Top 10 high school boys indoor track and field breakout performers on Long Island
St. Anthony's Nathan Blind. Credit: Tim Dearie
All rankings are per MileSplit, as of Jan. 12. Names listed in alphabetical order.
Michael Armendinger, Sachem East, Jr.
He peaked early last season, sprinting 6.71 seconds in the 55-meter dash in a December meet. That time ranked 153rd in the state for the indoor season. This year, he has already trounced that with a 6.54, which has him tied for 18th in the state and atop the Suffolk rankings.
Nathan Blind, St. Anthony’s, Soph.
After topping out at 41 feet, 9 inches in the weight throw last winter, he has improved drastically. He threw the weight 60-10 on Jan. 3 at the 11th Annual Ocean Breeze Freedom Games, which is 11th-best in the state.
Nicholas DiCaprio, Miller Place, Jr.
His vast progression during the cross country season earned him Newsday All-Long Island cross country second-team honors. That same progression has carried over to indoor track, as his 4 minutes, 25.31 seconds in the 1,600 ranks eighth in the state. He has already shaved 8.22 seconds off his previous best of 4:33.53.
Ryan Donohue, Islip, Sr.
He had never run in the 1,000 before, as his primary indoors event was the 600. Now, he has run the 1,000 three times and ranks ninth in the state in it with a 2:33.85. He is also No. 14 in the state in the 600 at 1:23.54, down from 1:24.83 last year.
Eric Heinz, Huntington, Jr.
He is preparing for the pentathlon in the outdoor season by doing multiple events this winter, but he has found a niche for himself in one particular area: the 600. His 1:22.73 is a new personal best by 3.12 seconds from last year. He is seventh in the state in the race.
Tyler Hopkins, Hewlett, Sr.
In his last meet of the 2025 outdoor season, Hopkins flew a then-personal-best 40-¾ in the triple jump. In his first meet of this indoor season, he flew 44-8, which ties him for 16th in the state and third on Long Island with Uniondale senior Molenson Jnmary.
Jeremiah Newsome, Patchogue-Medford, Sr.
By the end of last spring, he was throwing the shot 46-7¾. Early this winter, he has blown past the 50-foot mark three times and is 17th in the state and fifth on Long Island with a 50-9¼.
Zach Paggi, Kellenberg, Jr.
He is rising to stardom after a good cross country season. He has cut over four-and-a-half seconds off his previous personal record in the 600, dropping from 1:27.06 to 1:22.42. His new personal record ranks fifth in the state.
Brandon Salazar, Brentwood, Jr.
He continues to shave seconds off his personal record in the 3,200, as he ran a 9:26.68 on Jan. 11 in the Molloy Stanner Games to claim the state’s No. 7 ranking. He entered the season with a career personal best of 9:38.09.
Aidan Urquiola, Long Beach, Sr.
He is building off a strong cross country season that also earned him a spot on the Newsday All-Long Island second team. After running as fast as 4:32.12 in the 1,600 last year, he has already busted out a 4:26.29, which ranks 10th in the state.
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.
