Last month, Deer Park High School track athlete Chelsea Cornelia finished second in Suffolk County in the 600-meter race at the state qualifier, posting a personal best time of 1:36.9 and ranking No. 2 all-time in Deer Park. This performance qualified Cornelia for the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships, held on March 8 at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island. In her second appearance in the state tournament, Cornelia ran a personal best in the 600-meter race with a time of 1:36.8, finishing 14th overall and 10th in public schools.  

“What’s more impressive is Chelsea’s story and her road to get to this point,” coach James Petti said. “Last May, she sustained a devastating injury to her foot that abruptly ended her season after already qualifying for the outdoor state championship in June. Chelsea slowly built back to running shape with summer running and playing soccer for her school. When she began the winter season, she was still a bit rusty, but persevered and kept building throughout the season. We stuck to the plan of running long miles and mixing in speed days. While we thought she’d be ready by state quals to be top 4 in the 1,000-meter, we felt that the 600-meter looked like the more sensible route to get to the state championship. We stuck to the plan and didn’t change up much from last year’s training. Chelsea ran one less distance race – of 1,500-meter or above – than she did last year, so this year showed me that her speed is developing, and when combined with endurance, it proved that she’s back and even better. We are so incredibly proud of her and we look forward to an exciting outdoor season.”

Date Added: 3/13/2025