ITHACA – Alex Hatz shook his head in the kind of “aw shucks,” fashion. Not because he lost his race, he didn’t. Hatz just didn’t execute perfectly. He left it get too close. Well, too close for him.
Minutes later the Fayetteville-Manilus senior was smiling, having just finished the second of two state championship runs. Part of that had to do with winning but most it was because track was fun again. Winning is just makes it more fun.
“This season is all about having fun,” Hatz said. “I missed so much time in cross country. I never missed time like that before. This is a little redemption.”
Hatz first coasted to a win in the 3,200 in 9:23.29 then returned later to methodically take down the field in the 1,600 in 4:20.07. He shook his head after because he wanted to win more decisively – a far cry from the cross country season, when he couldn’t run at all.
A kidney surgery in August sidelined Hatz for the start of a cross country season where FM was predicted to challenge for a national title. Then when it seemed that Hatz could finally return to action, he was diagnosed with shingles in October, a painful and highly contagious skin disease similar to chickenpox. All he had left was videogames.
“After the kidney surgery I couldn’t do anything,” Hatz said. “They put a shunt in my kidney so I really couldn’t move a lot. I couldn’t run. I couldn’t even throw a football. But I got really sick at Madden. Then when I came back I got shingles and it was back to Madden.”
“The fast times are really just extra,” he said. “I’m out here having fun.”
It was the same approach he took at the state meet, forgoing fast times for convincing wins. He’ll have a chance to run fast next week when he races the mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston. There, he plans to keep his foot off the brakes.
“I’m feeling really good,” he said. “I’m going to give it a go.”
North Babylon’s Berfrantz Charles almost became the second double winner of the meet. He claimed the 55 by seven thousands of a second and nearly won the long jump.
First, Charles won 55 in a personal best 6.391. Just ahead of Edison Tech’s Mark Canady (6.398). Both runners were credited for 6.40. Then Charles immediately took to the long jump runaway and set a personal best at 23 feet, 8.50 inches, on his first attempt in the finals.
Charles didn’t even think he would qualify for the long jump final after just a 21-3.50 jump on his first attempt. But the jump was good enough for him to advance and set up the best couple minutes of his athletic career.
“I was a really tough day,” he said. “I’m proud of myself.”
Richmond Ahadzi’s speechlessness proved that he felt the same after earning a tight in the 55 hurdles. A week after losing the hurdles at the PSAL championships, Ahadzi out-leaned Amityville’s’ Sancho Barrett by .002 for his first state federation title. Ahadzi finished in 7.471 followed by Barrett in 7.473. Both were credited for 7.48.
The nervousness piled on for Ahadzi after a malfunction with the starter’s pistol called back the race and then Ahadzi starting blocks slipped, which prompted the starter to restart the race yet again.
“I was just pumping myself up,” Ahadzi said. “I was trying to focus. It distracted all of us so I tried to use it.”
None of the runner could tell who won at the finish. They all huddle around the clock by the finish line waiting for the results. Ahadzi’s named showed first.
The PSAL section of the bleachers in Barton Hall was glued to the high jump as Robeson’s Oneil Sandiford ran away with the high jump. He clearned 6-8 to win then moved up 7-0.25, looking to tie the PSAL record. After his second attempt he felt some pain in his right ankle, a lingering discomfort that started after he turned is ankle at the Eastern States two weeks ago.
Sandiford said he’s fully recovered for dislocating his knee earlier in season. Clearing 6-10 at Eastern States proved that. This time he showed an ability to perform under pressure when he discovered that someone moved his mark before his attempts at 6-8 (the mark is usually a strip of athletic tape jumpers use to mark their takeoff point).
The senior was forced to freestyle his first two failed attempts at 6-8. On his last attempt he decided to measure his steps again within the 90-second time limit.
“I don’t know what was going through my head,” Sandiford said. “Last attempt, no mark, ankle running, it was a desperation jump.”
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.
“Coming here I wasn’t expecting to run 34 on this track so I’m happy about the time,” said Farmer, who committed to the University of Virginia early this week. “I would have never expected to win a state title at the beginning of the season.”
600 meters: Middletown’s Mel Mosley earned an upset win over Mike Quercia of Marcellus. Mosley won from heat 4, a slower section, running 1:20.87, nearly a two-second personal best. Quercia, however, didn’t know what time Mosley had run in the previous heat and since he felt some pain in his hamstring, he decided to back off the pace.
Querica, who broke the Section 3 record last week (1:19.37 at Manley Fieldhouse), coasted to win heat 5, but finished second overall in 1:21.25.
“I didn’t know what time he ran at first and I was just happy to get on the medal stand,” Mosley said. “I really don’t know where that (time) came from. I just did what my coach told me and run my own race. It’s just so many thoughts. I don’ t know.”
1,000 meters: Liverpool’s Zavon Watkins led the entire way to win in 2:31.06, the first individual state title for the sophomore that set the national class record in the 1,000. Watkins said he was recovering from a cold and wanted to focus more on winning than a fast time. “I just wanted to get in front and hold them off as long as I could. Once (Alney Tobias of Lansingburgh) came up on me I just had to go.”
“I’ve always considered myself a 16-foot jumper,” said Duggan, who committed to UConn. “You would see me win meets at 15-9 and be pissed. I guess today I got lucky because I definitely hit it. But I’ll take it however it comes. … All my brothers are in the 16-foot club so this is really important for me.”
Wheatley’s Josh Haghighi won the shot put in 59-2.50, earning his first win at the state meet, where he struggled last year. This time he brought a wet towel to wipe down the throwing circle before his attempt. Last year he never could find his footing and finished fifth. “It worked out for the best,” he said. “Hopefully I can throw big next week at nationals.”
Relays: Liverpool’s Chris Clemons, Alex Wilke, Colin Savage and Zavon Watkins won the 4x800 in 7:59.00. Newburgh defended its state title in the 4x400 in 3:24.99. Mount Vernon won the 4x200 in 1:32.02. Midwood’s anchor Andy Nicholas and Mount Vernon’s Michael Blake took the baton at nearly the same time but Blake grabbed the advantage on the exchange and pulled away. Midwood finished in 1:33.01 with Middletown third in 1:33.64.
Liverpool boys 4x800m relay - State Champs
ITHACA – Alex Hatz shook his head in the kind of “aw shucks,” fashion. Not because he lost his race, he didn’t. Hatz just didn’t execute perfectly. He left it get too close. Well, too close for him.