National's Bound: Mount Sinai's Gabrielson To Compete at Nike Cross Nationals

Mt. Sinai’s Cali Gabrielson Racing at the NXN-NY Race Last Week File Photo

In what for most Long Island runners is considered the final Cross Country meet of the season, Mount Sinai’s 8th grade prodigy Cali Gabrielson will keep her season going for one more week as she finished her race over the weekend as one of the top female individuals in the New York Region, qualifying her for the National Meet at Glendoveer Golf Course in Oregon.

Gabrielson has had a season many high schooler’s dream about and she hasn’t even begun taking classes at Mount Sinai High School. She is coming off of a runner-up performance at the State Meet in Class B behind Bayport-Bluepoint’s Sophie McInnis, who has been on a tear this season as well.

The 8th Grade phenom placed 7th overall at the difficult Bowdoin Park Cross Country Course in Wappingers Falls, New York with an impressive time of 18:48.50 for the 5k distance.

Gabrielson was the fourth individual not on a team that qualified for the meet, allowing her to cross “Make the National Meet” off of her to do list.

“(I’ve) felt really happy with this season. I feel like I’ve grown a lot and I never thought I’d be here,” Gabrielson said following her race this past weekend. “I made it to states, thought hopefully I’d make that, but I never thought I’d be here (qualifying for Nationals).”

Gabrielson now joins some elite company as former Mustang and current Stony Brook Cross Country athlete Sarah Connelly as the most recent members of the high school team to qualify for the big meet out in Eugene.

The 8th grader will join fellow Long Islanders Sophia McInnes and Bay Shore’s Jacob Gogarity as they make the trip out west and hope to mix it up with the best the nation has to offer this upcoming Saturday.