Valley Stream North's Dominick Rios wins both hurdles titles at Nassau Class A track championships
Dominick Rios of Valley Stream North clears the last hurdle on the way to first in the 110m hurdle race during the Nassau Class A track and field championships on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at North Shore High School. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Heartbreak has its virtues. It can teach unforgettable lessons that could not be learned without experiencing it. Valley Stream North junior Dominick Rios hated learning heartbreak’s lessons a year ago, but after Thursday night’s Nassau Class A outdoor track and field championships, he is grateful for them.
Rios won the title in both the 400- and 110-meter hurdles at North Shore High School in Glen Head, marking the first two county championship victories of his career. He was the top seed in the 400 hurdles at the 2025 Nassau A championships, but he narrowly lost to Island Trees alumnus Patrick Coll.
That hurt, but it also launched a yearlong redemption tour that resulted in him winning Thursday night’s 400 hurdles in 59.68 seconds. He posted a 14.99 in the 110 hurdles.
“He caught me with a few meters left, and I was so upset,” Rios said of last year's race. “As soon as that happened, the first thing I thought was that I was never going to let it happen again. The entire summer, I spent every day except weekends on the track. That changed my mentality and the way I trained. [Coll] taught me that I have to depend on myself, rather than on other people to push me.”
Rios’ teammate, sophomore Sebastian Madruga, almost caught him at the finish line, but Rios leaned his chest over to cross the line and win by .01 seconds. It's a move Rios said he learned from watching Coll edge him in last year's race.
Another teammate, senior Vincent Rienzie, also was a double champion, as he flew 20 feet, 3 inches to win the long jump and 43-1 ¼ in the triple jump. Together, they helped Valley Stream North rack up 237 points for the team championship. On the girls’ side, junior Paige Fessler won three events for the school, taking the 100 hurdles in 15.51, the high jump at 5-10 and the long jump at 17-9 ¼.
Though Fessler shined brightest amongst the girls, the hosts of the meet — North Shore — won another team title with 120 points. Senior Joanna Kenney led the charge, winning the 1,500 in 4:41.74 and the 3,000 in 10:07.83.
“It’s a great way to finish off my senior year, and I’m so proud of what everyone did today,” Kenney said. “I’m so lucky to be a part of this team.”
Though the Valley Stream North boys won 10 of the 15 individual events, Wantagh senior Ian Frazer and Valley Stream South senior Ethan Hinds still found space to win two championships apiece. Frazer won the 1,600 in 4:23.73 and the 3,200 in 9:54.69. Hinds won the 100 in 10.95 and the 200 in 22.2.
“I’ve kept saying this year is my year,” Hinds said. “I don’t know if I’m going to be running in college or not, so if this is the end, I just wanted to make sure I ended on a high note. I’m excited and grateful for this.”
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
