Livingston claims 800, Malivert tops 100
By Christopher Hunt
WHITE PLAINS – He didn’t look good. Not at all. Not with his head bobbing back and forth and the way his arms seemed to churn him forward like his legs were in disagreement.
But with 100 meters left, Great Neck South junior Terrance Livingston snapped together. His strides became powerful and decisive. His elbows tucked in and his arms became the perfect compliment. So while it seemed like he fell out of contention, Livingston glided past William Godfrey of Merrimack and Peekskill’s Lawrence Campbell to win the 800 meters at the Loucks Games in 1:56.71.
“I thought for a second that I lost, that was it,” Livingston said. “But then I saw them starting to slow up and I said I can get them.”
Livingston never looked like he was in the race. He was late off the start line and squeeze to the rear of the race. Then ran to close behind Aki Bajulaiye of New Rochelle and his spikes torn into Livingston’s skin and a stream of blood ran down his shin. Campbell and Godfrey built 15 meters on Livingston by the home stretch. But something clicked.
“I was out of my groove,” Livingston said. “I wasn’t really in the race. But the last 100 meters, I just had to race.”
Pawling senior Colby DelBene didn’t wait until the closing stages to put his race away. He pulled even with Tyler Stutzman of Western Ablemarle (Va.) with three and a half laps to go said he knew he could win right then.
“I could hear his breathing,” DelBene said. “He was just breathing heavier than me and I could tell by his form.”
So subtly, DelBene increased the pace. Then with 700 left, DelBene surged and Stutzman broke. DelBene continued to pour on speed until he won in a personal-best 9:10.76. DelBene missed the entire indoor season with mononucleosis. He said Friday’s race was the best he’s felt since returning.
“I came in here thinking I could run 9:15, with 9:10 as the high-end goal,” DelBene said.
The senior said he wished the race could have gone out faster. He felt that good. DelBene closed the last quarter-mile in 66 seconds. He said he wanted to sit on Stutzman because his breathing pattern told DelBene that Stutzman couldn’t hold the pace.
“I wanted to run next to him,” he said. “Not behind him but no passing him. I thought I could break him that way.”
Ramapo’s Kevin Malivert didn’t have time for strategy. He just shot off the line and zeroed into the finish. Malivert won the 100 meters in 10.90.
“This just proves to me that I can run in any weather,” Malivert said. “For it being my first time, and the new track and everything, I’m really happy with this.”
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.