Somers Cross Country Preview: Tuskers Hope To Continue Championship Streak

SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers' girls cross country team has won the last three league championships and taken the counties for the previous two. So, the Tuskers want to keep it going, and familiar faces say the odds are pretty good.

With four solid returners, said Coach John Vegliante, “We’ll be a good team.”

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The most mileage glides on the legs of Julia Aquilino. “She has been on varsity since freshman year,” said the coach

“She’s a top runner in the county and the section, and she looks very good right now.”

Up next, Mia Sandolo really went the distance in 2023.

“She qualified for the states last year,” said Vegliante, and he expects the good things to continue.

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A year younger, Julia Duzynski might have a leg up on the terrain from her spring track race of choice.

“The steeplechase is a very tough race, so it’s a good indicator of what she can do in cross country,” said Vegliante.

Either way, these three and all the rest lace up when the final bell rings on the school year, which is a fact of life for any runner.

“If you want to be a top runner in the section and the state, you've got to put in the work in the summer,” said Vegliante.

So a 12-month season, it’s a tall order, which has Vegliante explaining the commitment.

“It’s about pushing yourself and seeing how fast you can go and how much you can do,” he said.

At the same time, a level playing field doesn’t necessarily get a runner there either.

“We’ve got hills here in Somers,” he said. “These first couple of weeks we’ve been doing this killer workout that they are not happy about. But the kids understand it’s going to help them out.”

Among them is a newcomer with lineage.  Almost like a veteran to the loop, Kaya Duzynski understands what’s expected.

“Usually there’s a learning curve,” said Vegliante. “It will take a couple of weeks or months to get the hang of it. She just seems to get it already.”

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