North Rockland’s Katelyn Tuohy won the 1500-meter run during the second day of the Rockland County track and field championships at Suffern Middle School May 15, 2015.
SUFFERN – He was on the track, winning.
Then he was on the track, winning.
And then, well, why not three-for-three?
Welcome back, Luke Gavigan.
The Tappan Zee senior, who struggled indoors last winter, looked Friday like every bit the runner who was recruited to compete for the University of North Carolina.
Gavigan won the boys 1,600 meters Rockland County Championship in 4:24.04 in what he said felt like a “jog” before taking the 800 in 1:55.5 about 30 minutes later. Near the close of the day, he also anchored Tappan Zee’s winning (8:09.06) 4×800 relay.
“I feel really great physically and I think I have my mental toughness is back,” he said.
Gavigan had some go-out-on-top company.
Suffern senior Imani Solan won the 200 dash in 24.47 before taking the 100 in 12.24. Then, in a come-from-behind effort, she anchored Suffern’s winning (48.48) 4×100 relay.
Solan, who started about 10 yards behind North Rockland’s Camille Cameron said there was “no way” she was going to let her beat her. Cameron crossed in 48.70.
And then there was her sophomore teammate, Kamryn McIntosh.
Second to Solan in the 200, McIntosh took the 800 in 2:09.64, then the 400 in a personal-best 54.12 before running third in Suffern’s winning 4×400 relay ( 3:55.68).
Her 400 split was a mind-numbing 53.36.
Those relay wins helped Suffern capture the girls team title for a remarkable 12th time in 14 years and helped ease the pain of losing the indoor title to North Rockland..
“It’s so exciting,” Solan said. “After the winter disappointment, it’s just amazing to prove we’re still Suffern and can still defend our home here on home turf,” she said, referring to the Suffern Middle School track.
North Rockland was the girls runner-up but captured the boys title with Wyatt Brooks carrying a good part of the load.
The junior took the boys 200 (22.36) and then the boys 100 (11:17.) before anchoring the Red Raiders’ 4×400 team, which won in 3:22.35.
“I’m really tired,” said Brooks, who had to be helped to stand.
North Rockland’s girls received a huge contribution from seventh-grader Katelyn Tuohy, who won the girls 1,500 in 4:37.40 before taking the 3,000 in 10:15.67.
She led from the get-go in the shorter race, crediting her teammates for changing her pre-race, negative mindset.
Clarkstown North senior Josh Etkind also successfully defended his boys 110 hurdles title, winning in 15.34 before winning the boys triple jump (45-01.75).
“It makes me really happy. It’s a nice mid-way-through, championship victory,” Etkind said of his hurdles win.
In an eye-lash-close race, Kyra Greenbaum outleaned Nyack’s Louise Jones at the finish of the 400 hurdles, Greenbaum winning 1:05.30-1:05.31.
“I saw her. I just said, ‘Kyra, just keep going,’ ” said Greenbaum, whose participation was a question, since she’d been saddled with several days of allergies, a sore throat and dizziness.
In another close race, Jones took the girls 100-meter hurdles in 15.60. Runner-up Emmanuela Lauredent of North Rockland crossed in 15.62.
“Once you get closer to the top it’s not about speed. It’s about who has better form or focus that day,” said Jones, who has hurdled since seventh grade.
As an eighth-grader, she won the county freshman title. She termed the varsity title, “Awesome, of course,” adding, “I’ve worked hard for it. It’s good to see that’s paying off.”
Clarkstown North senior Josh Etkind successfully defended his boys 110 hurdles title, winning in 15.34 and also won the boys triple jump (45-01.75).
“It makes me really happy. It’s a nice mid-way-through, championship victory,” Etkind said of his hurdles win.
North Rockland finished one, two in the boys 400 hurdles with Chima Ezeilo winning in 56.22 and Philippe Louis-Juste crossing in 57.16
“Sometimes it flip-flops,” Louis-Juste said of their finish. Of their close competition, he said, “It helps us motivate each other.”
Twitter: @HaggertyNancy
