Hertzberg sets personal best in high jump

Nicole Hertzberg had no idea what she accomplished.

The junior from Clarke won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet at the 12th Annual Derrick Adkins Classic Monday at Mitchel Athletic Complex.

Hertzberg wasn't ready to rest and decided to take a shot at her personal record of 5-2.

It was mission accomplished as Hertzberg cleared 5-3, or so she thought. The track official running the event actually raised the bar to 5-4.

"I thought it was 5-3 and I was happy because it was a personal record anyway," Hertzberg said. "Then he told me it was 5-4 and I couldn't believe it."

Hertzberg, a state qualifier in the high jump during the indoor season, hopes it's a precursor of the rest of her spring season.

"This meet helped me a lot," Hertzberg said. "A lot of times you're so focused on technique. Sometimes you have to just jump."

SEE PHOTOSDerrick Adkins Classic

Uniondale's Brittney Webley also gave the Adkins Classic her thumbs up. The versatile junior won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.3 seconds and helped lead the Knights to a second-place finish in the 4 x 400.

"I was actually nervous because I haven't been practicing much due to some injuries," said Webley, who has been battling knee and ankle ailments. "I came out here and was able to push myself to the limit."

Other girls standouts at the Adkins Classic, which is held in honor of former Malverne great and 1996 Olympic gold- medal winner Derrick Adkins, included East Meadow's Sarah Elliot, a multi-event winner who took first in the discus (104 feet) and the shot put (32-2¼), and Copiague's Janel Francis with a first-place finish in the long jump (17-1½).

Freeport's Danielle Martin won the 400 (:57) and also was part of the Red Devils' winning 4 x 200 team that finished in 1:50.2.

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In boys events, Westbury's Owen Skeete continued his strong senior year with a first-place finish in the 1,600 (4:23.5). Skeete also was part of the Green Dragons' distance medley relay squad, which took first in 11 minutes.

Westbury's Hugh O'Brien won the discus (163-4), Wade Richardson of Copiague won the high jump (6-4) and Uniondale's Glen Forsythe took first in the long jump (21-1).

Baldwin had a big day as Justin Mahoney (49.4) and Kirk Staine (50.2) took first and second, respectively, in the 400. Teammate Ieshawn Johnson, won the shot put at 48-4½.

Mahoney and Staine also were members of Baldwin's 4 x 400-meter team that also included Treyvon Mask and Karl Desil. They finished first in 3:26.8.