Calhoun's Sara Manson gets extra boost to win Nassau B triple jump

There was one thing that Sara Manson wanted before the track and field postseason kicked into high gear — more power. The Calhoun senior needed just a little extra boost to get her to fly exactly where she needed to be, specifically in the triple jump.

So, in the week before Tuesday night’s Nassau Class B championships, Manson switched up her triple jump approach — adding a skip before her initial sprint towards the board. The results were immediately felt, as Manson won that event with a 36 foot, 4 ¼ inch jump at St. Anthony’s.

“I really like it,” Manson said. “I think it gives me a lot more momentum, so that I’m more powerful through my phases … Everybody can always use more power in their phases through the board, so after starting it in practice, I felt like it helped me out a lot.”  

The win was only part of a dominant night for Manson, who also won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.86 seconds and was third in the long jump, flying 16-1 ¼.  Manson said she hadn’t devoted much of her practice sessions to hurdles in the week prior to the county championships — choosing instead to try and get that new triple jump approach down pat. But, sometimes hurdles is like riding a bike and, once the starting gun went off, Manson felt right at home.

“I’ve always known that, if I’m locked it, I can do anything,” Manson said. “… I was a little nervous before I did my run-through (in the prelims). I was only able to do one, and that one wasn’t good. But, my start was good and I didn’t float over the hurdles, like I sometimes do. I got my feet down faster. My arms weren’t all over the place, I was pretty tight. All of that helps keep me close to the hurdle and quick over the hurdle.”  

Manson’s teammate, Yolina Bastien jumped 16-2 ½ to win the long jump. It all added up to 114 points for first place for Calhoun in the team competition. Valley Stream North was second with 90 points.

Calhoun’s Taylor Halvorsen won the 1,500-meter walk in 8:56.49.   

Elsewhere, Great Neck South’s Isabella Spagnoli won the 1,000 in 3:07.10 and the 1,500 in 5:08.09. South Side’s Claire Bohan won the 3,000 in 10:39.81.

Elmont’s Ashley Fulton won the 55 in 7.22 and the 300 in 41.34. Fulton has spent virtually the entire season with the best time in the state in both events. She ran 7.07 in the 55 and 38.48 in the 300 at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational in Manhattan on Dec. 17. Both of those times have yet to be beaten by anyone in the state this season, according to milesplit.com.

On the boys side, Calhoun’s Logan Schaeffler won the 1,000 in 2:33.22 and the 1,600 in 4:27.16. Schaeffler went hip-to-hip down the home straightaway with Valley Stream North’s Kevin Beltran, who finished milliseconds behind him, at 2:33.98.

“I gave it every last bit that I could,” Schaeffler said. “…It’s just, move as fast as you can with everything left. Maybe lean in at the line.”

Schaeffler said he heard Beltran behind him in the 1,000 — but didn’t know exactly how close he was.

“I couldn’t see anyone in my peripheral vision, so I figured that I won,” Schaeffler said. “But, after coming through the line and picking myself back up from being so tired, I did look at the scoreboard.”

Schaeffler said he led most of the 1,600.

“I definitely picked it up a lot in the last lap or two to help ensure my spot,” he said.

Elsewhere on the track, Elmont’s Kimani Lewis won the 55 in 6.46 and the 300 in 36.17. Floral Park’s Zackary Gopie won the 3,200 in 9:52.06 and Garden City’s Alex Colletti won the 600 in 1:25.10, edging Manhasset’s Cole Thalheimer, who was second in 1:25.72.

Roslyn won the boys team title with 86 points. Valley Stream North was second with 79. Roslyn’s Bryan Molina won the weight throw, tossing 52-8 ¼, and Julian Pinilla won the high jump, clearing 5-10.

Elsewhere in the field, Manhasset’s Paul Park won the long jump (21- 7¼) and triple jump (43-1½).