Commack boys track wins Suffolk Class AA team championship

The Commack boys are back on top. It’s a place they’ve hardly ever been this late, until recently, and they have no intention of giving it up anytime soon. Commack won the Suffolk Class AA team championship last week with 132 points. The win kicked off a marathon county championship week on Long Island that had four classes crown champions in Suffolk and another three in Nassau.

Commack won the first indoor county championship in their school district’s history in February, and kept the good vibes going in May. 

“We knew that few teams are able to go back-to-back (indoor/outdoor championships), so we’ve really been working hard, upping our training a lot,” said Andrew Rosenblatt, one of the top distance runners on Long Island.

Rosenblatt won the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 31.55 seconds and the 3,200 in 9:36.03.

“I knew I was in good enough shape to double and triple up,” said Rosenblatt, who was also on the 4 x 800-meter relay that won in 8:31.12.

Rosenblatt’s teammate, Ejike Enougu won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.79 seconds and Vincent Guarino won the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:46.38. Max Sereda tossed 50 feet, ¼ of an inch to win the shot put. 

Funk triples in Nassau AAA

Port Washington senior Colin Funk pulled off the always-hard distance triple at the Nassau AAA championships. Funk, who is headed to George Washington in the fall, won the 800 in 1:55.26, the 1,600 in 4:24.09, and the 3,200 in 9:52.91.

An accomplished distance runner, the sheer mileage that Funk had to run wasn’t a huge deal. What matters more during a triple, he said, was the mental approach.

“It was the challenge of having to stay locked in ‘race mode’ for two hours straight,” Funk said. “That was the hardest thing. I ran the mile, where I had to (run the last lap) in 60 (seconds) and I knew that I had to come back for the 800 a little over an hour later.”

Funk continued: “The hardest part is maintaining the confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself to put yourself in the position to be there with 150 (meters) to go, then you have no shot. But, it’s really tough in a 10-minute race to tell yourself that, for nine and a half minutes, you have to stick with the pack no matter what they do. It’s believing in yourself and believing in the training, that you can overcome that fatigue.” 

Port Washington won the Nassau Class AAA team title with 77.5 points, their second straight outdoor county title.

“This year was a little more special because I’m a senior,” Funk said. “Last year, I was happy, but it was like, ‘OK, now we have to do it again next year.’ ”

Funk’s teammate, Charles Bosworth, won the high jump, clearing six feet.

Navigating Nassau

Valley Stream North won the Nassau Class AA title with 93 ½ points. Ryan John, who is committed to Clemson, won the long jump, flying 21 feet, 1 ¾ inches, and the triple jump, going 46-4¾. John finished second in the high jump, clearing six feet, four inches. Great Neck North’s Adam Namdar cleared 6-6 to win the high jump.

John’s teammate, Sedgeley Duperval, won the 200 in 22.65.

Elsewhere in AA, Manhasset’s Brendan Conniff won the 1,600 in 4:27.61.

“It started out exactly as I had hoped,” Conniff said. “It was a little slow. I settled into the back of the front pack. After that first lap, things started to pick up and I kind of just sat on the heals of the front two guys. It stayed that way until about 200 meters left on that last lap. I kind of just bounced outside, was able to use the kick, and got out front.”

Conniff said he’s feeling a little bit fresher now than he usually is in late May. Yes, he’s older and, thusly, better trained. But, he also had some races cancelled this spring, meaning that there are literally less miles on his legs.

“I would definitely say that’s part of it,” he said. “But, in my head, I know that this is my last high school season. I think I have a lot more will-power to keep pushing myself through to the end of the season and finish as fast as possible.”

Clarke and West Hempstead split the Class A team championship, scoring 84 points apiece. West Hempstead’s Jordan DeJesus won the 100 (11.29) and the 200 (22.76). Teammate Damilola Babalola won the 110-hurdles (15.44) and the 400 hurdles (56.28). West Hempstead jumper Jurrel Hall won the high jump (5-10), triple jump (42-9), and long jump (22-0).

Clarke’s Liam Farrell won the discus (130-1).

Surfing Suffolk

Connetquot won the Suffolk Class A championship with 142.25 points. Jermaine Thompson won the 100 in 10.76 seconds and the 200 in 21.90 seconds. Connor Hurleigh cleared 12 feet to win the pole vault. 

Amityville won Class B with 127 points. Ty’Jon Billinger won the 110-hurdles in 16.13 and the long jump, flying 21-5 ½. Derrick Prince won the 400 in 52.14. Ulric Ferrier flew 43-7½ to win the triple jump and Brandon Dennis (51-10 ¾) won the shot put.

Mount Sinai won the Class C championship with 173 points, topping the field by over 100 points. Zekey Huang won the 100 hurdles in 15.65 and George Franks won the 100 in 10.80.  Brian Beck won the 3,200 in 9:49.77, Erik Kucera won the 1,600 in 4:27.93, and  Jess Joe Augustine won the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 10:27.52. In the field, Gianni Rienecker cleared 6-1 to win the high jump.