Waterville’s Danny Casatelli is going the extra mile by signing his national letter of intent to run with Stony Brook University’s Division I men’s track and field team.
Casatelli’s commitment marks an exciting milestone in his athletic journey. Miles ahead of the competition, Casatelli raced to a second-place finish out of 124 runners at the New York State Class D Cross Country Championships.
Casatelli crossed the finish line with an impressive time of 15:42:40. This marks the second consecutive year that Casatelli has qualified and competed at the New York State Class D Cross Country Championships, further solidifying his reputation as one of the top runners in the state.
“Danny is an outstanding runner whose drive and determination push him to compete at the highest level,” said Tom Gifford, athletic director. “His training capacity is unmatched anywhere in Section III, he consistently challenges himself against the strongest competition in New York State which has prepared him well to excel at the collegiate level.”
At some of the biggest and most competitive invitationals of the season, Casatelli consistently proved himself among the top runners. At the Baldwinsville Invitational, he won first place in the small school division out of 281 athletes and finished seventh overall out of 479. He followed an impressive fifth place finish at Burnt Hills against 594 competitors.
At the McQuaid Premier Race, he placed 28th out of 218. Casatelli won the VVS Invitational, finishing first among 129 runners and claimed the Center State Conference title with a first-place finish out of 118. In the Class D Sectionals he finished first-place among 159 runners and placed fourth overall out of 529 runners.
Casatelli will attend Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, on Long Island’s north shore, about 60 miles east of New York City, where he will study pre-medicine.
The Waterville Central School District congratulates Casatelli on this achievement and wishes him continued success.
