STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Following the conclusion of the high school cross country season this past weekend, 31 athletes from the borough’s programs were selected to the Staten Island Coaches’ first and second All-Star teams, recognizing their excellence on the course throughout the fall.
On the boys’ side, the First Team All-Stars consisted of Simon Saffayeh and Adam Zarilli of McKee/Staten Island Tech; Edwin Alleva and Matthew Venditti of Monsignor Farrell; Tristan Acevedo and Andrea Gallina of Susan Wagner; Adam Vitale of St. Joseph by-the-Sea; and Daoud Nejumi of St. Peter’s.
Nabbing Second Team All-Star recognition was MSIT’s Scott Kelly, Ajdin Boljevic, Matthew Fasanella and Thomas Brown; St. Peter’s Edward Cruz-Gomez and Matthew Carrano; Sea’s Jason Sarnicola; and Farrell’s Lucas Espinoza.
Leading the way with six All-Star selections was 2025 Island team champion MSIT, which also earned the Boys’ Coaching Staff of the Year Award. Head coach Scott Crabbe viewed the Seagulls’ post-season recognition as a reflection of the hard work the team put in throughout the year.
“I’m just proud of my guys. The work they put in to get on that All-Star team started in the summer, and they bought into the idea of just keeping pushed,” he said,
“We graduated a bunch of guys last year — five of our top six — so if we wanted to have a year like last year, we had to work hard. Those six guys, along with some others, bought in, and their hard work paid off. Now they’re getting a nice accolade at the end of the season to boot.”
Two All-Stars also showcased their academic excellence, as MSIT’s Simon Saffayeh and Sea’s Adam Vitale were named co-winners of the Boys’ Scholar-Athlete award. Vikings head coach Chris Mancusi praised his star senior as more than deserving of the honor.
“Adam transferred to Sea as a junior and he’s been a tremendous asset to our program. He’s the fifth-fastest Viking ever at Van Cortlandt Park, holds numerous school course records, and the fact that he’s able to do it with such an exemplary academic record is truly inspiring for the rest of the team,” he shared.
Lastly, the coaches also recognized freshman runners that made an immediate impact for their team in their debut prep season, as the Freshman Boys’ All-Star team was comprised of Tech’s Abeishan Pakeerathan, Chenul Gamage, Budmina Demel and Amash Jeewandara; Wagner’s Tristan Acevedo; Sea’s Domenick Scibilia; and Tottenville’s Lucas Didio.
Notre Dame Academy’s Katelyn Kliesch led wire-to-wire for the win at the SIHSTFA XC Championship on Oct. 18, 2025.Michael O’Brien
As for the girls’ First Team All-Stars, the top honors went to Rachel Byrnes, Katelyn Kliesch and Savanna Rice of Notre Dame Academy; Fatima Belem-Vilchis, Riley Tefft, and Melissa Davila of Susan Wagner; Giuliana Collegio of Sea; and Maeve Heck of Tottenville.
Also earning Second Team All-Star honors were Madalynn Gamez, Shiloh Holman, Shanell Holman, and Maggie Russo of NDA; Milani Jackson and Malina Rodriguez-King of Wagner; and Violet Illuzzi of Sea.
Like the MSIT boys, the 2025 Island and CHSAA City girls’ team champions NDA led the way with seven All-Star selections, earning the Gators the girls’ Coaching Staff of the Year Award as well.
“It’s a testament to all their hard work. The girls have been working hard since the summer. I’m extremely proud of them; they had a great cross country season,” head coach James Walker said.
“We set the expectations super high, and they lived up to those expectations, so I’ve got nothing to complain about. All the girls set several personal bests; they worked hard for that, and they earned that. It was a blessing coaching them, and I’m extremely proud of all their achievements,” he continued.
The accolades for the Gators continued as NDA’s Maggie Russo also earned the Girls’ Scholar-Athlete award for her excellence both in the classroom and on the course. The recognition the Gators received left Walker feeling ready for the upcoming indoor season to get underway.
“I’m super excited for what we have going for the indoor season. We have some goals that we want to achieve, and we’ve been working hard towards them. I’m just hoping that this cross country season was a push for the girls to get ready for the indoor season. We’ve got some great things ahead of us, so it’ll be very fun,” he concluded.
Lastly, the first-year athletes who excelled earned spots on the Freshman Girls’ All-Star team, which included Maeve Heck and Ella Uckar of Tottenville; Sofia Drotarovsky and Charlotte LoPardo of Sea; Shanell Holman of NDA; Kelly Lin of MSIT; and Noelle Totino of St. Joseph Hill.
With cross country all wrapped up, several borough teams will begin their indoor track campaign on Dec. 6 at the SIHST&FA Relays, hosted at Ocean Breeze.