Bellport's Nevaeh Pedraza wins 55 meters, long jump at Art Mitchell track and field Invitational  

It’s hard to stand out in a room of 1,400 people — especially when county champions are spread out among the crowd. However, Bellport senior Nevaeh Pedraza managed to steal the spotlight in what was truly a coming-out party.

Pedraza won two individual events to put herself on the Long Island track and field map at the Art Mitchell Invitational at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood on Saturday.

Coming out of the sixth of 12 heats in the 55 meters, she won in 7.51 seconds.

Later, she flew 16 feet, 7 inches in the long jump to win by 3 ½ inches.

She was able to overcome some nerves to win both events.

“I always give myself a pep talk before everything,” Pedraza said. “I always take a deep breath in, a deep breath out. I was like, ‘You’re going to win. You’ve got it. You know who you are.’  ”

Pedraza began competing for Bellport in middle school, the long jump serving as her primary event. Coach Dan Jennings said the talent she showed back then was undeniable, which earned her a spot on the varsity team as a freshman in spring 2022.

Though her raw talent was superior to most others, her decision-making skills needed time to develop.

Due to undisclosed personal matters, Pedraza made some poor decisions over the next two years that kept her away from the track and off the team. She left the team halfway through the winter season of her sophomore year and began to let her grades slip, leading her to be academically ineligible in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

Now, as a senior, Pedraza has realized the valuable time and opportunities she’s missed and has decided to refocus.

“I hit my senior year and I wanted to run track really badly,” Pedraza said. “I was also trying to get a scholarship for track, but I don’t know how that’s looking because of those two years. So I just want to be at my best now. That’s really my goal: I just want a scholarship so I can go somewhere for college.”

Though the long jump is her area of expertise, her performance in the 55 is something out of a fairy tale.

She had never run the 55 before Saturday. In fact, Jennings only had her run the event to help improve her sprints on the jumping runway.

Now, she’s the one to beat in the 55.

“The growth has been unbelievable,” Jennings said. “She is truly one of the nicest young ladies you will ever meet. It just shows what kind of an athlete she is that she can be away from the sport for two years and come back in and break a school record [earlier in the season] and be one of the best sprinters and jumpers in the county. The team and the school is just so happy about her.”

Pedraza’s teammate, senior Ella Masem, won the 1,000 in 2 minutes, 57.7 seconds. Her time was nearly 13 seconds clear of the second-place finisher.

Masem — a former Newsday All-Long Island selection in cross country — has experienced such success as a distance runner that it’s changed her immediate future.

After originally being committed to play Division II lacrosse on scholarship, Masem earned scholarship offers from several NCAA Power Four running programs. She will now

run for Syracuse.

“Running opened the door to a lot of good school opportunities,” Masem said. “At the end of the day, it was about what I love more, and I love running more.”

Mount Sinai freshman Cali Gabrielson won the 3,000 in 10:14.12, nearly 40 seconds clear of second place. Her teammate, Kelly Hughes won the 600 in 1:44.01.

Mount Sinai’s 4  x  400 relay team, composed of Hughes, Gabrielson, senior Cameron Campo and eighth-grader Adetola Gold, won in 4:14.52. The Mustangs’ 4  x  800 team won in 10:47.94 on the backs of senior Hannah Strom, freshman Kyra Metzler, seventh-grader Capri Gabrielson and freshman Kylie Heins.

“I think, in this program, the older kids end up setting the tone, where the younger ones don’t know anything other than hard work,” Mount Sinai coach Bill Dwyer said. “It’s just teamwork, just like education. You want them to realize that you’re better than the sum of your parts if you all work together.”

Elsewhere, Smithtown East sophomore Rayshelle Brown won the 55 hurdles in 8.4 seconds. Center Moriches junior Emma Gold won the 1,500 in 5:09.67. Islip junior Imani Hood edged out Center Moriches junior Laila Cole by 0.05 seconds to win the 300 in 42.42 seconds. In the 4x200 relay, Hauppauge ran a 1:51.35 behind juniors Alex Wetterhahn and Rachel Budke and seniors Kylie McGuire and Amelia Vitale.

In the field, Comsewogue senior Sophia Deja cleared 5 feet in the high jump to win. Miller Place’s Jillian Scully threw 40-3 to win the shot put by more than 6 ½ feet and Commack senior Kathryn Vidulich flew 34--9 to claim the triple jump.