Track: Twins Lily and Sarah Flynn head in different directions after shared Ursuline glory – The Journal News

Sarah and Lily Flynn of Ursuline are Lohud’s girls track athletes of the year Rockland/Westchester Journal News

NEW ROCHELLE — Lily Flynn came into the world an hour and eight minutes after her twin sister, Sarah.

After that, it has sometimes seemed like she’s intent on never trailing anyone again.

In fact, it’s rare when she does.

But the same can be said of Sarah, who shares The Journal News/lohud Westchester/Putnam girls spring athlete of the year award with her “kid” sister.

GIRLS ALL-STARS: Girls Westchester/Putnam track & field all-stars and coach of the year

BOYS ALL-STARS: Westchester/Putnam boys spring track & field all-stars and coach of the year

TRACK’S TWIN THREATS:Rizzos exit Bronxville as Westchester/Putnam boys track spring athletes of year

The two, who joined the Ursuline track team as freshmen, following older sister Anna, now a Boston College runner, onto the team, are twins, yes. But identical, no. Not at all.

Lily, who’s more into fashion than Sarah and, also, unlike her, loves surfing off the New Jersey shore, was recruited for college soccer, as well as track. Ultimately, she decided to solely pursue track.

Lily finished spring as the top 800- and 1,500-meter girls runner in Westchester and Putnam for the outdoor season with her 4:29.79 1,500 being No. 2 in New York among high school girls.

More impressive was her medal-winning 2:09.09 800, logged at States. She ran that race, as she did all her races in the season’s closing three weeks, on an injured leg and in obvious pain.

“Lily is the best competitor I ever had,” Jan Mitchell, the Ursuline and Iona Prep track coach, said.

Of Sarah, he said, “She’s the most kindest, the most gentlest girl, young woman I’ve ever had.”

But make no mistake, on the track she’s also 100 percent competitor.

WINTER TRACK:Lily Flynn dominates Westchester/Putnam girls track; all-stars list

This spring, Sarah set the Westchester girls all-time 2,000-meter steeplechase record, clocking 6:55.83. She also logged the fastest mile and the second fastest 1,500 (the latter behind Lily) and second fastest girls 3,000 among Westchester/Putnam girls for the season.

Both Flynns helped Ursuline capture bronze at the State Championships in the girls 4×800 relay and both were part of Ursuline’s 4×1600 team, which won bronze at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina a week later.

Despite Lily’s injury and the resulting never-to-be-answered question of what more she might have been able to accomplish had it not occurred, the season proved a nice ending to a shared running experience Sarah initially wasn’t so keen to share.

Sarah started running competitively in fourth grade, while Lily, who Sarah recalled as trying “every sport imaginable,” began racing as a sixth-grader.

Lily’s focus on track came after she was cut from basketball, Sarah said, recalling her own initial thoughts as, “This is going to be interesting.”

That was followed by irritation when Lily demonstrated a remarkable ability to run everything from a 400 to the mile well.

“That was so frustrating,” she said. “We were so competitive with each other.”

But the two, who had an athletic break from each other every high school fall when Lily played soccer for Ursuline, soon found the pluses of having the other as a running training partner.

Sarah lost time to injuries (some related to a huge growth spurt) as a sophomore. She was largely limited to running relays.

That contributed to her not drawing the eye of as many top-level college track programs as Lily did.

But the two never focused on going to the same college, anyway.

Ultimately, Lily decided on Stanford, where she plans to study economics and possibly computer science.

Stanford is becoming a hot spot of sorts for Hudson Valley runners. Former Bronxville middle-distance standout Kaitlin Ryan is a sophomore runner there. And recently-graduated Bronxville star Matt Rizzo (who was Lily’s prom date with Sarah going to the prom with Matt’s twin, Alex) is also heading there.

With no fall soccer, Lily will run cross-country. In track, she expects to tackle everything from the 800 to the mile and even possibly 3,200 meters, which makes Sarah laugh since she recalls her sister finishing her one and only 3,200, saying she was never doing another.

Sarah will join Anna, a former Journal News/lohud runner of the year, competing for Boston College. There, she expects to do cross-country with a probable focus on the steeplechase in track, although she said she may be asked to try 5,000 meters.

Basically, an entire country will separate them. But Lily downplays that, saying, “Over the years, we joke we’re each other’s best supporters and also harshest critics. Next year, nothing changes. We’ll always have that connection. We’ll always be each other’s biggest supporter and will call after every good race and every bad race.”

Sarah said she’s looking forward to “being in a big pond and being a small fish with everyone else exactly like us.”

Lily’s looking forward to training with another New Yorker, Corning’s Jess Lawson, who has gained All-West Region honors as a Cardinal.

Sarah, who plans to study business, noted the two don’t know whether they’ll ever race against each other in college or even be at the same meet.

But, while years off, they’re certain they’ll run together post-graduation.

And that will probably be at a distance a lot longer than Lily’s dreaded 3,200 meters.

“Anna wants us (all) to run marathons together,” Sarah explained.

More track all-stars

GIRLS ALL-STARS:Rockland girls spring track & field all-stars and coach of the year

GIRLS TRACK: Saunders jumps way to Rockland outdoor girls track athlete of year honors

BOYS TRACK: Anthony Harrison rises over hurdles to become Rockland spring boys track athlete of year

BOYS TRACK:Rockland boys track & field all-stars and coach of the year

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy