Cleveland's Ksepka wins 1,000
By Christopher Hunt
It was just one point. But so much can happen. All those things ran through Donald Williams’ head along with how exhausted his legs left. Midwood trailed Sheepshead Bay by one with one event left – the 4x400 meter relay.
“My head was in my stomach,” Midwood’s Williams said. “I was nervous, scared. I felt it in my stomach. But once I saw Ramon (Griffith) and he gave me the stick it all went away.”
Williams led the lead. So did teammates, Travis Cudjoe and Trevano Dwyer while Transit Tech made every effort to snatch the race. Midwood won the 4x400 in 3:28.60 and won the PSAL city championship with 51 points. Sheepshead Bay placed fifth in the relay and finished second in the team standing with 44 points.
With eight events scored, Midwood was in third with 19 points. Sheepshead Bay was leading with 40. But none of them said they had grown overly concerned because they need they could score big in the sprint relays.
“We weren’t nervous,” Midwood coach Rob Edmunson said. “We’re a sprint heavy team. I know where most of our points were going to come from.”
With most of the sprints toward the end of the competition, Midwood started bridging the gap. After winning the 4x200, they cut Sheepshead Bay’s lead to 42-41. Keith Nkrumah finished second in the 300 in 35.44 then zipped by JFK on the anchor leg of the 4x200 and Midwood was right back in the team race.
“We won this last year,” Nkrumah said of the relay. “It’s not like we were going to give up.”
That should have been the mantra for the meet. Midwood didn’t give up when its shot putter Marc Vincent, who had the second-best throw in the PSAL, didn’t show up for the meet because of the flu. And when three of the four legs on the 4x400 had just come off the track from winning the 4x200.
“Those guys were out of it,” Edmunson said. “But they were going to have to get it done.”
Midwood won their signature event – the 4x200 – in 1:31.13. Williams had also won the 55 in 6.52 and Nkrumah, who just started hurdling two weeks ago, was second in the 55 hurdles in7.91. Williams admitted feeling wiped out before the 4x400.
“All I was thinking about was just finishing the race,” he said.
Rafal Ksepka of Grover Clevland produced an impressive race in the 1,000. He took over the pace with 250 left and won in 2:32.38. Ksepka glanced over his shoulder with 150 left and then again at the 100-meter mark with Jason Browne of Boys & Girls charging.
“I was trying to stay in second for most of the race and then make my move before the last lap,” said Ksepka who moved to Queens from Poland two years ago. “I was thinking someone was right behind me and they were.”
Darryl Bradshaw did most of the heavy-lifting for Sheepshead Bay. He won the 55 hurdles in 7.60 and won the long jump in 21 feet , 11 1/2 inches.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.