Blue Devil Boys’ Track Stakes Claim in Events

The Huntington boys’ varsity winter track and field team used the recent vacation to lower its times and start staking out a claim as among the state’s best in various events.

“There was no vacation for the boy’s winter track team,” head coach Ronald E. Wilson said. “We competed throughout the vacation up and down the east coast.”

Huntington trekked to Landover, Maryland to vie in the Prince George Relays, which drew exceptional teams and athletes from an assortment of states.

Heavy traffic delayed the arrival of the Blue Devils, who barely had adequate time for a good warm-up. The first event was the 55m shuttle hurdle relay and Huntington kept the title it first won in 2019. (The competition was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.)

The foursome of senior Nikolai Seferian, junior Christian Delgado, junior Nikolai Lulewich and senior Ryan Centeno claimed first place in a time of 37.1 seconds. F

Lulewich went on to claim another gold medal in the high jump with a personal best leap of 5-08 feet. Junior Roberto Rodriguez placed second with a jump measuring 5-06 feet.

Junior Carmine Carusone earned fourth place and a bronze medal in shot put with a throw of 39-03 feet.

Huntington traveled to Maryland without its top distance runner. Matthew Armstrong called Wilson one night earlier and said he had flu-like symptoms and didn’t want to spread anything, so he opted to stay home.

The 4x800m relay team, which Armstrong would have anchored, still managed to step on the podium. First leg senior Nick Seitz, second leg Seferian, third leg junior Jahmar Francis and anchor leg senior Kender Edouazin placed second in 8:41. (One week earlier with Armstrong in the lineup, the 4x800m relay posted a time of 8:28 at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational in Manhattan.)

The 4x400m relay with Francis as lead leg, Centeno as second leg, sophomore Carlos Marroquin as third leg and Edouazin as the anchor finished third for a bronze medal in 3:41.

“It was a great meet and after a full day of sitting and riding from early in the morning to late at night, we were content with our performances,” Wilson said.

One week later, the Blue Devils traveled to the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Complex at Staten Island for another invitational. “It was the underclassmen of Huntington who performed well,” Wilson said.

The freshman/sophomore 4x200m relay consisting of Dominic Mattio, Emmet Harlan, Carlos Marroquin and Guniel Elysee placed second in 1:45. “The relay had a shot at first place, but a dropped baton was too much to overcome,” Wilson said.

Armstrong was sufficiently recovered to compete in the meet and finished a close fourth in the invitational section of the 3200m run in a time of 9:55. The teenager has posted a time as fast as 9:49 in the event this winter.

Rodriguez is starting to find his form again in the high jump, leaping 5-08 feet for a second place silver medal.

But the sick bug struck the Blue Devils again, who were forced to scratch the 4x400m relay.

Huntington was again impressive in the third meet of the vacation, the Fastest Track in the World Invitational at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armory in Manhattan.

“Our boy’s once again earned some medals,” Wilson said. Armstrong competed in the 1000m invitational earning a bronze for a fourth place finish in 2:37. His best of the season has been 2:35, which is still No. 1 in Suffolk. Armstrong would later team up with Edouzain, Francis and Delgado in the 1600m sprint medley relay, earning a silver medal for second place finish and a time that qualifies the group for the New Balance National Championships later in the winter.

“Edouazin ran the first leg of 400m,” Wilson recounted. “He ran a good leg, holding off the challenges from the other teams and handing the baton off to Francis in first place. Francis ran the 200m leg and kept pace with us maintaining a slight lead. He handed the baton to the third leg, which was Delgado who ran 200m as well. Delgado was challenged coming around the last turn, but he held them off. He handed the baton to anchor leg Armstrong who ran the 800m part of the race. Matteo ran a phenomenal split, but it wasn’t good enough to hold off New Jersey’s Rahway High School anchor who ran 1:54 for his 800m. Matteo split 1:58, which was a personal best.”

Wilson continues to be pleased with how his runners are working to lower their times. “These medley relays show off the strength of a team’s sprinting and distance programs,” the coach said.

One day earlier, Huntington’s performance in the distance medley relay was also impressive. The event requires the first leg to run 1200m with the second leg running 400m; the third leg running 800m and the anchor leg running 1600m.

At the Armory, Seferian ran first, Centeno ran second, Edouazin third and Armstrong was the anchor. The relay finished fourth in a time of 11:13.

Huntington’s times in the spring medley relay and distance medley relay put them in the No. 1 position in Suffolk.

The Blue Devils will be on the track again this weekend for a crossover meet at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood.