Jurrel Hall sweeps all three jumping events at Nassau Class C track and field championships

Jurrel Hall didn’t have time to think, he was too busy winning everything. And, as far as jumping in Nassau’s small school section goes, this was true. Hall, a West Hempstead senior, won all three jumping events at the Nassau Class C boys track and field championships Wednesday night at St. Anthony’s.

Hall won the long jump, flying 20 feet, 10 ¾ inches; the triple jump, bounding 44-11 and the high jump (5-8).

The high and long jump were competed at the same time, leading to some pretty hectic maneuvering from Hall.

“It was very difficult and very time consuming,” Hall said. “I learned over the last couple of meets how to balance it.”

Because he was bounding back and forth, Hall said he wasn’t able to make his marks for long jump, which would have further allowed him to gauge where he needed to be on the runway to maximize his distance. Instead, he was doing it mostly by feel.

“I had a good run and a good takeoff,” Hall said. “My landing was good.”  

Clarke won the team championship with 84 points. West Hempstead was second with 69.

Clarke’s Jayson Emile won the 1,000 meters in 2 minutes, 43.10 seconds and the 600 in 1:29.83. Among possible doubles, this one is one of the more difficult ones, with the events about 20 minutes apart. Emile cruised wire-to-wire in the 1,000 — facing a bit of a challenge on the home straightaway, but never truly in danger of losing.

In the 600, Emile responded instantly to a hard move from Cold Spring Harbor’s Brett Drakos, who tried to split Emile and Wheatley’s Lucian Pezzillo with 150 meters left. No sooner had Drakos moved a step in front that Emile retook the lead for good. Drakos was second in 1:30.26 and Pezzillo was third in 1:30.83.

“I felt (Drakos’) body pushing off mine, but I kept on running. I had to dig deep to keep the lead. I would have been upset with myself if I let him pass me,” said Emile. “They definitely pushed me, especially coming off the 1,000. It was really hard, but I got through it.”

Elsewhere, Wantagh’s Christian McAndrew won the 55 in 6.64 seconds. McAndrew said he got a slow start and needed a quick turnover to make up for it. Coincidently, a lot of his work this season has concentrated on improving that turnover.

“I’m pushing off my legs more horizontally, not vertically,” he said. “I’m better at pushing forward and driving.”      

Oyster Bay’s Chris Tardugno won the 3,200 in 10:03.86, the 1,600 in 4:42.7, and was on the 4 x 800 relay that won in 8:58.12.