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Miller Place High School

Jillian Scully, state record-holder in discus. Photo courtesy Debbie Scully

By  Daniel Dunaief

Goal set. Goal accomplished.

Miller Place High School senior and track star Jillian Scully wanted to set a new record in the discus in her final season.

She accomplished her goal this past weekend at the Glenn D. Loucks Memorial Games in White Plains, breaking the 33-year old state record by over two feet when she threw the discus 174 feet, 2 inches away.

At the same time, Scully, 18, now owns the furthest throw by a high school girl in the country.

“I read 174, turned around, looked at my friends, said, ‘I broke the state record,’ jumped around a little bit, had our fun, took a couple of pictures, went home and made myself some cupcakes,” said the typically understated Scully. 

Scully also won the MVP award for the tournament, which reflects both on her remarkable throw and on her willingness to help tournament officials and other competitors.

Scully helped the referees retrieve the discuses and the shot put, a competition she also won on Friday, for other competitors.

An official told her that “you’re not only a good athlete, you’re a good person. This trophy is for special people like you,” Scully said.

After her record setting throw, Scully learned that NASF Nike wanted to provide her with merchandise and funding to support her when she goes to the sneaker and apparel sponsored event in Oregon.

“I’m very excited” about the support, as it is “my first offer of anything,” she said.

Jillian Scully, state record-holder in discus. Photo courtesy Debbie Scully

Scully’s father James shed a few tears when his daughter broke the record.

“It was pretty amazing, to be a parent watching it,” he said. “She’s pretty determined to do what she wants to do. She had it in her head.”

Indeed, Scully said his daughter has been itching to break the record for a while.

“We knew it was coming,” said Jillian’s mother Despina “Debbie” Scully. “She was throwing 170 in practice. We were waiting with bated breath.”

Jillian’s mother was so excited for her daughter that the family “couldn’t form sentences. It didn’t really settle in until we got home.”

That night, Scully returned home and baked the confetti cupcakes she had been saving for the day she claimed the state record.

The weekend wasn’t complete without Scully heading to a field and working with another athlete.

The day after the games, a discus thrower from Mount Sinai reached out to Scully to ask if she’d train with him.

She got up at 8 am, throwing with him for over two hours.

“She loves helping people,” her mother said.

A sunny day, some early fouls

Like many other Saturdays when she has competitions, Scully and her family woke up in a hotel on the day of the record-breaking throw and had an early breakfast.

She arrived at the meet early to watch her teammate compete in the pole vault. She then stood by the track and watched the boys’ discus throw.

One of the competitors threw a personal best, which gave Scully the sense that the conditions might be ripe for her and others.

“A bunch of people” had a personal record, said Scully. “People were up and happy.”

It didn’t hurt that the sun, which was hidden behind rain clouds during the previous day’s soggy shot put competition, was out.

She had a feeling Saturday would be the day for her to reach her goal.

In the preliminary rounds, Scully fouled on her first two throws. She walked over to her parents and told them she wasn’t even going to spin in the circle, minimizing the chance that she’d foul. She knew she’d throw far enough to make it to the next round.

Even without a spin, her deliberate throw was 145 feet, which was further than the second place finisher for the day.

In the finals, her clean throw not only put her in the record books for the state, but also has her ranked 81 in the country, including college students and Olympic athletes. This is the first time Scully has cracked the top 100.

After her record, she reached out to several coaches and to her brother Jimmy, who is a police officer in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Bill Hiney, Sully’s personal coach, sent her an image of an Olympic medal.

Hiney, the Assistant Track and Field Coach during the winter and spring seasons for Southold High School, attributed the record to the work she’s put in, to her passion and dedication to the sport, and to her athletic frame.

“I’ve been doing this for 36 years,” said Hiney. “Jillian is just on another planet.”

Ready for more

While Scully is pleased that she met one of her goals, she sees room for improvement in her form.

If she has her way, her current record may not stand for 33 days, as she hopes to use her 6 foot, 1 and 3/4 inch height, to reach or exceed 180 feet.

“I could fix some of the things I messed up,” she said about her throwing technique.

Hiney, who watched a video of her performance, said she didn’t drive all the way through the throw.

“Her right hip was prematurely stopped, when she could have continued putting more energy into the throw,” Hiney said. He believes it won’t be long before she sets another record.

Scully, who is committed to attending LSU in the fall, plans to compete in six more meets before she graduates, including counties, states, state qualifiers and nationals.

Still, even as she looks to build on this throw, Scully has learned to savor and enjoy the moment.

“I try to acknowledge the fact that I accomplished a goal before I start setting the next one,” she said. “I have a tendency to jump from one goal to the next, with nothing in the middle.”

Scully’s current and future achievements are a product of consistent hard work and sacrifice.

Practicing on a field she makes sure is clear in the landing zone of onlookers drawn to the sports of discus and shot put, Scully works on her form over and over again, videotaping as many as 80 throws in a day and critiquing her form.

All the work means that she “misses out on a lot of things,” said Debbie Scully, which includes the athletic awards dinner at school, the last day of school, and the senior class trip, to name a few.

“This is her passion and this is what she wants,” her mother said.

Scully competing at a state meet. Photo courtesy of Despina Scully

By Daniel Dunaief

Fresh off setting a county record in the shot put in the winter, Miller Place High School track star Jillian Scully has her sights set on setting a new state record in shot put and another track and field event this spring.

A high school senior, Scully is determined to etch her name into the record books in the discus as well.

Jillian Scully, center, at the 2025 State Championships

“I’m 100 percent confident I’m going to crush” the record in the discus, said Scully, who has suggested that the 2.2 pound discus has been flying out of her hand.

The current state record is 172 feet, while her personal best, which she threw last year, is 159 feet 8 inches.

“She has got enormous potential, which is why so many world class athletes are chasing her,” said Bill Hiney, the Assistant Track and Field Coach during the winter and spring seasons for Southold High School and Scully’s personal coach. Scully took a standing throw that traveled over 120 feet. Scully has also thrown the discus 150 feet against the wind and without warming up properly, Hiney said.

College coaches at several programs reached out to Scully to recruit her to their schools, hoping she could bring her athletic talents to their programs.

“We told her it was her decision” about which college to attend, said Jillian’s father James Scully, who owns and runs the construction company JFS Contracting. His daughter responded that she’d ask them if she needed their help.

As it turned out, she made the decision on her own, selecting Louisiana State University.

“I walked on campus and I said, ‘This is for me,’” said the six-foot, one-inch athlete. She should be able to throw discus and shot put outside year round. Scully would also like to explore competing in the weight throw and the javelin.

“When I go to LSU, I want to try it all,” said Scully.

Scully’s father believes the weather will work to her advantage in Louisiana.

“She practices in the rain and will be out throwing when it’s windy and cold,” he said.

Scully is intrigued by the range of foods available in the Pelican state.

During one of her visits, she enjoyed fried alligator with rices.

“It tastes like chicken,” she laughed.

Academic interests

Scully doesn’t just want to finish strong athletically: she also would like to have a successful final showing academically.

“I want to make sure I hit honor role for the third and fourth quarter,” she said. 

As for her academic interests in college, she plans to study engineering and, in particular, is interested in biomedical engineering.

Scully could see herself as a Paralympic track coach one day.

She recalled watching a video of a world championship event in which a Paralympic athlete was preparing to compete. The athlete struggled with a prosthesis that was causing a problem.

“Not a single person there could help him,” Scully said. “He missed out on competing.”

She recalled telling herself that she’d like to be there to help, particularly after knowing how hard every athlete trains.

“I couldn’t imagine how that felt for him,” Scully said.

California dreaming

As for her own athletic performance, Scully would like to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the discus.

Hiney recognizes that athletes with Scully’s build and determination don’t come along too often.

“You don’t regularly get to train” athletes who have Scully’s strength and frame, he said.

“Ambition is not in short supply,” Scully’s father James added. “She’s motivated and she loves setting goals for herself.”

Scully believes his daughter can accomplish anything she decides to try.

He and his wife Despina “Debbie” Scully have gone to their daughter’s competitions during her high school years and are looking forward to traveling to some of the competitions in Louisiana as well.

As for their expectations, Scully believes they align with their daughter’s.

When she reaches her goals, he said, “Is it surprising? Yes. Is it exciting? Yes. Are we shocked by the fact that she broke a record? No.”

Photo from Councilwoman Bonner's office

On October 10, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (center) met with Miller Place High School students in Tara Penske’s 12th Grade Civics classes. She spoke about her role in local government, her responsibilities and those of colleagues on the Town Board. Councilwoman Bonner was eager to speak with students about her job as an elected official and answered their questions. She also spoke with the students about pursuing a career in government and how they can make a difference in the community where they live.

Councilwoman Bonner said, “High School is an exciting time when students really start thinking about finding a career that suits them best and they will enjoy So, it was great to meet with Ms. Penske’s very curious students. They asked questions, eagerly joined in the discussions and a few said they would even be interested to pursue a career in government.” 

Jillian Scully on the track. Courtesy Scully family

By Daniel Dunaief

Sometimes, Jillian Scully isn’t sure whether she’s dreaming that she’s practicing or she’s awake and on the field.

That’s because the Miller Place High School senior spends so much time honing her technique and trying to increase the distance she can throw a shot put and discus.

Jillian Scully

“I’ll have dreams where I’m practicing and it’s so vivid, I think I’m there,” said Scully. “I can feel the mud on my hands and the cold ball on my neck.”

The work has paid off, as Scully, who won the New York State Outdoor State Championship in shot put by over five feet in June, and set the school record in the shot put by over 12 feet, has been recruited by Division I track and field teams around the country, from UCLA to Arizona State, Colorado State University, and the University of Michigan, to name a few.

Two weeks ago, Scully and her parents James and Despina, (who goes by “Debbie,”) got up at 3 a.m. for a flight to Colorado, where they toured Colorado State University, and just last week, they visited the University of Michigan. On her college visits, coaches have given her tours of the campus and have outfitted her in university attire. Until she chooses a school, she can’t bring any of that clothing home.

“I’m expecting when I go to these schools that I’m going to have a gut feeling,” said Scully. I have a sense that I’ll know the best fit for me as soon as I step on [the right] campus.”

Scully, who is 6 feet, 1 inch tall, has found it tough to watch others train without being able to participate.

“It’s a little difficult seeing all the throwers getting to lift and throw and me being forced to watch,” Scully explained.

Scully explained that her favorite moment in a meet is when she takes her first step into the circle, which gives her a surge of confidence.

Each time she prepares to launch the ball or discus, things go “silent in my brain, the sound stops and I just throw,” she said.

A highly valued recruit, Scully started throwing shot put and discus in middle school. Ian Dowd, who coached track and field in middle school at Miller Place, recalled how Scully could sprint the fastest, jump the furthest and, as it turns out, throw a shot put remarkably far, without any training.

“She threw [the shot put] something crazy, like 25 or 26 feet, the first time she did,” said Dowd, who now coaches basketball in the Southampton School District.

Scully’s father James, who owns and runs the construction company JFS Contracting, dabbled in track when he was in high school, including throwing shot put.

“I never thought she’d have been that good,” Scully said. “I did it because I was bored and I wanted to do something.”

The younger Scully, however, who plans to study engineering when she’s not practicing or competing in Division 1 track meets, is focused and passionate about throwing the 8.8 pound shot put as well as the 2.2 pound discus.

While shorter than her 6’3” father, Scully is taller than her 5’8” mother, Debbie, who considers herself the “small one” in the house. Debbie has never tried either sport, but has picked up her daughter’s bag to move it in the house.

“It’s no wonder you’re so strong,” Scully told her daughter. “She’s walking around with a weighted vest all day long.”

Change of life

Before she discovered track and field, where she also runs the 4×100 relay, Scully, 17, was struggling.

Scully suggested that her mother gave her the “nudge” to try track.

Jillian Scully

“I was introduced to track at a certain point in my life when I was secluded from everybody,” said Scully, who was unreceptive to people and spent her free time playing video games or being unproductive.

“The person I was for however many years is not me,” Scully recalled. “I didn’t enjoy being that person.”

When she started competing in track, she felt the experience, including the camaraderie with her teammates, “clicked” and became “a part of me.” Spinning around in a small circle and throwing objects through the air became a necessary part of her mental health, and is a large part of her personality.

Hannah Kuemmel, the Athletic Trainer at Miller Place High School, has noticed the change in Scully.

“She is a lot more confident in who she is as a person and an athlete,” said Kuemmel, who also teaches a sports medicine class in which Scully sits front and center.

When she started competing in shot put and discus, she found a way to excel. “If I’m good, I might as well keep doing it,” she said. “I love it so much.”

Good isn’t the word Bill Hiney, her personal coach who has been working with her for over two years, and who has been in the field for 36 years, would use to describe her.

“I’ve often said she’s on another planet,” said Hiney, who is the Assistant Track and Field Coach during the winter and spring seasons for Southold High School.

A good female shot put thrower can reach the mid 30 feet. At 46 feet, 11 inches, Scully is throwing 10 feet further than the best female athlete Hiney has ever worked with, which puts her “in another dimension.”

Hiney describes her athletic student as the “icing on the cake in my long career. Coaches are lucky to have someone with athleticism, size and all the elements necessary to be extraordinary.”

Five squares

And, speaking of icing, the combination of her athletic training and metabolism make Scully a voracious eater, as she consumes five square meals a day.

She typically tops it off with a pint of Haagen Dazs mint chocolate chip ice cream in the evenings.

“She eats everything under the sun,” said her father, who adds that when he brings her 20 buffalo wings, she asks for another 20 so she can have a snack later.

These days, Scully, who coaches describe as tall and lean, puts her height to use in another sport, as she is an outside hitter for the varsity volleyball team, as well.

Scully’s parents appreciate how sports has given her the self-confidence and readiness to contribute to her team.

Even during track and field competitions, when she’s preparing to do her own throwing, Scully will speak with other athletes about their technique. “When Jillian was throwing against other girls, they asked her, ‘What can I do to throw better? What am I doing wrong?’” Jim Scully said. “She takes it upon herself to help all the other throwers,” and encourages them to improve.

Athletic trajectory

As well as Scully has performed in the shot put and discus, Hiney and the head coaches from universities around the country see continued growth ahead. Scully just started weight lifting this summer. “If it was karate, she’d be a white belt,” Hiney said. Well-known coaches in the field have come to watch her throw and have been impressed. Dowd believes Scully could reach an elite level if she keeps pushing herself, even climbing as far as the Olympics.

“I would love to see her with a US banner,” Dowd said. “That would be surreal.”

As for Scully’s thoughts on the matter, she would embrace an opportunity to represent her country at the Olympic games. She recalls sitting in class, and looking up how far Olympians, who competed in this past Paris Games, threw when they were her age.

“I’m trying to compare myself and set my goals,” she said. “That would be a dream for me, going to the Olympics and competing in these events.”

2024 Suffolk County Class A Champions. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

It was the bat of Emily Lopez bat that sparked the Miller Place (No. 3) offense with a two-run homer in the opening inning coupled with some lights-out pitching from Ava Zicchinelli that kept Islip (No. 2) at bay in the Suffolk County Class A championship final Saturday, May 25. Islip answered in the top of the third, but the Panthers plated two more insurance runs to protect a 4-1 lead after six innings of play. 

With Islip’s backs against the wall and down to the last three outs, Zicchinelli kept the Buccaneers on their heels and fanned the final batter for the win at the Martha Avenue sports complex in North Bellport. 

The Panthers will return to Martha Avenue Thursday, May 30, to contest the Long Island championship round where they’ll face the winner of the Wantagh/Seaford game. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at: gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI. 

Miller Place senior Zoe Weissman battles at the draw. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Royals of Port Jefferson had their hands full when they hosted the Panthers of Miller Place Friday afternoon, April 26, in a home game in a girls lacrosse matchup. The Royals hoped to use the home field — which is grass, not turf — to their advantage. But the game didn’t play out that way in the Division II matchup.

Port Jeff junior Anna Matvya split the pipes midway through the second quarter to break the ice for her team, but it was little consolation as the Royals trailed 11-1 at the half. Miller Place peppered the scoreboard with seven more goals in the second half with Matvya finding the back of the net thrice more for an impressive four goals as the Royals fell to the Panthers 18-4.

Miller Place attack Mirabella Altebrando had three goals and eight assists with teammate Lyla Coffey netting three times. 

Sophia Ingenito and Casey Gilbert both had two goals and an assist for the Panthers and Angie Efstathiou and Hayden Young had two goals apiece.

Port Jeff goalie Emma Batter had 11 saves.

Having lost the first three nonleague season games and a league loss two days earlier, Kings Park looked to get back to their winning ways with a road game against the Panthers of Miller Place Thursday afternoon.

Despite trailing after the first eight minutes of play, the Kingsmen sparked to life in the second quarter to take a 17-point lead into the halftime break. Thomas Matonti caught fire with his three-point shooting prowess, draining five triples in the League 5 matchup.

The Panthers struggled in the second half with Kings Park’s swarming defense and unrelenting press, falling 63-32 in the Dec. 14 contest.

The Kings Park senior co-captains peppered the scoreboard with Matonti at the top of the chart with 21 points, John Flynn banking 13 and Joe Romano netting 10.

Nick Frusco carried the flag for the Panthers with five field goals and five from the free throw line, and Matthew Cirrito notched six.

The win lifted Kings Park to 1-1 in division play as they handed the Panthers their first loss of this early season.

Both teams retook the court Tuesday night, with the Kingsmen besting Sayville 47-35. Miller Place fell again against Harborfields, losing the contest 52-49.

— Photos by Bill Landon 

Loose ball. Bill Landon photo

Being one of the smallest schools in Suffolk County, when the Lady Royals of Port Jeff play an early season nonleague game, they always face a team from a larger school district. This was the case Friday afternoon with a home game against Miller Place. 

Having lost perennial scoring threats to graduation, Port Jeff’s roster features only one senior as the Lady Royals had their hands full, falling to the Panthers 47-22 in the Dec. 8 matchup.

Returning starter Ava Zicchinelli for Miller Place was the offensive spark for the Panthers, leading her team with 14 points followed by Brooke Callaghan, who banked nine. Sophia Ingenito netted seven.

Rose Meliker-Hammock scored three from the floor and three from the free throw line for nine points for the Royals.

Port Jeff (0-2) retakes the court with another nonleague matchup Saturday, Dec. 16, with a road game against West Islip. Game time is scheduled for 10 a.m.

The Panthers (2-4) face one more nonleague matchup at home to Pierson/Bridgehampton Dec. 20 before league play begins with a home game against Harborfields Thursday, Jan. 4, with tipoff at 5:30 p.m.

After edging by Miller Place in the first set having to win by two, the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats lost the second set to make it a new match in the League VI matchup.

Squeezing by the Panthers 25-23 in the third set and rallying in the fourth set, the Wildcats were lucky to escape with the 3-1 victory, 28-26, 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, on the road Sept. 22.

Senior Giorgia Balza led the way for the Wildcats with 13 kills, a pair of aces and 4 blocks, and teammate Caroline Lange had a block with 4 kills.

Setting the pace for the Panthers was Payton Horan with 13 kills, a service ace and 2 digs along with Olivia Honkanen’s 6 kills 3 service aces and 4 digs.

The win lifts the Wildcats to 2-2, leaving the Panthers searching for that elusive first win.

Both teams are back in action Sept. 28 when the Wildcats host Bayport-Blue Point at 4 p.m. and the Panthers have a road game against nearby Mount Sinai. First service is set for 4:30 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

For the second straight year, Kings Park High School hosted the National Football Foundation’s Long Island Quarterback Challenge skills competition. 

The star-studded event, held Sunday, July 23, had no shortage of signal callers from the North Shore. And unlike last year when it was a boys-only event, the girls were also part of the fun.

Commack’s Jeremy Weiss, the reigning champion coming into this year’s competition, finished third this time. He was just behind Smithtown West’s Brayden Stahl, who finished in second place.

The 2023 overall winner was Mustafa Mozawalla of Syosset, who prospered in the classroom as well as the gridiron, completing each throwing drill with panache.

Players from Nassau and Suffolk, including from the Catholic leagues, were eligible to participate. Jake Fields from Smithtown East, Shane Kiernan of Miller Place and Kaeden West from Comsewogue were all part of the field of 16, who were put through their paces on the field as well as the film room.

In addition to second overall, Stahl won the award for accuracy and West had the longest throw of the day, launching a majestic rainbow that rang against the crossbar in the back of the south end zone. It measured 64 yards.

Former NFL quarterback Matt Simms judged the boys as they ran drills in anticipation, arm strength, touch, mobility and football IQ. One of the highlights of the day was when Mozawalla scrambled to his left and, while sprinting to the sideline, threw a 40-yard dart in perfect stride to his receiver who tapped his toes in the back corner of the end zone.

“That was a magnificent throw,” Simms said. “Probably one of the best in the two years since we’ve done this.”

Kiernan and Fields also looked very good in the mobility drills as well as quarterback progressions.

As the sport of flag football has exploded on Long Island, organizers smartly added a contest for the girls — seven out of the 10 contestants were from Suffolk, including Grace Gilmartin and Pixie Ryan, both from Northport, and Taylor Mileti of Hauppauge.

However, it was Jennifer Canarutto of Plainview-Old Bethpage in Nassau who took first prize. Canarutto, who led her team to an undefeated season as well as the New York State championship just two short months ago, beat Alexandra DaEira-Loccisano of Eastport-South Manor and Delaney Israel of Longwood, who finished in second and third place, respectively. 

Many familiar faces came down as receivers for the quarterbacks as Hauppauge Lady Eagles Stephanie Braun, Emma Condos, Meghan Goutink and Melissa O’Connor all caught passes for not only Mileti, but a few of the other contestants who were in need of targets.

Four Northport Lady Tiger pass catchers — Caitlyn Muzyka, Dana Restivo, Caitlyn Ryan and Jamie Weissman — braved the 90-degree heat to support Gilmartin and Ryan. Hauppauge’s head coach Steve Mileti watched his daughter Taylor from the press box as he served as color commentator on the live stream with Newsday’s high school sports editor, Gregg Sarra. Northport head coach Pat Campbell cheered on his sextet of athletes from the sidelines.

Muzyka was awarded “best receiver” on the girls side.

In total, eight quarterbacks and 18 receivers from TBR’s readership area competed on a long, hot, competitive and ultimately successful day.