Wolves battle cold with standout performances against North Salem

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Monday, April 20, a drop in temperature had John Jay athletes bundled up as they competed at North Salem High School. The cold didn’t slow them down, especially in the 1,500 meters, where the girls relied on teamwork to overcome the elements.

“We came into it wanting to stick together,” said Mia Haimelin, who took first place in 5:04.40. Teammates Maya Serai (5:04.60) and Emma Barniv (5:04.70) followed closely behind, finishing second and third, respectively.

Haimelin said she didn’t like being boxed out wide near the grass early in the race. “So I wanted to get in front,” she explained. The trio planned to rotate the lead, with Haimelin setting the early pace. “I stayed in front until Maya was ready to take over,” she said.

Their strategy was briefly disrupted in the final 500 meters when a Mahopac runner surged ahead. “We saw her in front, and we were like, we have to go,” Haimelin said. All three responded, passing her with 200 meters remaining to sweep the top three spots.

Serai admitted the final stretch is always challenging but said motivation comes easily. “It’s really my teammates—seeing them pushing hard with me,” the freshman said.

Barniv agreed, noting that the shared effort outweighs the fatigue. “Pushing ourselves is what bonds us together,” she said.

In the 400 meters, Kelsey Topey placed third in 1:08.60. “I pushed all out from 50 meters, held my pace through 100, and then kicked through the final stretch,” the freshman said. Along with the competition, she values the camaraderie—and the results. “I like to PR,” she added.

On the boys’ side of the 400, Landon Goodman earned the win in 54.40. A senior, Goodman said his path to sprinting evolved over time. “My brother Max did distance, so I started there, but I’ve made my own path,” he said. His race strategy is straightforward: “I explode at the start, then ease into it.” The approach is paying off. “I’m PRing every race,” he said.

John Jay also found success in the field events. Skyler Monasch won the shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 2 inches. “I’ve always loved lifting, and shot put involves a lot of that,” the senior said. He enjoys the constant adjustments the event requires. “You’re always tweaking aspects of your throw to improve, and that makes the work feel worth it,” he said.

Monasch is aiming to build on his progress after dealing with setbacks. “At the end of last year, I lost weight and regressed a bit,” he said. “I’m hoping to get back up to 44 feet.”

On the girls’ side, Helena Schembri placed second in the shot put with a throw of 27 feet, 4½ inches. A member of the John Jay basketball team, she discovered the event in middle school. “I started then and really liked it,” she said. Schembri uses the glide technique, which she finds most effective, and also competes in the high jump and long jump. “It’s pretty hard, but it’s all worth it,” she said.

James Withers Tinio took first place in the javelin with a throw of 117 feet, 6 inches. Largely self-taught, he credited online videos for helping him develop his technique. “I watched a lot of YouTube videos last summer,” he said. While he continues working toward higher-level competition, he enjoys the process. “It’s fun every meet trying to hit a new PR,” he said.