Roslyn junior Emily Lipari won again by 32.8 seconds, Port Washington junior Marco Bertolotti won the boys race and Wantagh scored 44 points for the boys team title.
BETHPAGE, N.Y. — Roslyn junior Emily Lipari won the girls race at the Section VIII cross country State Qualifier at Bethpage for the second year in a row, finishing the 5K in 17:52.2. Port Washington junior Marco Bertolotti won the boys race in 16:01.9, a personal best, and Wantagh ran away with the boys team title.
Lipari won by 32.8 seconds. North Shore freshman Samantha Nadel was second in 18:25.0 and Cold Spring Harbor junior Erica Cirino third in 18:34.9, a personal best for Cirino, who had finished sixth a year earlier. Lipari came in with three wins earlier this season and had beaten Nadel in their only previous meeting. Her 17:43.5 from 2007 is still the fastest girls time on record at the meet.
Bertolotti won by 12.9 seconds over Long Beach senior Brandon Abasolo, who ran a personal best of 16:14.8. MacArthur senior Christian Altamura was third in 16:15.2, also a personal best. Bertolotti's time was the fastest of the season on the course and the third-fastest on record there, behind Mark Alizzi of Syosset in 2002 and Charles White of Garden City in 2006.
Wantagh won the boys team title with 44 points, well ahead of Calhoun with 101 and Port Washington with 128. Wantagh also won Class A, Port Washington took Class AA, Manhasset won Class B with 161 points and Oyster Bay won Class C with 265.
North Shore won the girls team title with 42 points, followed by Syosset with 80 and Massapequa with 109. North Shore took the Class B title and Syosset the Class AA title, while MacArthur won Class A with 196 points and Oyster Bay won Class C.
There were 172 boys and 169 girls in the two races.