HHS Boys’ Indoor Track Impressive in Stanner Games

The Armory in New York City attracts some of the best high school track and field athletes in the state, if not the country. So the Huntington High School boys’ winter team’s recent performance there was all the more impressive.

The Blue Devils were magnificent in the Bishop Molloy Stanner Games at the Armory, with several standout efforts. “The Stanner Games is a meet that features some of the greatest track teams on the East Coast,” said Ron Wilson, Huntington’s head coach. Wilson is not one to duck tough competition, so it’s not surprising he opted to travel into Manhattan to lay it on the line.

Wilson was especially happy with the improvement he saw in athletes, including sophomore Kyle O’Brien, who continues to reduce his times in the distance events. “He ran impressive race in the 1600m, improving his personal best from 4:53 to 4:44,” Wilson said. “That’s pretty good for a sophomore! In the 3200m run, he improved from 11:01 to 10:38. We’re just so proud of the progress he’s making in track and field.”

Sophomore Infinite Tucker is another Blue Devil steadily climbing into the ranks of New York’s elite. The teenager took home a gold medal for his grade level in the 55m hurdles. “And what a race it was,” said Wilson, a legendary storyteller. “Longwood’s Spencer Payton had a phenomenal start and was the first out of the blocks. He had a clear lead going over the first three hurdles. Then all of a sudden, Tucker started gaining momentum, catching up to him at the fifth hurdle. It was a photo finnish. We waited for quite some time before the results were announced. I actually thought the Payton kid won. But, it was a forward lean that gave Tucker the victory.”

Tucker’s time of 8.17 seconds ranks him as the No. 1 sophomore hurdler in Suffolk and No. 3 on Long Island. Exayvian Crowell captured a bronze medal for his fifth place finish in 8.55 in the same event. “He usually has the best starts, but for some reason found himself last out of the blocks,” Wilson said. Huntington sophomore Jahmik Curry finished in eighth in 9.35.

Blue Devil juniors Matteo McNeil and Jimmie Nelson tossed the shot put 43-feet in the meet. “They’re going to have to improve those distances if they’re going to compete in the counties,” Wilson said. Junior, Sondy Jean-Baptiste earned a bronze medal in the high jump when he cleared 6’2. The teenager’s best jump of the season is 6’4, which ties him with Smithtown West senior Alex Ladouceur for No. 1 on Long Island.

Huntington senior Nick Sherman continued his season-long improvement. He reduced his time in the 1600m run from 4:38 to 4:36. He also ran in 600m race, finishing in a speedy 1:28.

Senior Y’Majesty Allen shattered his own school record in the 300m dash, finishing second in a field of 180. In the trials for the event, he ran a “very uncomfortable” 35.24 seconds, which while an improvement over his previous best time of 35.27, was still not quite what it could have been, Wilson said.

The coach said that in the trials Allen went “out way too fast and by the last 80 meters of the race, he started to stumble and lose form. Still, his time was good enough to qualify for the finals. After discussing the situation with Wilson and assistant coach Eli Acosta, Allen decided to revert to his original philosophy of running, “being the hunter rather than the hunted,” Wilson said.

“In the final stretch of the race, Allen closed ground on the other runners and ran his best time ever,” Wilson said about the 34.81 second school record performance. “He was so excited to finally break 35 seconds.” Allen crossed the line second behind champion Anton Porter of Mount St. Michael, who finished in 34.27.

Allen later anchored Huntington’s 4 x 200m relay, which includes lead leg senior Marquis Francis, second leg Crowell and third leg Tucker. The relay team improved its time to 1:34.07, which bested their previous school record of 1:34.23. The time is the second fastest in the event this winter behind only Half Hollow Hills West, which has run 1:33.

The Blue Devils will return to the track on January 18 for the Coaches Meet at Suffolk-West. “This meet is to give athletes another shot at improving their times and marks to compete in the championships,” Wilson said. “They will also earn medals if they place in the top four.”

Huntington’s freshmen and sophomores will battle it out for the grade level championships at Suffolk-West on January 21. The Suffolk League III championship meet will follow.