Clarke's Jake Rosenthal pushes himself to 100-meter title

Clarke’s Jake Rosenthal was running towards inevitability. He saw himself winning the 100 meters at Saturday’s 51st annual Nassau Coaches Invitational at Cold Spring Harbor High School, so why not act like it?

Due to some footwork issues at the start, Rosenthal had some work to do in the first half of the race. But, he still saw it — that elusive gold medal at the end of the straightaway.

“I didn’t let it get to my head,” Rosenthal said of the issue. “I just kept going and acted like I was in first . . . That just gave me that edge mentally to know that you can’t quit and you have to keep going. I had to get to that finish line and I had to cross first.”

It’s a fairly simple and understandable concept, and it worked wonders for Rosenthal. He won in 11.17 seconds.

“I think my top-end speed at the end is what really helped,” Rosenthal said. “Pushing through, trying to win the race, and run as fast as I could.”

Rosenthal said he didn’t get “the greatest” push off the blocks, but was able to catch the field at the 55-meter mark.

“I was able to kick it into another gear and push ahead of everyone who got in front of me,” Rosenthal said.

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North Shore’s Jack Rosencrans continued to build up to his typical winning form with a 4:32.40 victory in the 1,600. He held off Bethpage’s Aidan Pech down the final straightaway. Pech was second in 4:33.80.

“This was a nice warm-up race for the season,” Rosencrans said. “I’m looking to go back to where I was in the winter and go beyond that. I want to compete at the state meet and the big invitationals…This is a very long spring season and I’m excited that, as the weather gets better and better, so will I.”

Uniondale’s Nathaniel Miller did not expect the 400 to go down to the wire, but he was ready when it did. Miller won in 49.60 seconds, barely outpacing Oceanside’s Jonathan Gamarra, who was second in 49.62 seconds.

“I was thinking ‘man, this kid is really ahead of me,’” Miller said. “I knew I had to start pushing more. I just kept getting closer and I said ‘might as well just keep going and see how far it takes me.’”

Miller also won the 400-meter hurdles in 56.70 seconds and was voted athlete of the meet.

In the field, Uniondale’s Jadan Hanson won the triple jump, flying 45 feet, 10 ¾ inches and Chaminade’s Dylan Ameres won the long jump, going 20 – 10 ½.