North Babylon's Teena Mobley takes second in long jump at Bishop Loughlin Games
North Babylon's Teena Mobley lands in the pit during the long jump at the Bishop Loughlin Games. (Dec. 15, 2012) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
North Babylon's Teena Mobley wasn't sure if she was going to compete at yesterday's 59th annual Bishop Loughlin Games at the Armory Track and Field Center.
The long jumper has been nursing a leg injury for the last two weeks, but couldn't fathom sitting out one of the first big meets of the winter track season.
"I just wanted to compete today," Mobley said. "It wasn't even about winning, it was about the love of the sport."
That love carried her toward a second place, jumping 18 feet.
"I didn't expect to jump that far," she said.
Mobley may not have foreseen the result, but a large portion of her pre-jump routine is concentrated in visualization
"I try to keep my form and imagine myself jumping into the pit," Mobley said.
For many other LI athletes, the event served as a giant step in the acclamation period between cross country season and the drastically different winter track running style.
"It's a big adjustment," Garden City's Emily O'Neill said. "It's hard to run on the indoor track because it's a shorter and a bit of a slower track.
But, the adjustment period didn't hurt O'Neill much. She came in third in the 1000 meter run, finishing in 3:05.07.
"It was a really [tight] race," O'Neill said. "It was not as fast as I expected." O'Neill finished the final lap with a sprint. "I had too much [energy] left, but it worked out," she said.
LI had two other performers finish in the top 15 in the 1000 meter. Massapequa's Kara McKenna finished in 3:08.91, good for 11th. Kellenberg's Liz Mango finished 14th in 3:11.46.
Holy Trinity's Caroline Brown placed fourth in the two mile run, finishing in 11:06.78. Sacred Heart's Paige Duca finished seventh, running 11:19.69.
"I didn't get out too fast," she said. "That was essential to my race. I was able to get in good position. I was a little bit behind the front pack and was able to pick people off. I just felt so good and was really happy."
Sachem North's Melissa Michaels came in fifth in the 55 meter dash in 7.36. Uniondale's Crystal Green came in sixth in the 55-meter hurdles (8.55).
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