Speedy Trio Paces Finley Girls’ Track

The speedy trio of Helena Sullivan, Isla Campbell and Vivian Morrissey led the J. Taylor Finley Middle School girls’ track and field team this past spring.

Sullivan, Morrissey and Maya Schneider captained the team, which consisted of 36 girls. Timothy Madden and Jordan Ioviero coached the squad.

“Lena Sullivan and Vivian Morrissey were great captains and leaders of this team,” Madden said. “They worked hard in practice and set a great example of what it takes to be successful. Isla Campbell is also an outstanding distance runner and athletes.”

Finley successfully competed in a series of meets against Nesaquake, Accompsett, Oldfield, Kings Park, Babylon, West Babylon, Brentwood and Elwood.

“The girls worked hard each and every practice,” Madden said. “Everyone improved their personal best times and scores.”

Finley’s home meets were held at Blue Devil Stadium. The two coaches are both district physical education teachers with Madden working at Flower Hill School and Ioviero teaching at Finley.

“The girls’ track team was a perfect blend of determination and camaraderie, where hard work and fun went hand in hand,” Madden said. “Every practice felt like a chance to push personal limits, but also to lift each other up. Whether they were sprinting through the final stretch of a 200m dash or flying through the air for the long jump. By the end of the season, their hard work paid off, but the real victory was the way they grew together. They learned that success wasn’t always about winning, but about the effort, the teamwork and the joy of the journey.”