Suffern 2001-03 Girls' 4 X 200-Meter Relay
Very few Rockland County relay teams have ever won just a single New York State public school championship title much less a Federation title. Here the Rockland County Track & Field Hall of Fame welcomes a relay squad from Suffern comprising just seven different girls who won the Intersectional and Federation indoor titles in three consecutive seasons. It’s a dynastic group of young ladies who triumphed over time on both the stopwatch and the calendar.
One of these Mounties, Taneisha Cantave, is already in the Hall of Fame for her individual jumping exploits. Four others -- Melanie Piccolo, Jennifer Strysko, Dede Richemond and Kay Kay Richemond -– are likely individual candidates sometime in the future. Piccolo was one of Rockland’s top dash people for three years. Strysko was a top hurdler throughout her career. Dede Richemond won a State indoor title at 600 meters and was a Federation runner-up. Kay Kay Richemond was a top 55-meter and 300-meter runner locally from her freshman to junior year until graduating early before her senior campaign. Tracy Estriplet did everything successfully from the dash to 600 meters and went on to Albany where she was captain of the university’s track team. Nina Minasi – on a team with broad, top-quality depth – had teammates ahead of her in individual sprinting events, but masterfully held down the anchor leg on this relay her junior and senior years.
“This septet of sprinters came along at the beginning of a dominant run in Rockland County by Suffern's girls’ indoor track and field program. That Mountie dynasty won 14 consecutive County championships between 2001 and 2014,” said Suffern Coach Joe Biddy. “Our relay teams have always showcased our team’s overall competitiveness. This group epitomized that pride and success. They were clearly the most dominant relay group that this county has ever seen.”
In 2001, Suffern upset favored Lincoln of Jersey City, which had just won the Eastern States and would have been a clear favorite to win a New York title in Syracuse had they qualified. Suffern made a last-minute decision to qualify for the 4x200 instead of the 4x400 relay and changed the order in the final to create the matchup they wanted. It worked and a week later the Mounties were on the top step of the Syracuse podium.
In 2002, Suffern won Easterns the week before taking the Section 1 Qualifier, and went on to another Carrier Dome win.
In 2003, after trying to get by while allowing Taneisha Cantave to concentrate on winning her triple jump State title, the coaches decided she was needed for the relay. As soon as Cantave joined the quartet, Suffern again shot to the top of the state rankings and podium. The biggest difference then was with Melanie Piccolo, who had been the leadoff runner the first two years, but moved to smoke the anchor leg.
Words tell a good story, but often, times and places are what impresses the most. This group won 23 highly competitive, championship meets between 2001 and 2003. Three times, they ran 1:42, with a 1:42.18 in the 2003 National Scholastic Indoor Championships trial heats their ultimate best performance. That time was a Rockland County record, and now stands at No. 4 all-time. Nine times, the 2001-2003 group ran 1:43. Four times, 1:44. Eight times, 1:45. And 10 times, 1:46. Victories came at the Rockland Community College Fieldhouse, the Armory, Yale, Harvard and Penn State; and League, County, Section, Qualifier, States and Easterns.
Very few Rockland County relay teams have ever won just a single New York State public school championship title much less a Federation title. Here the Rockland County Track & Field Hall of Fame welcomes a relay squad from Suffern comprising just seven different girls who won the Intersectional and Federation indoor titles in three consecutive seasons. It’s a dynastic group of young ladies who triumphed over time on both the stopwatch and the calendar.
One of these Mounties, Taneisha Cantave, is already in the Hall of Fame for her individual jumping exploits. Four others -- Melanie Piccolo, Jennifer Strysko, Dede Richemond and Kay Kay Richemond -– are likely individual candidates sometime in the future. Piccolo was one of Rockland’s top dash people for three years. Strysko was a top hurdler throughout her career. Dede Richemond won a State indoor title at 600 meters and was a Federation runner-up. Kay Kay Richemond was a top 55-meter and 300-meter runner locally from her freshman to junior year until graduating early before her senior campaign. Tracy Estriplet did everything successfully from the dash to 600 meters and went on to Albany where she was captain of the university’s track team. Nina Minasi – on a team with broad, top-quality depth – had teammates ahead of her in individual sprinting events, but masterfully held down the anchor leg on this relay her junior and senior years.
“This septet of sprinters came along at the beginning of a dominant run in Rockland County by Suffern's girls’ indoor track and field program. That Mountie dynasty won 14 consecutive County championships between 2001 and 2014,” said Suffern Coach Joe Biddy. “Our relay teams have always showcased our team’s overall competitiveness. This group epitomized that pride and success. They were clearly the most dominant relay group that this county has ever seen.”
In 2001, Suffern upset favored Lincoln of Jersey City, which had just won the Eastern States and would have been a clear favorite to win a New York title in Syracuse had they qualified. Suffern made a last-minute decision to qualify for the 4x200 instead of the 4x400 relay and changed the order in the final to create the matchup they wanted. It worked and a week later the Mounties were on the top step of the Syracuse podium.
In 2002, Suffern won Easterns the week before taking the Section 1 Qualifier, and went on to another Carrier Dome win.
In 2003, after trying to get by while allowing Taneisha Cantave to concentrate on winning her triple jump State title, the coaches decided she was needed for the relay. As soon as Cantave joined the quartet, Suffern again shot to the top of the state rankings and podium. The biggest difference then was with Melanie Piccolo, who had been the leadoff runner the first two years, but moved to smoke the anchor leg.
Words tell a good story, but often, times and places are what impresses the most. This group won 23 highly competitive, championship meets between 2001 and 2003. Three times, they ran 1:42, with a 1:42.18 in the 2003 National Scholastic Indoor Championships trial heats their ultimate best performance. That time was a Rockland County record, and now stands at No. 4 all-time. Nine times, the 2001-2003 group ran 1:43. Four times, 1:44. Eight times, 1:45. And 10 times, 1:46. Victories came at the Rockland Community College Fieldhouse, the Armory, Yale, Harvard and Penn State; and League, County, Section, Qualifier, States and Easterns.