William Floyd Runs Away with the Smith Point 5K

More than 50 William Floyd student-athletes and members of the William Floyd United Teachers (WFUT) recently took part in the 25th annual Smith Point Bridge 5K Run for Literacy, and the Colonials were well represented at the front of the pack.

William Floyd runners captured the overall championship in both the men’s and women’s divisions, with three of the top finishers in the women’s race representing the school community.

Junior Vidal Macchia was the overall champion in the men’s division and finished first among more than 400 runners. Macchia was the only runner in the field to complete the 5K in under 17 minutes, crossing the finish line in an impressive 16:05.28.

Macchia has established himself as one of the top distance runners on Long Island, and his performance at Smith Point added another impressive accomplishment to his growing list of achievements.

William Floyd runners dominated the women’s division, sweeping the top three overall spots. Sophomore Camelle Obi captured first place with a time of 21:29.75, while John S. Hobart Elementary School teacher Julia Mastrup finished second in 21:39.88. Freshman Coral Macchia rounded out the William Floyd sweep by placing third in 21:46.38.

Several other William Floyd student-athletes also turned in outstanding performances. Freshman Tyler Onza finished fifth overall in 18:57.95 while winning his respective age group. Junior Ryan Gerbino finished seventh overall in 19:36.67 and also captured his age group.

Eighth-grader Sofia Garcia finished in 22:29.86 to win her age group, while junior Serenity Wenger also earned an age-group victory with a time of 22:43.76.

Eight additional William Floyd student-athletes earned podium finishes in their respective age groups. They included freshmen Gianna LaMattina, who finished second in her group; Alissa Seaman, who placed third; and Evan Cortes, who finished second. Seventh-grader Peter Macchia placed third, while juniors Anise Cobb-Rountree and Esther Delille finished second and third, respectively. Senior Kenneth Carroway also earned a third-place finish. First-grader Leo Guerrero placed second in his age group.

Several WFUT runners also earned podium finishes, including Matthew Van Horne, who placed second in his age group and 20th overall, along with Kristen Drury, Raquel Ibarra and Leah Kiefer, who each finished third in their respective age groups.

Beyond the competition, the annual race serves an important purpose by raising money for programs supporting local students and families, including the William Floyd High School Scholarship Fund, the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library’s Family Literacy Project and Sun River Health Center’s “Reach Out and Read” program.

It was a strong showing for William Floyd on a day that combined community, competition and a commitment to literacy.