Riverhead Central Schools

Ellen Dougherty, a junior at RHS with an "A" academic average, is ranked No. 2 in the United States among high school runners in the 1,000 meters and No. 7 in the U.S. in the 800 meters, following this year's indoor track season.

This winter, she won the Suffolk County championship in the 1,000 meters, and also won the Eastern States Championship in the 800 meters in a time of 2:11.5. Ellen set a new county record (2:50.99) in the 1,000 meter run at the New York State indoor track championship. In March, the Suffolk County Coaches Association presented Ellen with the Outstanding Athlete Award for the 2003-2004 indoor track season.

In the fall, Ellen finished 8th in a field of 110 runners at the NY State
Class A girls' cross country championship race, with a RHS record time of 19 minutes 9.8 seconds on the 3.1 mile course. In addition, for the second consecutive year, Ellen was chosen by her peers to receive the Suffolk County Section XI Cross Country "Good Sport'' Award for sportsmanship.

Ellen, the current New York State 800-meter outdoor champion, also is a member of the high school All-America team, the first-ever girl from RHS to be named to an All-America team in track and field. Ellen made the All-America team by placing fifth in the nation in the one-mile run last spring at the Adidas National High School Track and Field Championships atNorth Carolina State University.

She currently holds 6 individual cross country and track & field records at RHS. (3.1 miles, 3,000 meters, 1,500 meters, 1 mile run, 1,000 meters and 800 meters.) She also shares in two relay-race RHS records (the 4 by 400 meter race and the 4 by 800 meter race).

Besides her sports achievements, Ellen is a "great kid" who excels
academically with a 92 GPA, and ranks in the top 5 percent of her class. Shealso plays clarinet in the RHS Blue Waves band.