Huntington's Armstrong found strength at right time in state 4 x 800 race
Matt Armstrong of Huntington anchors his team in the boys sprint medley relay during the Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory in Manhattan on March 10. Credit: James Escher
Salute To The Champs: Huntington’s 4 x 400 meter relay team of Nikolai Seferian, Jahmar Francis, Matt Armstrong and Kender Edouazin
Matt Armstrong didn’t know if he could do it. After placing fourth in the 1,000 earlier in the meet, he was having a little trouble getting back to full strength. Then, as the check-in time for the 4 x 400 meter relay inched closer and closer, that strength slowly began to return.
“For the first three hours, I was really tired,” said Armstrong, who ran the third leg of the relay that won the public school indoor state title in 3:24.68. “I was a little sad that I didn’t get first [in the 1,000], but that’s OK. I recovered and got ready for the 4 x 400.”
Armstrong said he was "extremely worried" that his strength would not return. But it did about 20 minutes before the starting gun.
Armstrong was able to hand off to Kender Edouazin in first place, and he was confident from that point forward.
“Once I pass it to [Edouazin] in first place," Armstrong said, "you know the race is already over."
Edouazin needed to hold off Longwood on his anchor leg.
“Every single turn, Longwood was trying to pass me,” Edouazin said. “He was even in the corner of my eye. He was right there. I didn’t even need my peripheral [vision]. [Longwood] always tried to pass me at a bad time though. It was always at turns that I had to speed up to maintain my lead. I did exactly that.”
Huntington’s Johan Fajardo ran in the prelims, where Huntington ran 3:24.93.
Bishop Loughlin ran 3:18.54 to win the Federation championship.
