Anna Flynn of Ursuline School in New Rochelle is The Journal News Westchester/Putnam girls track athlete of the spring. June 28, 2015.
NEW ROCHELLE – Multiple stats exist online for Anna Flynn.
But not for every sport.
There’s no log — at least none easily found — for her time playing basketball and soccer. That could be because she scored exactly one, two-point basket and had one goal in soccer before giving those sports up in middle school.
Contrast that with track and cross-country, where the 16-year-old New Rochelle resident’s list of accomplishments is lengthy.
“I wasn’t really an athlete at anything else,” Flynn said. “When I finally found running I couldn’t believe I actually found a sport.”
Flynn, who recently completed her junior year at Ursuline, is The Journal News Westchester/Putnam girls outdoor track and field athlete of the year.
Her season was one of ups and downs but the ups certainly were high. She ran a 2015-Section 1-best 4:27.39 in the girls 1,500, finishing third at states. She also clocked a Westchester/Putnam-best 9.44.59 at 3,000 meters, had the second fastest time in Westchester/Putnam (2:11.04) in the 800 and anchored Ursuline’s 4×800 relay, which posted the second fastest time in the two-county region.
“She far exceeded any plan I had in my head,” Ursuline coach Jan Mitchell said.
Still, he and Flynn think she can do better.
A huge growth spurt didn’t help her. “There’s definitely days when my coordination is off,” said Flynn, who’s 5-foot-7 and still growing after gaining several inches since the spring of her sophomore year.
But she describes herself as being in the best physical shape of her life and Mitchell, who’s also Iona Prep’s boys coach, said, “She works harder than any boy or girl I’ve ever had.”
The two attribute a sprinkling of disappointing finishes, including 13th place at 3,000 meters at the U.S. Track & Field Championships in Oregon last weekend, to her mental approach. Pure running is a joy and “de-stresser,” bigger races something else.
“I have to start training my brain not to psych myself out,” Flynn said.
Still, Flynn’s already looking forward to more nationals and to simply running with her 14-year-old twin sisters, Sarah and Lily, who’ll be freshman at Ursuline next school year.
She’ll train with them on the Jersey Shore, where her family vacations summers and where Flynn will work jobs checking beach passes and selling ice cream and will do some surfing when not running.
Her dad, Tim, a former distance runner for U-Mass-Amherst, began the track and cross-country program at Flynn’s old school, St. John and Paul. She ran a little there but didn’t see a real future in the sport when first going to Ursuline, her mom Louise’s alma mater.
“Freshman year I definitely surprised myself qualifying for states in cross-country,” she said. “After my sophomore year in cross-country, I decided I definitely want to continue this (in college).”
That college is yet to be determined but it will be a Division 1 track school with a strong business program, she indicated.
First, though, will be her senior year.
Flynn, thinks Ursuline can win the Class B state cross-country team title and she’d also like to win the state individual title .
Other goals include becoming an indoor and outdoor all-America and teaming with her sisters on an all-America relay.
Indeed, the decision to give up basketball and soccer and even ballet for track is paying dividends.
“I’ve made friends I never would have and have gone places I never would have gone and had experiences I never would have had,” Flynn said. … “I love to run because I’d be a different person without it. It’s more than I ever could’ve dreamed of.”
Twitter:@HaggertyNancy
The rest of the Westchester/Putnam girls first-team all-stars
100 meters — Jhada Francis, So., Ossining
100 hurdles — Victoria Jones-Alleyne, Jr., New Rochelle
200 — Kiana Lee, Sr., Irvington
400 — Jinjer Pearce, Jr., Rye Country Day
400hurdles — Olivia Morgan, Fr., New Rochelle
800 — Kaitlin Ryan, So., Bronxville
Steeplechase — Julia Stevenson, Jr., Hackley
4×100 relay — Irvington (Julia Correa, Sr.; Kiana Lee, Sr.; Briana Pierre, Fr.; Zoe Maxwell, Fr.)
4×400 relay — Bronxville (Caroline Kirby, Fr.; Laura Holland, Fr.; Kirsten Ircha, 8th grade; Kaitlin Ryan, So.
4×800 relay — Bronxville (Delia Hayes, Sr.; Hilary Rizzo, Jr.; Laura Holland, Fr.; Kaitlin Ryan, So.);
High jump — Jaynie Criscione, Sr., Brewster
Long jump — Jaynie Criscione, Sr., Brewster
Triple jump — Emily Dugoff, Jr., Harrison
Pole vault — Maddy Luksha, So., Ursuline
Pentathlon — Hailey Thornton, Jr. Scarsdale
Discus — Nijera Manuel, Sr., New Rochelle
Javelin — Olivia Morgan, Fr., New Rochelle
Shot put — Monae Cooper, Jr., New Rochelle
Coach of the year: Jim Mitchell, Bronxville
Second team
100 meters — Mia Yancy, So., Tuckahoe
100 hurdles — Hailey Thornton, Jr., Scarsdale
200 — Victoria Jones-Alleyne, Jr., New Rochelle
400 — Kiana Lee, Sr., Irvington
400 hurdles — Caroline Kirby, Fr., Bronxville
800 — Anna Flynn, Jr., Ursuline
1,500 — Kaitlin Ryan, So., Bronxville
3,000 — Julia Stevenson, Jr., Hackley
Steeplechase — Brooke Nohilly, So., John Jay-Cross River
4×100 relay — Mount Vernon (Shana Kay Johnson, Jr.; Shenieka Gray, Sr.; Jamika Hypolite, Fr.; Tanjaneka Martin, Jr.)
4×400 relay — New Rochelle (Adraine Long, Jr.; Rachel Darius, Fr.; Diana Diaz, Fr.; Victoria Jones-Alleyne, Jr)
4×800 relay — Ursuline (Siobhan Schenk, Sr.; Kiera Tobia, So.; Nora Donahue, Sr.; Anna Flynn, Jr.)
High jump — Kene Odenigbo, Sr., Ursuline
Long jump — Olivia Bespolka, So., Valhalla; Rachel Darius, Fr., New Rochelle
Triple jump — Victoria Jones-Alleyne, Jr., New Rochelle
Pole vault — Vivian Mroz, Sr., Bronxville; Margaux Neborak, Sr., Somers
Pentathlon — Alexa Lapierre, Jr., Yorktown
Discus — Allie Amazan, Jr., New Rochelle
Javelin — Talia Kaufman, Jr., John Jay-Cross River
Shot put — Nijera Manuel, Sr., New Rochelle
Honorable mention
Alexis Arnold, Jr., Hackley; Janel Batiste, Sr., Alexander Hamilton; Kristen Bayrakdarian, Sr., Scarsdale; Kendall Bensche, So., Scarsdale; Sochima Bishop, Sr., New Rochelle; Grace Bugara, So., Lakeland/Panas; Lauren Chapey, Jr., Mamaroneck; Florence Cuomo, 8th grade, Brewster; Taylor Davis, Sr., Byram Hills; Katie Devore, Jr., Mamaroneck; Margaret Groton, So., Somers; Claire Hotchkin, So, Horace Greeley; Jessica Jeffrey, Jr., New Rochelle; Meng Jia Luo, Sr., Harrison; Rebecca Kearns, Sr., Scarsdale; Marissa LaMarca, So., Ursuline; Vicky Martinez, Jr., Fox Lane; Zoe Maxwell, Fr., Irvington; Maggie McDermott, Sr.; Rye; Katie Melly, So., Somers; Livvy Meyers, Sr., Scarsdale; Sam Morillo, Fr., Valhalla; Sunny Nagpaul, Jr., Lakeland/Panas; Kathryn Nohilly, So., John Jay-Cross River; Gemma Nuttall, Jr., John Jay-Cross River; Maggie O’Keefe, Sr., Scarsdale; Sydney Orr, So., Ursuline; Zoe Peerman, Jr., Ursuline; Caroline Pennacchio, Jr., Briarcliff; Isabella Puig, Sr., Edgemont; Shari Rauls, Jr., Mamaroneck; Christina Vilbrun, Sr., New Rochelle; Gabriella Zak, Jr., Hackley
All-Section
100 — Nicole Dodrill, Jr., North Rockland; Jhada Francis, So., Ossining; Imani Solan, Sr., Suffern
100 hurdles — Louise Jones, Fr., Nyack; Victoria Jones-Alleyne, Jr., New Rochelle; Hailey Thornton, Jr.; Scarsdale
200 — Kiana Lee, Sr., Irvington; Kamryn McIntosh, So., Suffern; Imani Solan, Sr., Suffern
400 — Kiana Lee, Sr., Irvington; Kamryn McIntosh, So., Suffern; Kaitlin Ryan, So., Bronxville
400 hurdles — Kyra Greenbaum, So., Suffern; Louise Jones, Fr., Nyack; Sydney March , Jr.,
800 — Anna Flynn, Jr., Ursuline; Kamryn McIntosh, So., Suffern; Kaitlin Ryan, So., Bronxville
1,500 — Bella Burda, Sr., Arlington; Anna Flynn, Jr., Ursuline; Kaitlin Ryan, So., Bronxville
3,000 — Bella Burda, Sr., Arlington; Anna Flynn, Jr., Ursuline; Katelyn Tuohy, 7th grade, North Rockland
Steeplechase — Alex Harris, So., North Rockland; Mary Hennelly, 7th grade, Suffern; Rachel Ludwikowski, So., Suffern
4×100 relay — Irvington (Julia Correa, Sr.; Kiana Lee, Sr.; Briana Pierre, Fr.; Zoe Maxwell, Fr.); North Rockland (Nicole Dodrill, Jr.; Marissa Mileski, Jr.; Emma Lauredent, Jr.; Camille Cameron, Jr.), Suffern (Terisha Theodore, Sr.; Kyra Greenbaum, So.; Nicole Becker, Jr.; Imani Solan, Sr.)
4×400 relay — Bronxville (Caroline Kirby, Fr.; Laura Holland, Fr.; Kirsten Ircha, 8th grade; Kaitlin Ryan, So.) ; New Rochelle (Adraine Long, Jr.; Rachel Darius, Fr.; Diana Diaz, Fr.; Victoria Jones-Alleyne, Jr.); Suffern (Kyra Greenbaum, So.; Nicole Becker, Jr.; Imani Solan, Sr.; Kamryn McIntosh, So.; Renee Liporace, Sr.; Monal Daterao, 7th grade)
4×800 relay — Bronxville (Delia Hayes, Sr.; Hilary Rizzo, Jr.; Laura Holland, Fr.; Kaitlin Ryan, So.); North Rockland (Claire Tantillo, So.; Sydney March, Jr.; Katelyn Tuohy, 7th grade, Alex Harris, So.); Suffern (Anna Breton, Sr.; Kate Zendell, Sr.; Mary Hennelly, 7th grade; Kamryn McIntosh, So.)
High jump — Jaynie Cristione, Sr., Brewster; Britany Maragh, Sr., Nanuet, Kene Odenigbo, Sr., Ursuline
Long jump — Jaynie Cristione, Sr., Brewster; Chontel Fils, Sr., Albertus Magnus; Kyra Greenbaum, So., Suffern
Triple jump — Emily Dugoff, Jr., Harrison; Anika Dwyer, Jr., North Rockland; Chontel Fils, Sr., Albertus Magnus
Pentathlon —Abbey Stowell, Fr., Haldane; Hailey Thornton, Jr., Scarsdale; Sandra Wilson, Sr., Pearl River
Pole vault — Maddy Luksha, So..; Ursuline; Vivian Mroz, Sr., Bronxville; Margaux Neborak, Sr.. Somers
Discus — Allie Amazan, Jr.: New Rochelle; Monae Cooper, Jr.; New Rochelle; Nijera Manuel, Sr., New Rochelle
Shot put — Sochima Bishop, Sr., New Rochelle; Monae Cooper, Jr., New Rochelle, Nijera Manuel, Sr., New Rochelle
All-star schedule
Sunday, June 28: Baseball
Monday, June 29: Softball
Tuesday, June 30: Tennis
Wednesday, July 1: Golf
Thursday, July 2: Girls track
Friday, July 3: Boys track
Saturday, July 4: Girls lacrosse
Sunday, July 5: Boys lacrosse