Great Neck North's Adam Namdar makes his high jump best in state this season

Adam Namdar has entered the state’s high jump stratosphere. The Great Neck North senior jumped 6 feet, 4 inches Wednesday night to win the event at the Nassau Class B track and field championships at St. Anthony’s High School. That tied the highest clear in the state this season, according to milesplit.com.

Namdar owes this feat to two things — spikes, and Ryan John.

First, spikes. Allowed in Nassau during the postseason, the increased footing gave Namdar that extra boost.

"It just feels a lot better," Namdar said. "It’s just something about it. You feel better jumping off the ground."

Second, John. The Valley Stream North jumper, who is the best triple jumper in the state and won both that and the long jump Wednesday night, was matching Namdar height for height in the jumping area. That kind of competition — sometimes not found at the county level — gave the event a ‘states’ feel.

"In the spring county championships, he jumped 6-6," Namdar said of John, who won all three jumps at counties last spring. "When I saw I was going up against him tonight, I remembered that . . . Having someone jumping at that level pushes you and brings the best out of you. Sometimes if I’m jumping against [lesser] competition, you bring yourself down to the competition. But, when you jump against someone that’s really good, you get the best out of yourself."

Namdar cleared 6-3 in early January, but had been struggling to break that plateau in competition. He broke 6-4 in practice, he said, but meets were a different story. Until Wednesday.

"I just get in my own head," Namdar said. "I was saying ‘I have to do it tonight.’ It was really frustrating. I just had to keep my head clear. My biggest enemy is overthinking and tonight I kept my mind clear and mentally prepared myself right."

John, who is committed to Clemson, cleared 6-2 and was second. He won the long jump (21-6 1/2) and the triple jump (46-9). John jumped 47 feet, ½ inches at the Conference IV championships last month, the best triple jump in the state as of Wednesday night, according to milesplit.com.

"I think I did my cycles well," John said of Wednesday’s winning triple jump. "I need to work on my finish, I will say that. But, I feel very comfortable with how my jumps are looking. I’m very consistent."

Valley Stream North won the Class B boys team championship with 110 points. It’s the program’s eighth straight indoor title.

John’s teammate, Daniel Ellis, won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.09 seconds.

Elsewhere, Manhasset’s Brendan Conniff won the 1,000 in 2:41.81 and the 1,600 in 4:36.22.

On the girl’s side, Calhoun won the team championship with 100 points. Sara Manson won the 55 hurdles in 9.04 seconds. Manson went straight from the long jump competition to the hurdle start line, having almost no time in between.

"I went off the line very fast," Manson said. "I went over the hurdles quick and kept my speed in between each hurdle."

Manson’s championship run was the second-fastest hurdle time in Nassau this season, behind only Mepham’s Camylin Blake, who ran an 8.4 last month, according to milesplit.

"I think there’s always little improvements after each hurdle," Manson said. "[In] my start, I can get to each hurdle faster."

Manson was also second in the long jump (16-6 ½) to Valley Stream North’s Ariana Paul (16-9). Paul also won the triple jump, flying 35 feet, ¼ of an inch. Manson was second in that event as well, with a 33 foot, seven inch jump.

Paul said she wants to improve her long jump approach before the Nassau State Qualifier, scheduled for Feb. 16.

"I had just come from the 55, so I was a little tired," Paul said. "But, on my takeoff, I was going too high, when I should have been going more [forward]."