Schreiber Senior Runs With the Best of the Best

Schreiber High School's boys track and field team headed to the Nassau County Conference II Championship with its eyes set on taking down the entire field. But something was missing, something that has given the team an extra kick to the finish line all season. That missing piece was standout runner Marco Bertolotti, who was competing in the mile run at the the 103rd Millrose Games.

Instead of being with his teammates at St. Anthony's High School in Huntington, Bertolotti was racing the best of the best from across the northeast around a track in Madison Square Garden.

"It was amazing to run there," the Schreiber senior said. "It was a great experience to run in an arena like that. I had a lot of fun. I pushed myself really hard during the race and even though I didn't win it, to say I competed in it is a great honor for me."

Bertolotti finished seventh in the one-mile run, recording a time of 4:21.41, finishing only .17 seconds behind the sixth-place runner Dan Zaccariello of St. Joseph's by the Sea High School in Staten Island. The winner Pat Schellberg of Delbarton finished in a time of 4:14.84.

Schreiber assistant track coach Bruce MacDonald, who traveled with Bertolotti to MSG, said it felt great for him to see one of his athletes compete against the cream of the crop. "I felt so proud of that kid for making it there," MacDonald said. "It wasn't easy for him to get there. He ran extremely well and had to dig deep into himself to perform at a high level on such a big stage at the Millrose Games."

Bertolotti placed fourth in the mile run at the 17th Annual Hispanic Games on Jan. 10 to earn an automatic bid to the high school mile at the Millrose Games. He finished in a season-best time of 4:16.47 with a late surge, passing three runners in the final 100 meters and qualifying him for a spot on the starting line at MSG. This was the second consecutive year that Bertolotti qualified for the Millrose Games.

"That was an intense battle for me," Bertolotti said. "I didn't expect anything until the second half of the last lap of the [Hispanic Games]. I told myself with a lap to go, that I'd do whatever it takes to pass the runner in front of me."

Schreiber track and field head coach Scott Facey said he knew if Bertolotti qualified for the Millrose Games that the team would be without him at the conference championships. "We knew this was going to be a problem from the time the schedule came out," Facey said. "I told him that if he qualifies that this is his senior year and running at Madison Square Garden is a big privilege, so he had my blessing. Then he finished high enough to make it to the games. We were very excited for him."

Coach Facey said that Bertolotti's determination is what sets him apart from other runners. "He's always trying to get better," Facey said. "His work ethic is phenomenal. I've never had an athlete who's as committed to track and field and who wants to succeed to the best of his ability like Marco does."

Bertolotti said he was torn about missing the conference championship, but that an event like the Millrose Games was too prestigious to just pass up. "It was difficult," he said. "I was really disappointed that both events were on the same day. I always want to be with the team as much as possible, but the Millrose Games are the Millrose Games. It was a hard decision for me to make."

Schreiber finished in third at the Nassau County Conference II Championship without its standout senior, behind East Meadow and Calhoun high schools. Highlighting the championships for the Vikings was a first-place finish by Jacob Levine in the 1,000-meter run and a victory by the 4 x 400 meter relay team.

Bertolotti said he has committed to attend Stanford University and will run track there, but that it won't stop him from competing at a high level while he's in his final semester as a Schreiber Viking.

"I'm just going to keep running as fast as I can," Bertolotti said. "I want to make sure I'm ready to run in the state qualifiers and then hopefully the state meet."

The Nassau County Championships, taking place at Suffolk Community College's Brentwood Campus, were scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6, but due to the pending snowstorm have been reschedule for Wednesday, Feb. 10.