Copiague boys track's Nigel Harris earns elusive title in 55-meter hurdles at Suffolk state qualifier

He finally did it.

Copiague senior Nigel Harris has been consistently one of the best hurdlers in the state for well over a year. However, sharing a county with North Babylon senior Jordan Peck makes it difficult to earn that top spot. In his shadow, Harris had never won a league, county or sectional title.

That all changed on Day 1 of the Suffolk boys indoor track and field state qualifier meet when Harris won the 55-meter hurdles in 7.38 seconds at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood on Monday, qualifing him for the state championships, scheduled for March 6-7 at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island. Peck also qualified for the state meet, as he placed second in 7.47.

Harris’ victory came a week after a tough moment in which he stumbled twice during the 55 hurdles at the Suffolk large schools championship meet, dropping him to fifth place. He entered that day as the favorite to win.

“Ever since I left this building last week, I came with a different drive and passion, because I knew it was going to change,” Harris said. “I worked harder than I ever have. I got closer to God, and I focused more on my starts. I’m just trying to change everything for the better, to be better than I could ever be. I’m truly happy and I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulder, but I’m still hungry.”

Anglin jumps for joy

Connetquot junior Jadon Anglin continued his meteoric rise when he won the long jump by flying 22 feet, 9  1⁄2 inches on Day 2 on Tuesday.

Anglin entered the season as the second-best long jumper on his team, as sophomore Jeremiah Davis was No. 1, both at Connetquot and on Long Island. It continued to play out that way, as Davis led LI entering the morning of the Suffolk championships. Anglin was second on Connetquot’s team, having flown no farther than 21 feet.

Later that day, while competing in the county championships, Anglin heard spectators, coaches and competitors cheering for the other long jumpers. He wanted some of those cheers to be directed toward him, which propelled him to the county title.

“I told my coach that I heard a lot of cheering, and he told me that they could be doing it for me, and that really put something in my head,” Anglin said. “I really tried hard after that, and I jumped that 23-4.”

The victory made him the state’s No. 5-ranked long jumper. It also gave him the confidence to prove it was not a fluke by winning again on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even know I could be this good,” Anglin said, “so I proved myself wrong.”