Blue Devil Stars Capture St. Patrick's Team Challenge
These kids can really run and they did so for a really good cause. A group of five Huntington High School track stars captured first place in the Townwide Fund of Huntington's 2012 St. Patrick's Run 4-Mile High School Team Challenge.
Blue Devil runners Scott Gulizio, Brian McConnell, Brent Filippini, Thomas Boisclair and Marc-Henry Sanon won the Hartigan High School Challenge Trophy with an outstanding performance in the race that both kicked off and ended on the grounds of Coindre Hall on Browns Road in Huntington.
The Hartigan Trophy was presented to the Huntington High School boys' track and field program along with a plaque engraved with the school's, which will be displayed in the gym lobby for the next year. The plaque rotates each year to the team that wins the Hartigan Challenge.
The Huntington runners earned the admiration of race organizers. "They were a credit to the school, participating with good fellowship, sportsmanship and full effort," Bea Hartigan said. "They also were supportive of the fundraising the Townwide Fund does for its member agencies right here in our town."
"The St. Patrick's Runs are a great way for our organization to kick off fundraising in 2012," said Michael Mulè, president of The Townwide Fund of Huntington. "With the help of all of our local sponsors and runners, the St. Patrick's Run allows us to raise funds for so many worthy local charities and it's critical to understand that the people they serve are Huntington residents.
The Hartigan High School Challenge debuted as a 5K race in 1995. "The primary idea was to increase participation in the [St. Patrick's] Run, but also to offer an early season event for high school teams to compete in. A school can be represented by any interested student group or team, even one from another sport or organization such as a chess club," according to an online history of the event.
The Townwide Fund of Huntington helps support 20 member agencies.