Huntington High School won its share of medals at the state track and field championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex at Staten Island on Saturday.
Analisse Batista easily outran a field of 30 in the 600m run to win a gold medal. Kiana Nosile captured a silver medal in shot put.
The Blue Devil girls’ 4x400m relay was nipped by 6/100ths of a second for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s state title and placed third in the State Federation race earning silver and bronze medals, respectively for Elizabeth James, Hope Bilkey, Megan Donaghy and Batista.
Batista was in a class all by herself in the 600m run, going wire-to-wire in an impressive 1:32.94 to win NYSPHSAA and State Federation gold medals. The Huntington senior breezed past Shaker sophomore Leonni Griffin, who placed second in 1:34.65; Paul Robeson Campus junior Anissa Moore, who placed third in 1:34.80 and Suffern junior Kaya Duran, who finished fourth in 1:34.94.
Nosile captured NYSPHSAA and State Federation silver medals in shot put with a toss of 40-6.75 feet. Only Commack junior Julie Thomas threw the weighted ball farther than the Blue Devil senior with an effort that measured 40-10.5 feet. Half Hollow Hills East senior Leila Curtis (39-2.5 feet) finished third and North Rockland junior Deborah Estabine (38-7.75 feet) was fourth. The rest of the 29 member strong field trailed in the distance.
Nosile has the state’s longest shot put throw this winter, a toss that landed 42-9 feet away at the league championships on January 22, but the Huntington great was unable to duplicate the feat last Saturday.
The Huntington girls’ 4x400m relay ran an excellent race, finishing 4:04.92 to finish second in NYSPHSAA by 6/100ths of a second and third in the State Federation standings. New York City’s Paul Robeson Campus High won the State Federation crown in a blistering time of 3:56.61 with Victor Central taking gold in the NYSPHSAA standing and second in the State Federation final results with a time of 4:04.86.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Bilkey said. “The four of us girls really put our best effort out on the track and worked hard for everything that has come our way. I couldn’t be more proud of my teammates.”
The Huntington boys’ track 4x400m relay reached the state finals, finishing fourth in NYSPSAA and sixth in the State Federation in 3:28.61. Quincy Chery, Jahmar Francis, Nikolai Seferian and Matteo Armstrong gave it their best effort. Washingtonville won the event in 3:24.16 followed by Xavier, Newburgh Free Academy, Bishop Loughlin and Ward Melville.
There was also heartbreak for the Blue Devils. Senior Olivia Conte was injured during Thursday afternoon’s practice and was unable to compete in the 55m dash and 55m hurdles. The teenager was a legitimate threat to medal in both events at the state championships.
