Eric Sands has been working hard all winter and his training finally paid off on Wednesday afternoon in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium when the Huntington High School senior set a new Blue Devil record in weight throw and qualified for the state championships in the event.
Sands has been a splendid thrower for Huntington and he was up to the task at hand as he faced down a very strong field to garner All-County honors and advance to the state finals at the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Facility at Staten Island on Saturday March 2.
Huntington junior Gary Barash barely missed qualifying for the state championships, taking fourth in the competition with a personal best throw of 52-11.50 feet, which far exceeded his previous best effort of 46-06.00 feet.
The weight throw is modeled after its cousin, the outdoor hammer throw. The indoor version utilizes a 25 lb. coated ball in a harness connected to a handle by a short chain.
While Barash met the state championship qualifying standard of 50 feet, he needed to finish at least third, but fell just short. He did notch All-County honors with a fourth place finish and became the Huntington track and field program’s 12th All-County honoree this winter.
Sands was magnificent. His throw of 56-09.50 feet broke the Huntington indoor record of 54-07.00 feet set by Vernon Alexander in 2014. The All-County senior has been working hard at his craft and it showed as he blew past his previous best throw of 52-06.00 feet.
“Well, first of all, everyone who came to state qualifier did a great a job and it was a very competitive meet,” Sands said. “I’m happy I set a new record for the school. That was my goal for the winter season and I’m glad I accomplished it. I’m very excited to compete in the state championships.”
