Kaitlyn Vasquez

Track & Field, Soccer

Class of 2004

Kaitlyn Vasquez could be seen hurdling and jumping her way into the record books at Nanuet from the start even if a running career was not her original focus. When she started her athletic career at Nanuet she was that girl who truly admired everything her older brother, Nick, did – she wanted to follow in his footsteps and play lacrosse in high school. In the fall of her freshman year Vasquez was an avid soccer player and ballerina. She was a four-year varsity soccer player. When her freshman season of soccer  ended she heard that the best way to remain in shape for the spring lacrosse season was to run winter track. Since lacrosse was not until the spring and because basketball was not her forte, she decided to take the open season and run her first track and field season. Without any previous knowledge or experience about the sport she was more successful than she could have ever imagined. What had started out as a way to stay in shape turned into a love of a sport that would turn into a state championship in the hurdles. Instead of staying in shape to play lacrosse she would become an indoor and outdoor track and field athlete and would never look back.

Vasquez had a successful freshman year locally in both indoor and outdoor track, but her sophomore year is when her statewide success really took off. She qualified for the State meet in the hurdles in the spring of her sophomore year and finished seventh in 16.65 seconds. Never willing to accept anything but a win, she worked extremely hard after that seventh-place finish in her junior year to prove that she was a force to be reckoned with. 

Vasquez trained very hard through the winter her junior year and qualified for the State meet in the long jump, but the spring season of her junior year really stands out as being special. At the County meet she ran the 100-meter hurdles and her toughest opponent at the time was disqualified for a false start. Vasquez went on to win the County championship in the hurdles in 15.2. Anyone who runs track understands how mental the sport is and that was just the small push of confidence she needed to begin her journey toward states. After winning the County meet with a new personal best, she went on to win Sectionals and qualified for the State championships in not one but two events – the long jump and the hurdles.

This is where her favorite memory of track came to fruition.  At the State meet she finished seventh in the long jump with a jump of 16 feet 8 inches.  In between all of her jumps she would race through three rounds of the hurdles. In the end, all of her hard work paid off and she became state champion in the hurdles with a time of 15.3. The next day she returned to finish fourth in the hurdles in the Federation championships with a time of 15.2. This was such an exciting year for her.

Vasquez was County champ in the long jump in her senior year indoor track season with a leap of 17-2.  In the Class B Sectional meet she finished second in three events – the 55-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump. In her senior year she continued to have success in outdoor track. In the Sectional meet she won the hurdles in 15.9 and then finished third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump. She ended her season at the outdoor State championships where she had the tough choice of choosing between certain events or being able to attend her senior prom. She would end her career with a sixth-place finish in the long jump at the State meet with a jump of 16-7 1/4.

Vasquez still owns the school records in indoor track in the 55-meter hurdles, 8.7, and the long jump at 17-9. In outdoor track she has school records in the 100-meter hurdles, 15.16, and the long jump, 17-3.

There are so many accomplishments that come to mind when Vasquez reminisces on her teams at Nanuet. Nanuet is a small school with a big presence. She always felt an overwhelming sense of pride to say she was a Nanuet athlete because the Golden Knights have a long and honored history and are so well respected. Whether it was a dual meet on a Tuesday or the meets with hundreds of other teams, there was always someone on the team who had their best day, their fastest time, their farthest jump.

Marcus Lewis and Kaitlyn Vasquez always shared a very special bond. They ran many of the same races and events and could always be found training together. They always joked they were like brother and sister. She was also super-close with teammates Jennifer Galyon and Erica Joyce, with whom she is still very close today.

Vasquez credits her parents and family with having had a huge impact on her athletic career. According to Kaitlyn, her Mom and Dad are the two most supportive parents anyone could ever ask for. They always encouraged her to do her absolute best. She was driven to keep up with her older brother Nick, which made her an especially competitive athlete. Her grandparents, Ralph and Mary Smith -- “Mr. & Mrs. Nanuet” – also had a huge influence on her athletic career. With being such outstanding supporters of all athletics in the community they showed her at a very young age how hard work pays off. Vasquez gives special credit to her coach, Sheri Dempsey. Without Coach Dempsey guiding her she feels that she could never have accomplished all she did in her career.

Vasquez is 28 years old and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., but often visits Nanuet where her mother, Sue, and her father, John, live. She is a business owner of RELIQUE Lingerie.

Vasquez loves spending her spare time trying new restaurants with friends or cooking and entertaining at home. She and her boyfriend Matt love to have friends over to their apartment and enjoy dinner on their roof! She also loves to spend time with her family, especially her niece, Leni, and nephew, Leo.

Kaitlyn Vasquez’s versatility made her one of the finest female athletes in the storied history of Golden Knight athletics. It is with great pleasure that the Nanuet High School Sports Hall of Fame adds her name to its illustrious list of inductees.