Double Up: Athletes put their best foot forward in multiple events

When the championship portion of the season rolls around that’s when most high school track and field athletes do most of their team’s heavy lifting. So since some of the county championships have started around New York State, I wanted to take a highlight some of the best doubles we’ve seen over this past weekend. Here are some that stood out:

PSAL Brooklyn Borough Championships

• Boys & Girls junior Robert Rhodes continued elevating himself into on of the most consistent stars in the PSAL this season. He won the 400 in 49.05 and the 800 in 1:55.49 at South Shore Saturday.

• Sheepshead Bay’s Rolyce Boston came back to earth after his 24-footer at the Loucks Games last week but still managed a 23, foot, 2-inch jump to win the long jump. He also went 44-10.50 for second-place in the triple.

PSAL Bronx Borough Championships

• Strymar Livingston proved that he hasn’t lose an ounce of fitness after battling a groin injury that’s kept him quiet over about a month. The Columbus junior again displayed his incredible combination of strength and speed while posting yet another 400/800 double. Livingston won the 400 in 48.48 (NYS #3) and claimed victory in the 800 in 1:53.33 (NYS #2). Both marks are season bests for Livingston.

• The girls meet saw a solid double from Taft’s Kimberly Bailey. She won the 100 in 12.11 and the 200 in 25.13.

Section 1 Northern Counties Championship

• It’s not an individual performance but Arlington doubled-up the county championship on their home track Saturday. The boys won the county title with 169.17 points while the girls team won the title with 138.

Westchester County Championships

• Michael Blake of Mount Vernon may have turned in his best meet of the season so far. The senior crushed the field in the 100 meters to win in 10.67, the state’s fastest time this season. Blake also won the 200 in 21.91, which is good for the third-fastest time in New York. There aren’t many runners in the state with Blake’s explosiveness. It’s not beyond him to repeat this double at the state championships either.

• On the girls’ side, New Rochelle received an impressive performance from sophomore Deajah Stevens, a transfer from Mount Vernon. Stevens, who made her name in the 400 as a freshman, won the 100 in 12.25, and scored second in the 200 in 24.38. (Mount Vernon’s Tanaya Yarde posted 24.26 to win, at time second to only Stevens in the state rankings.)

Rockland County Championships

• Spring Valley junior Winslow Dorsainvil was impressive in the sprints at this county meet. He won the 100 in 10.5 but faltered in the 200. He finished third in 22.6 after posting 22.1 as the fastest qualifier in the final at Clarkstown North in New City. Three rounds of the 100 and two in the 200 can catch up with a sprinter.

• Nanuet’s Andi Augustin tacked on his own 400/800 double-win. He took the 400 in 49.6 and clocked 1:55.7 to win the 800.

• Nick Bien-Aime was also solid in the jump, posting 22-7.75 to take the long jump and won the triple jump at 44-5.25.

• Suffern’s Ursula Svoboda had an impressive meet for the girls. She won the 2,000 steeplechase in 6:58.8 and won the 3,000 in 10:17.5. The sophomore also took third in the 1,500 in 4:44.3.

Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA Championships

• Victoria Lundin of St. John the Baptist put up a strong sprint-double as well. The senior won the 100 in 12.32 and the 200 in 24.83 for a gold twice at the Mitchel Field Complex in Uniondale.

• Olicia Williams of St. Anthony’s however, continued to show the great improvement she’s made in her junior campaign. She won the 800 in 2:12.91, a leisure pace for her, and claimed the 400 in 55.85.

Eddy Games

• Klarissa Ricks of Holy Names is putting together one of the better seasons of anyone in the state. The Penn Relays long jump champ, who is headed to Columbia, won the 100 in 11.97, which makes her the only female sprinter in the state to post a sub-12-second FAT time. Ricks also extended her dominance in the long jump, winning the event in 18-7.50. The senior also anchor Holy Names’ winning 4x100.

• Bay Shore junior Jessica Gelibert also scored an impressive hurdles double. She won the 100 hurdles in 14.37, the fastest time in the state this season and claimed the 400 hurdles in 61.22. Her time in the intermediate hurdles is only second to the time Gelibert posted at the St. Anthony’s Invitational May 6 (61.04).

• Shenendehowa’s Sam Kosa was equally dominate in the throws. She won the shot put in 41-0.25 and earned a victory in the discus at 121-7.

• On the boys side, Albany’s Dashawn Gates had an impressive day in the hurdles. He won the 400 hurdles in 55.13 and finished second in the 110 hurdles in 14.77.

• Richard Pete of Utica-Proctor owned the jumps. He won the long jump in 22-8.75 and the triple in 46-8. Both marks are season bests. His triple jump performance is the third-farthest in the state this season.

• Rudy Winkler of Averill Park, one of best two-way throwers in the state this season, put his own stronghold on the throws at Eddy. The sophomore claimed the shot put in 52-0.25 and the discus in 172-0.

Rochester City Champs

- East senior Cory Cox put on a show with his versatility. Cox won the 200 in 21.88. He took the long jump at 21-8 and won the triple jump (43-9.50).