WHITE PLAINS – Daquan Brickhouse is not a high jumper. He just jumps high. Really high.
The Peekskill senior only joined the track team to keep himself busy before he heads to Central Connecticut State on a basketball scholarship next year. Track and field was just something to do. Now the Westchester County slam-dunk champ is the newest novelty to the New York track and field scene.
Brickhouse cleared 6 feet, 8-inches Saturday at the Loucks Games at White Plains in his first and only high school track season. If that’s not enough, Brickhouse is 5-8.
He’s not just small for a basketball player. Brickhouse is tiny for a high jumper too. And he knows about as much about the event as his competitors knew about him. Brickhouse had little technique, virtually laid horizontally across the bar and didn’t even have a measured approach to jump.
He just looked at the bar, ran at it and jumped.
“My goal wasn’t even to win,” Brickhouse said. “I wanted to stay in my bed and sleep.”
“He kept passing heights,” Brickhouse said. “I felt like he didn’t think I could make it.”
When English passed at 6-5, he took it as a challenge. Brickhouse’s best had been 6-5 last week at the Somers Invitational. After he matched that, he cleared on his first attempt, then 6-7 and 6-8. Brickhouse said it took him back to the Westchester County all-star slam-dunk contest when another player jumped over a basketball rack. When he tried to take the rack off the court, Brickhouse decided that he would match the dunk and miniature guard, soared over the rack himself and thundered home a one-hander.
“We knew he could jump 6-something,” Peekskill coach Mike Tanzi said. “We knew he had ups but he’s just amazing. It’s outrageous.”
Yamoah won the pole vault, clearing 16-0, improving his state-leading mark. His jump bettered the meet record of 15-5 set by Mike Dempsey of Gates Chili in 2005. The state record is 16-5.
“I was a little tired,” Yamoah said. “I had my prom last night so it was a little rough out here.”
It wasn’t just that Yamoah lacked sleep but he had to deal with a powerful, swirling wind that, at any given time, switched from a crosswind to a headwind. Yamoah shared the meet’s outstanding performer award with Nick Vena of Morristown (N.J.) won shattered the meet’s shot put record Friday with a throw of 70-8.
“The wind was picking up and that was a little troublesome,” he said. I just had to wait and as soon as I got an opportunity I booked it down the runway.”
Newburgh’s Randy Patterson could have been a forgotten figure in the 400. The senior made his reputation with god-like abilities when a baton in his hand. But he needed the individual race that would legitimize him among the best quarter-milers in the state. He did so Saturday.
“I messed up,” Patterson said. “I went too easy on the back straight.”
Although the race was breakthrough for Patterson, he didn’t take any time to celebrate. He has already moved on.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me right now,” he said. “I was just feeling too strong. I wasn’t even tired afterward. My legs were just burning. I’m ready to run 46.”
St. Anthony’s Patrick Farmer, the state leader, was noticeably missing from the 400 because he dropped down to make his debut at 200 meters. After a horrendous start – the kind you only see from a rookie – Farmer flipped on the burners and ran down the entire field in the last 145.
He nipped Westbury’s Darnelle Mickens just before the line, finishing in wind-aided 21.64, the second-fastest time in the state. Mickens finished second in 21.69.
“I don’t know how to get out fast,” Farmer said. “I just stood right up. I didn’t think I had any chance to win (during the race). I didn’t think I could win until maybe the last four meters.
“I knew I could run 21. I’m happy. It’s my PR, since I never ran the 200 before.”
Liverpool’s Chris Clemons (1:57.9), Alex Wilke (1:57.2), Colin Savage (1:54.9) and Zavon Watkins (1:54.5) set the meet record in the 4x800 in 7:44.92, breaking a record that’s last since the first Loucks Games when Power Memorial ran 7:49.5 for 4x880 yards (which converts to 7:46.91) in 1968.
“We love this meet,” Liverpool coach Justin Block said. “This is our favorite meet and that record was pretty special to us. It was really the first race this season where we were all clicking on the same day. We just finally came together.”
It made it all the more impressive that Liverpool broke the record despite a wind that was blowing team tents out of the stands. Newburgh’s also handled the dramatic wind to win the 4x400 in 3:16.61, bettering its state-leading time.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.
WHITE PLAINS – Daquan Brickhouse is not a high jumper. He just jumps high. Really high.