Manhasset's Daniel Maass wins 1,000 meters at Nassau Class B track and field championships

Perhaps nothing turns a season around quite like a desperate fight to the finish. Manhasset’s Daniel Maass hadn’t been happy with the way his regular season 1,000 meter races had gone. He needed a spark. Wednesday night, he got one.

“It was probably just the execution of races,” the senior said. “I know I had a really good opportunity in the 1,000 [in January], and I kind of died in the last two laps. I ran 2:45 in that race and this time I was really trying to run as fast as I could.”

This time, he had no choice. Maass came from behind to win the 1,000 in two minutes, 39.18 seconds at the Nassau Class B track and field championships at St. Anthony’s High School, moving up with 120 meters left to overtake Garden City’s Grant Krawiec and outsprinting him on the final straightaway. Krawiec was second in 2:39.58.

“I pretty much was thinking ‘just beat him around the first turn,’ Maass said. “Once I beat him around the first turn, I had an advantage going around.”

Once the two entered the final 50 meters, all strategy went out the window. The county championships seldom are about January disappointment. February track is just different, and Maass felt it Wednesday night.

“Towards the finish, I’m just thinking win and trying to beat him any way I can,” Maass said. “It’s a real struggle for the last 50 [meters], but you have to do what you have to do.”

Bethpage’s Tyler Perry, who finished third in 2:42.51, opened the race in the lead. Krawiec passed him with three laps to go and overtook both pacing and command.

“I’m just thinking wait until the very end,” Maass said. “I heard the Garden City coach tell Grant to move up. Once he told him that, Grant moved right to the front. I was just thinking ‘stay with him as he speeds up, until the end.”

Maass’ teammate, Daniel O’Neill, won the 3,200 in 9:56.98 and the 1,600 in 4:43.31. In the 3,200, O’Neill kicked as the final lap began, extending his lead with 120 meters left and holding off a charging David Durdaller on the final straightway. Durdaller, a Hewlett senior, finished second in 9:58.78.

O’Neill said that he was not expecting Roslyn’s Elijah Yeroushalmi to be in the mix on the last two laps. Yeroushalmi, who ran third in 10:00.45, caused O’Neill to kick a little earlier than he planned.

“I usually go out in the front most times, but my coach told me to take it easy and go as late as I possibly could,” O’Neill said. “I wanted to be safer than sorry in this particular race.”

Manhasset won the boys team title with 94 points.