Tyriek Johnson Sweeps Races as Blue Devils Win
Fantastic freshman Tyriek Johnson glided to victory in the 110m high hurdles and 100m dash and was second in the long jump as the Huntington boys’ track and field team ran past Rocky Point with stellar performances in every event, 98-39.
Junior Richard Fernandez continues to be on top of his game in the shot put. Against the Eagles, he launched the 12-lb. shot 44’6 to lead a Blue Devil sweep of the event as senior Chris Sandoval (42’11) and sophomore Trayvon Toney (42’7) captured second and third places, respectively.
Huntington swept all three places in the discus, too, behind strong performances by Toney (134’4), Sandoval (129’5) and junior Dante Allen (126’8).
Freshman Shaheem Lewis tossed the shot a personal best distance of 41-feet. “We all looked on in amazement as the 6’5 giant launched the shot clean through the air,” Wilson said. “This young gentle giant is just a great athlete. He works hard and critiques himself when things don’t go right. He’s definitely one to watch in future years.
In the triple jump, junior Eric Szilagy turned in a personal best effort of 41’8 to grab first place. Sophomore Dan McQuade also posted a personal best jump of 39’10 for second place. McQuade went on to win the high jump and finish second in both the 400m intermediate hurdles and 110m high hurdles.
Blue Devil sophomore Andrew Funk pole vaulted eight feet to win that event. “As long as I can remember, Huntington never contested the pole vault,” Wilson said. “We usually just give those points to the opposing team. Funk took interest last year and never made opening height. This year is a different story. He’s hardworking and very determined to be great at it.”
Sophomore Ryan Ackerman was first in the 800m run, circling the track in 2:15, and second in the 1600m run in 4:49. Eighth grader Tyler Wolfe won the 3200m run in 11:03 and was third in the 1600m in 4:57.
When Johnson wasn’t winning races, he was displaying his jumping talents. His leap of 20’11 was good enough for second place in the long jump while Huntington senior Eugene Moody finished third in the event, soaring 20’2 through the air.
Huntington finished 1-2 in the 400m dash with Szilagy sweeping across the line first (53 seconds) and junior Stevenson Gabriel taking second (54 seconds). Moody added to his big day by winning the 200m dash and taking second in the 100m. Allen was second in the 200m and Toney was third in the 100m.
Huntington wraps up its dual meet season this week. Many Blue Devils have already met the qualifying standards for post-season competition. The Frosh/Soph Championships are slated for Thursday, May 20 at Longwood. The Suffolk Division II Championships are set for May 25 and May 27 at Connetquot followed by the state qualifier (county championships) on June 4-5. The state finals are scheduled for June 12-13 in Vestal, outside of Binghamton.
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