East Meadow track and field's Zaria Hall continues her mastery with two state-qualifying wins

You don't label someone a generational talent unless they consistently prove it. Zaria Hall did exactly that on Thursday.

The East Meadow distance runner won the 1500 meters in 4:53.97 and the 1000 in 3:02.51 on Day 2 of the Nassau girls indoor track and field state qualifier at St. Anthony's High School, punching her ticket to the state championships scheduled for March 6-7 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.

Trailing Farmingdale's Sarah Sohl for most of the 1000 race, Hall used her breakaway speed on the roundabout to surpass Sohl.

"I raced these girls a bunch of times before. I know my level is hard to compete at, but this is what I trained for," Hall said. "I want to be the best I can. I know I am capable of doing and wanting to be the best.

Hall passed Massapequa's Sophia Vukelic on the second-to-last lap in the 1500. When she crossed the finish line, the first thing Hall did was show respect to Vukelic, congratulating her on a job well done. Vukelic finished in second with a 4.54.75.

"This sport has given us a great friendship," Hall said. "She originally wasn't going to run the race, but I texted her in the morning and told her, ‘She’s more than capable, just run and stick with me.' "

Hall said there's pressure going into the state championship, but she performs better under adversity.

"There's always pressure to be the best," she said. "Those girls are great competition. I'm glad that they can push me to be the best I can be. Now it's time for me to be a state champion."

Elsewhere, Baldwin's Breanne Barnett won the 300 in 39.62 seconds and got the state standard in the 55 meters with a 7.04 to qualify for the championship.

"It feels amazing, the 300 is my main event," Barnett said. "You have to believe in yourself, and the result will show."

Barnett said it's her first time qualifying for the 55 and is excited to showcase her talents at the state meet.

"It's all mental, I want to get my mind right and get good rest," she said. "I've been working hard in practice, and it has paid off."

Fellow Bruin Savannah Stephenson also qualified for the state meet, setting the state standard with 7.10 seconds.

"I'm really happy that I got to qualify and how I executed the race," Stephenson said. "I didn't go to states last year, so going for an individual race is exciting."

Roosevelt's Esmia Thomas became the state's top 55 sprinter, surpassing Port Jefferson's  Alexa Jacobs on Day 1. She finished the race at her top-notch speed, with a blazing 7-second time.

"[Jacobs] is a great athlete, and I appreciate all the competition she has given me," Thomas said. "My biggest goal is to break the state record this year."