SOMERS, N.Y. - On June 13, Aidan See, Lenny Novichenko, Gabriel Cacsire, and Christian Lobasso traveled to Rochester to compete as one of the first Somers relay teams in recent memory to qualify for the state track and field championships.
The weather, however, did not cooperate. Thunderstorms and delays disrupted the flow of the competition.
“18th place,” said Cacsire. “It wasn’t what we were expecting.”
Still, there was pride when the team crossed the finish line.
“I’m pretty happy that we made states,” said the junior. “It was really cool to get there.”
Of course, the end result was a long way from where the journey began.
“It wasn’t even in my mind last year that we were going to make states,” he admitted.
That lack of expectation never deterred the quartet.
“We put in a lot of work over the winter and last summer especially,” Cacsire said.
There was also an obstacle that few people knew about. Cacsire broke his femur during the summer, but the injury was not diagnosed until he experienced what appeared to be a muscle strain during the cross-country season. Forced to miss several major meets, he focused on staying composed.
“I tried to keep as calm as possible when I heard the news,” he said.
By spring, he was back competing, and the team advanced to the state qualifiers.
The race began with See, who, according to Cacsire, is never just another face in the crowd.
“He’s good at getting out,” he said.
See delivered a personal record performance, setting the tone for the relay and giving Cacsire the position he needed for his leg of the race.
“The first lap, I try to keep pace, and by the second lap pick it up,” Cacsire said. “Then at the final 200, I have my final kick.”
Lobasso carried the momentum forward. Despite being boxed in by another runner, the junior still managed to post a personal best.
Novichenko then took over as the anchor. He got out quickly, chasing not only a strong finish but also the super standard needed to qualify for states. Though he experienced a slight slowdown, he did enough to secure the berth.
“It was just good enough for us to make the standard,” Cacsire said.
After finishing second overall at the qualifier, the foursome spent the following week preparing for the state meet.
“We wanted to preserve our bodies and make sure we were ready,” Cacsire said.
Managing expectations was another challenge.
“We wanted to at least medal. That was the pressure,” he said.
The team also knew that competing against the state's best runners would likely require personal-record performances across the board.
“It’s hard to get yourself on a certain day to just run your best time,” Cacsire said.
The five-hour drive to Rochester did little to help.
“I knew if I let the pressure take over, I wouldn’t run well and I would die out. So I tried to stay as calm as possible,” he said.
Listening to music during the trip helped him stay relaxed, but the rain delays on race day disrupted his routine.
“I had to warm up twice,” he said.
The interruption was not ideal.
“I like when everything happens the way I expect it to be,” Cacsire said. “That’s how a good race goes for me.”
Eventually, the delays ended and See took his place at the starting line.
“Everyone was out super fast, so it was hard for him to move up,” Cacsire said.
Still, See played to his strengths, and despite the difficult conditions, Cacsire delivered a strong performance of his own. Carefully managing his pace while pushing through the pain, he nearly matched his personal best.
“I passed four or five runners, and that moved us up a bunch,” he said.
Novichenko and Lobasso also persevered. Although the team left Rochester without a medal, Cacsire believes the experience was invaluable.
“It was really special for us,” he said. “We never compete against a lot of high-level teams. So it really opened our eyes to see what the competition is like.”
He also has no regrets about choosing track over lacrosse after his freshman year.
“I love working independently and finding things out on my own — how to deal with the pain, running and pushing through,” Cacsire said. “So even when I don’t want to run, track teaches me how much hard work I need to do to get to these types of places.”
With only Lobasso graduating, the team's future remains bright.
“I hope we can make states again next year,” Cacsire concluded.
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