H-Ton on Fire at John Glenn Invitational
The Huntington High School girls' track and field team is on fire. The Blue Devils lost early league meets against Kings Park and Comsewogue, but since then the squad is running on all cylinders.
Huntington won four straight meets, netting the team second place in Suffolk League V. The final dual meet was a nail-biting one-point victory over Islip, 75-74. The Blue Devils used that win as a springboard into last weekend's John Glenn Invitational.
"Although the weather this season has been generally nice, it seems that at all of our meets and invitational competitions it's been overcast, rainy, cold and not what the typical athlete likes to compete in," Huntington head coach Jennifer Fudens said. All of that changed last Saturday as the Blue Devils basked in sunshine and 70 degree temperatures.
With just a touch of wind, these were finally the conditions the squad had been training for and Huntington put on a show. "We only took the girls that would be moving into the postseason," Fudens said about her lineup in the invitational.
"We had 20 girls participating in 36 events," Fudens said. "Greatness doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what lies in these girls. There is a drive, a determination, a need to do well, not only for themselves but for their team. This need isn't something that can be taught to them, it is an atmosphere that was created from the first time we stepped onto the track as a team; that very first day of practice. These girls get it."
Personal Bests Set
Over the past two months, Huntington has really come together, really become a team, in the truest sense of the word. "Even if they are the only girl running a particular race, they know they are not alone," Fudens said about her athletes. "They have a team of girls that have trained with them, succeeded with them, pushed them and motivated them. A team of girls supporting them from the side of the track; that even though they physically aren't running with them at that moment, they are all running together in heart. They are running for the same goal: A personal best, a team acknowledgment, a medal, to give it everything they have and to let everyone know that Huntington girls' track is a force to be reckoned with."
The 20 Blue Devils that competed at John Glenn set a remarkable 17 personal best records and came home with 12 "pieces of hardware weighing heavily on their necks," Fudens said. It was Huntington's last invitational prior to the division championship.
Petryk is Exceptional
Suzie Petryk ran the 3000m with an equal blend of athletic ability and mental tactics. Holding down second place for most of the race, the freshman knew it was the 2.5 laps that would determine the ultimate outcome of the race.
"One of the most impressive things to watch in a distance race is for Suzie to keep pace with those girls that start in first and second place," Fudens said. "Then when it comes time to break away, she flips the switch to her reserve tank and empties it while the other runners do their best to keep up."
Petryk placed first in the 3000m in a time of 10:53.1, shattering her previous personal best in the event by 25 seconds. "This Saturday proved that Suzie has a special something that few others have," Fudens said. Petryk later captured sixth place in the 1500m run.
In other action for the Blue Devils:
• Kiara Roman placed sixth in the 3000m in a new personal best time of 11:36.6.
• Kayla Eidle also established a new personal best in the 1500m.
• Huntington's sprinters were explosive at the John Glenn Invitational. Dania Merilan was second in the 100m and 200m dashes, the latter of which she covered in a new personal record time of 26.5 seconds.
• Latoya Shand finished fourth in the 200m with a personal record of 26.7 seconds, a whole second faster than her previous best. It's quite an achievement to be able to cut an entire second off an athlete's time in such a short race.
• Maliyah Davis and Samantha Glicker set new personal records in the 100m and 200m dashes as well.
• Maia Cadle-Hinton and Raynisha Witherspoon combined for three medals in shot put and discus. Cadle-Hinton was second in discus with a new personal record of 99'9 and third in shot put. Witherspoon took fourth in shot put.
• Jontae Smith has been reducing the time it takes her to cover 400m since the beginning of the season and last weekend was no different. She took .4 seconds off of her time to set a new personal record of 61.3 seconds. She later ran the same distance in 60.6 as the anchor in the 4x400m relay, teaming up with Alexandra Martinolich, Adelia Witt and Rachel Boisclair to set a new group relay record of 4:16.8. "This relay team is hungry for the school record and it will be interesting to watch what they do over the next few weeks," Fudens said.
Coaches Dream Season
Fudens said that she and assistant coach Kevin Thorbourne have been given a "coaches dream" this season. "A group of young ladies that want to do their best," Fudens said about the team. "A group of ladies that give their very best each day at practice and that understand that it's the details in their races that will make them successful."
The Blue Devils are in the midst of seven days of practice before the division championship opens on May 22. "Coach Thorbourne and I plan to help these girls further develop their technique and speed, as well as their routines for their races," Fudens said. "We are working with a group of ladies that trust in the coaching they're receiving and most importantly themselves. The division championship is going to bring good things for these deserving girls."