Huntington, NY - The 5th annual Long Island Elite Meet didn't fail to produce once again. The meet serves as another opportunity to sharpen heading into the State Meet, as the Islander Qualifiers are about two weeks earlier than the rest of the State. In 2014, the meet saw Benjamin Bonhurst (Smithtown West) take down the then-State Record in the Shot Put at the event.
On Saturday, another mark went down. Sarena Choi (Westhampton Beach), who was already having a breakout season, took down the Long Island Record in the Triple Jump. Last Indoor Season, Choi held personal bests of 17-0 in the Long Jump, and 36-11.5 in the Triple. In 2017 alone, her lowest marks would match those previous best's. Choi won both events at her State Qualifier, marking her first trip to the Indoor State Meet.
At the 2017 Long Island Elite Meet, Choi established her new Triple Jump personal best as 40-10.25. Choi's mark bests the previous LI best set by Gabriella Baiter (John Glenn) in 2007, when she jumped 40-8.5. Choi is now the State Leader in the event, as well as US #6 for the Triple Jump. Choi also holds a personal best of 19-8 this season in the Long Jump. With an improvement of just 4-inches, she would join the exclusive 20/40 group of jumpers who have exceeded both barriers. To date, only one athlete has ever accomplished that. Lynette Wiggington (Mattituck - '97), who is the co-Outdoor State Record Holder in the LJ, joined the 20/40 club her senior season Indoors.
