Blue Devil Track Wins Thriller
The future appears bright for the Huntington High School boys' winter track and field team. Blue Devil freshmen won a thriller at the Section XI Frosh/Soph Championships, edging powerful Commack, 57-54.
Huntington head coach Ron Wilson called the result a "quite surprising victory." The Blue Devils' small squad of ninth graders is exceedingly athletic and more than make in quality for their relatively few numbers.
"It was pretty much like last year," Wilson said. "It came down to the relays. I didn't realize that we were so close until a coach from another school informed me. We have a small nucleus of freshmen, so I knew it would be nothing short of a miracle for us to win it all."
Eighth graders Jahmik Curry and Exayvian Crowell were sensational in the 55m high hurdles with Curry crossing the line in 10.29 seconds and Crowell following in 10.54 to place fourth and fifth, respectively. Curry earned a medal and Huntington was awarded six points to get the team on the scoreboard.
In the 55m sash, Marquis Francis and Kyle Davis kept the momentum going in the right direction. Davis placed fourth in 7.39 and Francis was fifth in 7.5. The point total started to grow.
"We pulled Giancarlos Puello out of the long jump and figured he would do better in the 600m dash," Wilson said. "He did just that." Puello ran 1:38 to place third. Also placing in the top ten in the event was Brendan Wirth, who ran 1:44 to place in the top ten.
Puello and seventh grader Larry Leake were entered in the 300m dash and Wilson was pleased with the result. Puello went wire-to-wire in 41.7 seconds and finished sixth, earning the team a point.
"In his heat, Leake shined like a star coming down the final stretch," Wilson said about the younger's 300m effort. "He won his heat improving his personal best to 44.2. He was a happy camper."
While Huntington's runners gave the team its first points, the field events put it over the top. In the long jump Marquis Francis leaped 17'10 to capture second place and a silver medal. In the triple jump, Crowell leaped 32 feet to grab second place and eight points for the Blue Devils.
In the shot put, it was Matteo McNeil who ruled the roost, winning the crown for the second consecutive year with a toss of 37'4. Jimmie Nelson threw 34'6 to place fourth earning a bronze medal and another four points for the cause.
"After being notified of the scores at the end of the races and field events, we were ahead 47-36," Wilson said. But, Huntington wasn't lulled into believing it had the championship all wrapped up.
"I knew Commack was a large school and would probably have three relays and I was right," Wilson said. "We only had a 4x200m relay team of Crowell, Francis, Puello, and Kyle Davis, who I knew could at least place in the top three, giving us at least another six points, at most ten if they win. So, in essence, the odds were with Commack this year to win it all because they could get another 20 or 30 points if their relays do well. That's when things started going in our direction."
Huntington's 4x200m relay found itself in fourth place after a difficult handoff from Francis to Davis on the second leg. Davis floored it and moved the Blue Devils into second place and then it was up to Puello, who closed ground in the final 100m of the race to win the relay. Commack wasn't as fortunate.
The victory clinched the crown for Huntington. After the race the Huntington and Commack athletes and coaches shook hands in the spirit of sportsmanship.
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In the sophomore division of the championships, Huntington's Joshua Watkins finished second in the 300m dash to take a silver medal. Marc-Henry Sanon ran a personal best of 1:38 in the 600m run to place in the top ten.