Girls and boys cross country runners having breakout seasons on Long Island

These are 20 cross country runners on Long Island (10 girls, 10 boys) who have vastly improved this year and are experiencing breakout seasons. To qualify, the runner must be a returner from last year, and their improvement must have moved them up the rankings considerably. Their age and/or graduating class does not matter. They are listed in alphabetical order by last name. All rankings cited are from MileSplit. 

GIRLS

Gianna Castano, Farmingdale, Jr.

In 2024, the last time Bethpage State Park — the site of Saturday's Nassau championships — hosted races, she ran the 5 kilometers in 25 minutes, 34.6 seconds. This year, she has run a 5K at Bethpage in 20:07.14, which ranks 16th on Long Island. 

Ellie Connell, Shoreham-Wading River, Sr.

Her junior season was primed to be a big one, and it got off to a great start in a dual meet before she suffered a season-ending knee injury. Now healthy, her 20:27.93 on the 5K course at the difficult Sunken Meadow State Park — the host site of the Suffolk Division Championships and the Suffolk state qualifier — ranks 20th on Long Island.

Ryan Cruickshank, Bay Shore, Sr.

Her 21:21.7 on the Sunken Meadow 5K as a junior ranked 45th on Long Island among returning runners, entering this season. She now ranks 33rd after shaving almost half a minute off her previous best time, which is now 20:52.5.

Gabriella Ferri, Connetquot, Sr.

As a junior, she ran the 5K in 22:05.5 at Sunken Meadow, which ranked 71st in Long Island’s returning class, entering this year. She is up to 22nd at 20:29.7 — a 1:35.8 improvement on one of the state’s hardest courses.

Sterling Furman, Eastport-South Manor, Soph.

In her freshman year, she ran the Sunken Meadow 5K in 22:18.7. She now ranks 24th on Long Island with a 20:37.6.

Sabrina Goldring, Great Neck South, Jr.

While Bethpage State Park was under renovation in 2025, Nassau used LIU Post’s 5K course for its county championships and state qualifiers. She ran LIU's 5K in 20:50.7, which ranked 44th on Long Island entering this season. She has skyrocketed, now ranking seventh with a 19:42.4 on the LIU 5K. The improvement bodes well for her, as the Nassau state qualifier meet returns to the course this year.

Francesca McKenna, South Side, Sr.

As a junior, she ranked 49th on the LIU 5K at 21:04.6 and 42nd on Eisenhower Park's 5K at 20:53.6. She now ranks 16th at LIU (20:13.4) and 20th at Eisenhower (19:43.51).

Sinead Reagan, North Shore, Soph.

She did not run much as a freshman and registered a 23:41.1 on LIU’s 5K course. This year, she has taken that time down to 20:56.7, and also ranks 23rd on Bethpage at 20:20.2 and 11th on Eisenhower at 19:01.68.

Aliyah Sabatella, Farmingdale, Soph.

She has quickly gotten used to the new Bethpage course, as her 19:55.97 in the 5K ranks 14th in the county. She also rounds out Long Island’s top 25 on LIU’s course.

Megan Talty, Wheatley, Jr.

She showed flashes as a sophomore, ranking 39th in the 5K at LIU with a 20:36.4. She ranks much higher at LIU now, sitting in 19th at 20:19.

BOYS

Cameron Appell, Manhasset, Sr.

As a junior, his 17:14.92 on the 5K at LIU ranked 30th among Long Island’s returning class, entering this season. He is now 12th at 16:57.2. He has been consistent across the board too, as he is 17th on Bethpage’s 5K course at 17:00.6 and 16th on Eisenhower’s 5K course at 16:36.7.

Sawyer Brumm, Northport, Soph.

He ran limited varsity 5K races as a freshman, logging an 18:23.6 at Sunken Meadow, which ranked 60th on Long Island, coming into the fall. He now ranks 12th at 16:45.1 — 1:38.5 faster.

Ryan Corey, Ward Melville, Jr.

His 18:05.8 on the Sunken Meadow 5K as a sophomore ranked 45th among Long Island’s returning class. But he has cut his time to 17:12.1, which ranks 22nd.

Timothy Dodd, Eastport-South Manor, Sr.

He ran the 5K in 18:58.5 as a sophomore at Sunken Meadow, but it was 19:07.4 as a junior. Now, in his final go-round, he is lighting it up at 17:13.1, ranking 24th.

Thomas Guilfoyle, Northport, Jr.

Another Northport runner who had limited varsity 5K experience, he posted an 18:39.3 at Sunken Meadow as a sophomore. His 17:06.1 this year ranks 19th among Long Islanders on the course.

Matias Olier, East Meadow, Sr.

As a sophomore in 2024, he ran the Bethpage 5K in 17:09.62, which ranked 42nd. . After the course’s one-year hiatus, he has ascended to 12th with a 16:53. His 17:20.8 at LIU last year ranked 33rd entering this year, but he now ranks eighth at 16:45.8.

Christian Paterno, Port Jefferson, Sr.

He ran 17:51 on the Sunken Meadow 5K last year, ranking 36th entering this season. He now ranks 23rd at 17:12.5. He ranks fourth on Long Island at Bethpage — a generally unfamiliar course to him — as he ran the 5K in 16:19.4 at the Nassau Coaches Invitational. That time is better than all but two Nassau runners this year.

Esteban Quintero, Comsewogue, Soph.

Two massive leaps in two years. He had a good freshman season, running the Sunken Meadow 5K in 17:19.4, which ranked 20th on Long Island entering this season. He now ranks third with a 16:30.56

William Shuart, Bellmore JFK, Sr.

His 16:50.86 on the Bethpage 5K ranks 10th on Long Island and sixth in Nassau. It's over 31 seconds faster than any time he ran on a championship course last year. He also ranks 23rd at LIU, having shaved 5.7 seconds off last year’s 17:22.1. He cut his personal record on the Eisenhower 5K from 16:58.1 to 16:29.76.

Gavin Trustey, Valley Stream North, Soph.

Entering this year, he ranked 31st at LIU with a 17:15.7 and 23rd at Eisenhower with a 17:10.2. He now ranks 11th at LIU with a 16:57 and sixth at Eisenhower with a 16:08.23. At Bethpage, his 17:02.1 in the 5K ranks 19th on Long Island.