4/12/01
Paul Suwan
The Journal News

Discovering the javelin last year was, in every respect, serendipity for

Steve Naclerio.

The Fordham Prep senior had been cut from the Rams’ baseball team and was

looking for a change of pace.

Eventually Naclerio was persuaded to try track and field and, being the

pitcher he was, gravitated toward the throws.

Naclerio found a particular knack for the javelin, throwing it 140 feet in

his first meet.

“I won,” he said. “I was kind of excited.”

By the end of the season, Naclerio had recorded a best throw of 175-7, and

he went on to take the gold medal in the scholastic men’s javelin at last

summer’s Empire State Games in Binghamton.

So far this season, Naclerio, who lives in White Plains, has picked up right

where he left off.

At Saturday’s Mount Relays, he won with a personal-record 176-6 heave.

Naclerio also recorded a 173-0 effort in cold conditions last month.

“I’m pretty happy where I’m starting off,” the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Naclerio

said. “To start with a 176 is great. Last year was just sort of a learning

experience.”

Naclerio, who credits Fordham Prep field events coach Bill Dowling with his

development, has his sights set high for this season. He would like to reach

the 200-foot plateau, which only a handful of throwers in state history have

done. Other goals include performing well at prestigious meets such as the

Penn Relays, Loucks Games and adidas national outdoor championships.

Whatever happens this spring, though, the javelin has already provided

opportunities that Naclerio didn’t think possible.

The senior will attend Boston College next year and throw for the Eagles, a

pretty remarkable rise for an athlete who’s still relatively inexperienced

in his event.

“I never thought I’d play (Division I) sports in anything,” Naclerio said.

“I think it’s amazing. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Out of the blocks at PC: When the Port Chester boys defeated Sleepy Hollow

and Harrison last week in their first dual meet, it was the first time in a

long time – 20 years, coach Nick Mancuso said – they started a season 2-0.

Mancuso said 35 boys are out for the team, including promising newcomers in

juniors Matt Corbetta (relays) and Daniel Taylor (sprints) and seniors

Dwayne Antonio (hurdles, long jump) and Mike Josephson (sprints).

The Rams are optimistic for this season.

“We’ve never won the league in track,” Mancuso said. “If we could do that,

it would be nice.”

Finish lines: Brewster’s Dana Reinhart recorded a strong early-season

javelin throw of 89-8 at the Paul Collins Relays on March 31, leading the

Bears’ javelin relay team to a second-place finish in the girls A division.

... Mount Vernon got off to a tremendous start at Saturday’s Colonial Relays

in Williamsburg, Va. Girls winners included Shauna Lee Williams in the long

jump (18-5¤) and triple jump (36-6‹) and Alison Warren in the high jump

(5-4). On the boys side, Jason Ramsey leaped 44-7ÿ to take the triple jump

title. ... New Rochelle’s Shenae Dawkins scored 2,749 points in her first

pentathlon Tuesday at the Markiewicz Memorial Invitational – and she was

well off her bests in strong events like the hurdles and long jump. The

breakdown was: 16.1 seconds (100 hurdles), 1.45 meters (high jump), 8.41

(shot put), 4.81 (long jump) and 2:39.6 (800). ... On the local calendar

this weekend: Saturday’s Nanuet Relays at Nanuet, Kings Relay Carnival at

Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and Green Dragon Relays at Cornwall.

Staff writer Paul Suwan writes a high school outdoor track and field

notebook, which appears weekly during the season. Items of interest should

be phoned to him at (914) 696-8503 or faxed to (914) 696-8118.

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