Quick study Farmer leads St. Anthony's to track title

St. Anthony's owes a bit of gratitude to Patrick Farmer's buddies. Turns out he isn't too bad at this running stuff.

The senior rookie propelled the Friars in the NSCHSAA boys track championships Sunday at Suffolk CC, winning the 55 meters (6.70) and the 300 (36.23) and anchoring the winning 4 x 200 relay team (1:36.95). And to think, until a few months ago, he'd been doing his running on a soccer field.

"I never ran before, but my friends kept telling me I should," said Farmer, a beneficiary of positive peer pressure. "I didn't think I'd be this good."

It was a pleasant surprise for St. Anthony's, which pulled away in the relays en route to a 78-62 win over two-time defending champion Chaminade. St. John the Baptist took third (55.5).

"It's awesome," said Patrick Murphy, who won the 1,600 (4:34.54) and was part of the 4 x 800 team. "We knew Chaminade would give us a battle, so it's a really good feeling. We got excited after the 400, and we knew Farmer would take it home in the 4 x 200."

St. Anthony's was up by only four points entering the 4 x 800 and Chaminade led in that race . . . until Payton Hazzard turned into Sonic the Hedgehog down the stretch to lead the Friars' comeback (8:22.93), 3.4 seconds ahead of the Flyers.

Lightning struck twice as Hazzard pulled himself from third after the final turn in the 4 x 400 to win (3:34.65).

SEE PHOTOSNSCHSAA indoor championships

"I try not to turn it on too early," said Hazzard, who's been nicknamed "Baby Kenyan" for his late-push running style. "I'm pretty confident I can catch up."

Kenneth Walshak took second in the 3,200 (9:40.58) and Kyle Black was third in the high jump (5 feet, 6 inches).

"It's satisfying," coach Tim Dearie said. "I didn't look at it as us unseating Chaminade, I just felt it was our year."

St. Anthony's girls win. The St. Anthony's students were more at ease than the coach, who wouldn't allow the realization of victory to penetrate his psyche until the final numbers were tallied. Olivia Abbate couldn't wait that long and did the math herself.

SEE PHOTOSHigh school sports -- February

"We knew it after the relay," said Abbate, still giddy. "I was tired, but it felt amazing and we started cheering."

The senior anchored the 4 x 400 team, whose win (4:08.93) gave St. Anthony's a five-point edge with one event left to secure the girls title. It became official when the Friars won the 4 x 200 (1:50.98), upending two-time defending champion Kellenberg, 80-73. St. John the Baptist took third (64).

"It's exciting now," St. Anthony's coach Oliver St. Aude said, grinning. "We had some ups and downs, but we prevailed."

Firebirds kept the pressure on, pulling within 65-64 after the 4 x 800.

"The league has gotten so tough," Kellenberg coach Marty Brown said. "It's always a struggle."

The Friars were strong all around. Emily Taussig won the 55 (7.60) and was part of the 4 x 400 and 4 x 200 teams. Abbate won the 55-meter hurdles (8.71), Victoria Profit won the high jump (5-0), Elizabeth Kelsch took second in the pole vault and Megan Fiedler was second in the 300.