprints. First she dominated the 100 meters in 12.16.
“I just wanted to execute because I’m not really strong out of the blocks,” she said. “I’m feeling OK. I’m just happy there’s no injuries. Last year I was during with a groin injury and then a hamstring injury.”
Hannon said she is healthy now but wasn’t completely happy with her time. Hannon wanted to break 12 seconds. But she said she felt due for a breakthrough. She also won the 200 in 25.15.
“I was running this same times last year but at the end of the season,” she said. “So I’m excited for states. I know I’m going to be running faster at the end this season.”
Syosset’s Rachel Ngu won the 3,000 in 10:17.73.
By Christopher Hunt
HUNTINGTON – Emily Lipari doesn’t know if this will be her last 800-meter race. But she knows it’ll be her last one in high school and it was haunting the Roslyn senior that she had never broken 2:10.