SOMERS, N.Y. - The Somers track and field season has come to a close, and among the last athletes standing were Julia Duzynski, Keira Cleary, and Charlie Sullivan. While none reached the ultimate podium, their seasons were filled with notable achievements and personal milestones.
Across the three track seasons, senior Keira Cleary has now qualified for the state tournament three times. Junior Julia Duzynski has made the long trip five times, and Charlie Sullivan took an impressive second place at the national level in the hammer throw.
For Cleary, her final high school race was one to remember.
“I was just going to give it my all, because I knew this was the last race in a Somers jersey,” she said.
Running the 400 meters, she entered ranked seventh—and finished in that same spot. A second-place finish at the state qualifiers had earned her the opportunity, even if the field was missing a few already-qualified competitors.
Still, she walked away with a significant personal achievement.
“I got a big personal best,” she said proudly. That progress, she explained, is part of why she loves the sport. “In other sports, you can improve, but if the coach doesn’t play you, what can you do? In track, it’s all on you. You earn it.”
That mindset has helped power the entire Somers track program, which has now won 16 consecutive league titles.
“I hope the program can continue the streak,” Cleary added.
Duzynski, a junior, will be one of the athletes carrying that torch next year. Competing in the grueling two-mile steeplechase, she pushes herself through the barriers—literal and figurative.
“Sometimes I can’t feel my arms either,” she admitted, referring to the upper-body fatigue that comes with hurdling and water jumps.
Her race strategy is simple and effective. “I go out hard, push those middle three laps, and then the last lap naturally comes a bit quicker,” she said. That approach helped her win both the county and state qualifiers, earning her place at the state meet. She doesn't dwell on placement, though. “Not as many people do it, so it’s easier to stand out,” she explained.
The camaraderie of distance running, she added, makes the pain more bearable. “Track is a good community—especially the distance crew. Long distance helps you bond because it’s painful.”
With some rest now behind her, cross-country season is next. “You don’t have a barrier, so it’s so much easier,” she said with a smile.
As for Sullivan, the junior had a breakout performance in the hammer throw, dominating his qualifying meet to earn a spot at nationals at UPenn.
“I won that pretty handily,” he said. “There was greatness at this meet.”
Divided into groups of ten, each competitor had three attempts. “I made a safe throw on my first to make sure I’d make the finals,” he said. Then he went all out: “On the fourth try, I really dropped one out there.”
He ultimately finished just two feet short of the national title—razor-thin in hammer throw terms.
“If I had done one thing slightly more correct, I probably would have won,” he reflected. Still, he took it in stride.
“It will keep me hungry,” he concluded.
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