The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Cross Country team had fantastic 2019-2020 season, finishing second behind rival Roberts Wesleyan at the ECC Championships back in late October. All-Region and All-Conference athlete Abagaile Kimbrell finished in the top of the pack all season long and earned herself a second place finish at the conference meet. Abagaile road the tide all year long, culminating with a great performance at the NCAA Division II East Regional in Philadelphia and earning herself a trip to the National Championships in Sacramento, California in November. Gabriella Mott, Aida Torpey, Laura Herbes, and Shannon Thompson rounded out the top 5 race finishers, with all of the ladies stepping up when it counted.
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the Spartan's campaign on the track, the St. Thomas Aquinas Women's squad excelled in the winter portion of their season. STAC finished fifth at the ECC Championships in late February and seven members of the team took home All-Conference honors, including; Christina Maretzo, Laura Herbes, Kayla Cobelli, Abagaile Kimbrell, Rachel Spagnola, Shannon Thompson and Aida Torpey, while Kimbrell and Maretzo also received USTFCCCA All-Region accolades.
The Spartans welcome six new faces to trails and track beginning this fall, as the team bids farewell to six incredibly hard-working, dedicated student-athletes; Alanna Barnes, Desiree Bermudez, Laura Herbes, Tyiana Nunez, Shannon Thompson and Aida Torpey, all of whom graduated from the college this past May.
Here is a look at the future STAC Class of 2024 alphabetically.
Veronica Calderon
Veronica Calderon: Cliffside Park High School
Veronica comes to us from Cliffside Park High School, New Jersey. She will be running cross country and track as a Spartan. We have great expectations for Veronica and hope that she will make our “strong” Lady Spartan team even better. Veronica has a 20:33 5K time, 2:35 800 meters, and 5:42 mile.
“Veronica is going to make us better by her work ethic and range. She will be entrenched into a very good woman’s team, and her impact will make her team mates even stronger”, said Coach Kondracki.
Isabella Farino-Esposito
Isabella Farino-Esposito: Pearl River High School
Isabella is a Pearl River High School graduate. Isabella brings a wide range of talent and many events opportunities to our Lady Spartans. She is a 15-foot-long jumper, 30-foot triple jumper, 10.4 in the high hurdles, and is a low 60 second 400-meter runner.
“Isabella brings a lot to the table. Her ability to compete in a variety of events gives us depth and a vast amount of opportunity”, remarked Coach Kondracki.
Linise Greene
Linise Greene: New Rochelle High School
Linise comes to STAC from a track powerhouse, New Rochelle High School (NY). The 2019 Westchester County 200-meter Champion is one of the best who have ever come to St. Thomas Aquinas College. She has personal bests or 26.56 in the 200 meters and 57.39 in the 400 M, and Linise can run faster and will perform at a level that no one has ever seen in the ECC. The sky is the limit!
“Linise comes from a great track program in New Rochelle. Given her background, family support, and her desire to excel, Linese is going to be fun to watch”, commented Coach Kondracki.
Nicole Gysin
Nicole Gysin: Immaculate Heart Academy
Nicole is an Immaculate Heart Academy graduate who will excel on the track and in the classroom at St. Thomas Aquinas College. A versatile athlete who can High Jump (5’2”), Triple jump (34’6”), Long Jump (16’0”), and even Pole Vault (8’0”). She also runs cross country! Nicole can do it all, and with a great work ethic she will even do better.
“Nicole brings a lot to the Spartan table. An excellent student, a great athlete, and an even better human being, STAC is lucky to have her on board”, said Coach Kondracki.
Skylar Moreno
Skylar Moreno: Clarkstown South High School/The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Skylar Moreno is an outstanding student-athlete who comes to us as a transfer from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, after a stellar career at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, New York. Skylar is extremely versatile. She is a tough Cross-Country runner with a 19:00 5K time, and she will just get better training with a strong Lady Spartan team. She can steeplechase, hurdle, jump, and run anywhere from the 400 up.
“Skylar is a tough, hardworking, and “pure” athlete who is going to make us a team to be reckoned with”, remarked Coach Kondracki.
Madison Roth
Madison Roth: Tappan Zee High School/Sacred Heart University
Madison is a transfer from Sacred Heart University after a great career at Tappan Zee High School. Maddie is a talented runner from the 400- up to the 2-mile on the track and is a fierce competitor on the Cross-country trails. Maddie has personal bests of 2:20 in the 800, 5:06 in the 1500, and a best of 19:50 in the 5K.
“The addition of Maddie to an already talented group of ladies makes STAC a team to look out for. Maddie is a great runner who will make everyone around her even better”, commented Coach Kondracki.