Spring Track
Arisa Specce and Tony Monchinski made their final appearances as Red Devils on Tuesday, June 3, at the Section 1 competition held at Hendrick Hudson High School. Specce earned second place in the 1,500-meter race walk, finishing in 8:42.80. Monchinski placed fifth in the pentathlon state qualifier, scoring 2,428 points – a personal best and new school record, according to head coach Will Diano.
On Thursday, June, Umaru Conteh competed in day one of the Section 1 state qualifiers at Arlington High School, where he punched his ticket to states by clearing a personal best 6’5” (1.96 meters) in the high jump for Class B.
Imani Felder represented Peekskill on day two of the qualifiers at Suffern Middle School, earning a third-place finish in the Class B high jump with a mark of 4’10” (1.47 meters).
Next up, Conteh will compete at the 2025 NYSPHSAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 13-14 at Middletown High School. In an interview with Lohud’s Nancy Haggerty, Conteh said “My goal is 6’9” for states and to break the school record.”
Spotlight of the Week: Arisa Specce
Sometimes, the best things in life begin with a little push. That’s how Peekskill High School senior Arisa Specce discovered her unlikely calling in race walking.
“I really didn’t want to do it,” Specce said of her first varsity race walk back in her freshman year. “I just did it because I was put in the event.”
But her coaches saw potential. What began as an experiment turned into a standout high school career – one that took her to the Nike Indoor Nationals, earned her multiple All-League honors, and helped reintroduce the event to Peekskill.
Specce, 17, started track & field in eighth grade, curious to try a sport. Initially a sprinter in the 200 and 400 meters, she was encouraged by Coach Katie McCabe to give race walking a shot. Reluctantly, she agreed. It didn’t take long for her to catch on. With the help of her coaches and her new club New York Track Starz, Specce mastered the form, built stamina, and found her stride.
By sophomore year, she was placing at meets. Her personal best – 8:16.04 in the 1,500-meter race walk – came at the 2024 Westchester County Championships. She capped off her varsity career on June 3, 2025, at the Section 1 competition held at Hendrick Hudson High School, placing second at 8:42.80.
For most of her high school career, Specce was the only race walker on Peekskill’s varsity team.
“It’s on the brink,” she said of the event’s popularity. “Everybody’s scared to try it.”
Specce says more people should give race walking a try. “Just go for it. The most that’s going to happen is you’re going to get disqualified, but you’re going to learn from your mistakes.”
Though she’s had a few minor injuries along the way – most notably recurring ankle issues during her sophomore year – Specce says the biggest challenge during her athletic career wasn’t physical. It was balancing her busy life.
An honors student, Specce spent her senior year taking only college-level courses, including college astronomy, statistics, Introduction to African/African-American History. She also worked a part-time job, volunteered over 100 hours with the athletic department, danced on the school’s newly formed team, and previously competed year-round in cross country and track.
“I had to sacrifice my weekends a lot,” she said. “We would have meets that were an hour away and we’d be there for five hours.”
In true Arisa fashion, she juggled it all. She recalled one day when she raced in the morning, got picked up by her mom, and performed that same afternoon with the dance team at the Westchester County Center.
“She was more than just a teammate for the team – I believe she was truly the heart of it,” said Peekskill track coach Miranda Mattiace. “Arisa’s hard work and dedication paid off with the amount of medals she has won each season.”
“She encourages you to always do your best,” Specce said of Mattiace. “She even cried at my last meet. She’s that type of coach.”
Peekskill Athletic Director Austin Goldberg praised Specce for her personality on the athletic field and her dedication. “Arisa is not just an athlete; she is a warm and kind person, always there to support her teammates and lend a helping hand to others.”
“Arisa has been a true role model for our younger students, frequently visiting Woodside Elementary School to support the Students to Athletes Reading program.”
“After four incredible years in high school sports, I am excited to see what accomplishments await her in college. Arisa has truly been one of Peekskill’s best,” he added.
Specce is one of the strongest race walkers in the area. She would have been a force at the collegiate level, but her athletic career ended with high school – not by choice, but because the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) does not recognize race walking as an official event. Without financial aid or support, many talented race walkers like Specce hit a frustrating finish line.
“It’s over. I am very sad about that,” she said. “It’s just that it’s very hard to find colleges that have the race walk since it’s not in the NCAA, it’s only in the NAIA.”
This fall, Specce will attend Baruch College to study International Business. “I want to do business overseas with global companies,” she said.
Looking back on her years at Peekskill High School, Specce is proud of what she accomplished – and how she balanced it all. “Grades, how I placed at meets, the dance team, having a job – I think just balancing everything out was my biggest accomplishment.”
Her advice to younger athletes? “Work as hard as you can and just have fun,” she said. “It’s your high school years. Don’t stress yourself out too much.”
She may not be race walking in college, but Arisa Specce walks away leaving a lasting impact on the Peekskill sports community.
