St. Anthony's sprints to CHSAA title

The St. Anthony's boys track team always has made its presence felt in distance and field events.

The Friars proved Saturday at the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA Invitational that sprint events are also part of their bag of tricks.

James Adegbite won the 100 (11.14 seconds) and 200 (22.62) dashes in the Large School races and was part of the winning 4x400-meter relay as St. Anthony's won the league title with 124 points.

Chaminade (65), St. John the Baptist (59) and Kellenberg (31) finished second through fourth.

It was a fitting result for Adegbite who didn't run track last year.

"It feels really good because I put a lot of my mind into it and I was really determined," said Adegbite, who spent his sophomore year at Deer Park. "I gave it all I had."

Adegbite, who had attended St. Anthony's as a freshman, said running in the Friars program has given him a certain level of pride. "I really like the environment I'm in. I have really good friends here," Adegbite said. "It makes me more motivated."

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Adegbite wasn't the only Friar to stand out. Warner Cooley III ran to a first-place finish in the 400 (49.07), Payton Hazzard took the 800 in 1:57, and Michael Brunoforte won the pole vault (13 feet, 9 inches).

Cameron Black won the 110 hurdles (14.9), Christopher Pensa won the shot put (46-0) and Christopher Hand the discus (132-8) for the Friars.

St. John the Baptist's Seitu Solomon was named field MVP after winning the triple jump in a career-best distance of 45-11 and the long jump in 21-31/2.

Solomon said his triple jump distance was a surprise. "It was a personal record by a foot," said the senior. "And it was just my third jump this year."

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Solomon, who took second in the 800, said he'd been concentrating on running events.

"I'm still considered a jumper, though," Solomon said.

Matt Zampariello was also a winner for St. John the Baptist with a first-place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:59.29).

Kellenberg's Dylan Rosser won the 400 hurdles (58.4)

Chaminade's Thomas Awad was named track MVP after winning the 3,200 (4:18.28) and the 1,600 (9:47.91). Awad was joined by teammate Michael Rufrano in the high jump (5-10).

St. John the Baptist's team of Lavan Mapps-Whitmore, John Selle, Hunter Burrell and Thomas DuPlessis won the 4x100, and Chaminade's Daniel Ebanks, Nick Grieco, George Starkie and Matt Woop won the 4x800.