By Christopher Hunt
MIDDLETOWN – As fast as it took a starter’s pistol to sound, the state meet could have lost its best quarter-miler. Middletown’s Mel Mosley avoided what could have been a disastrous disqualification at the Section 9 championships that would have cost him a shot to win his first individual state title.
Mosley, the state leader in the 400, appeared to be called for a false start in the 400 meters Friday, when an official blew a second gun to call back the race. Mosley was unsettled in his starting blocks with the starter shot his gun to begin the race. Mosley stood straight up, thinking he would be called for a false start, and took a couple unsure steps forward before an official recalled the race.
“I flinched,” Mosley admitted. “I was scared. I thought, ‘Damn, I might not be able to run the state meet.’ I got lucky.”
The official that recalled the race explained that Mosley had never been ready in the blocks and that the runners should have been called to stand up before the gun sounded. No one was called for a false start or given a warning. Mosley, who clocked 46.88 last week, went on to win easily in 49.16.
“Even when the gun went off the second time, my heart was beating like crazy,” he said. “I didn’t settle down until about 50 meters into the race.”
Mosley, who also on the high jump, has been the hottest runner in the state this season. It started two weeks ago when he lost to Monroe-Woodbury’s Ryan
Brennan in the 400 at the OCIAA championships. Brennan, who has the state’s second-fastest time (47.75), decided to focus on the 800, which he won on Thursday at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.
“After I lost to Brennan in the 400, he got my PR from last year, I just wanted to come back,” Mosley said. “I asked myself, ‘Why am I not running my own race? Why am I running his race? After that I just started focusing on myself and what I wanted to do; focused on my own lane.”
The Middies could leave the state meet next weekend at Caledonia High, with a handful of gold medals. Teammate Adam Abdur-Rahman and twin brother Manny Mosley went 1-2 in the 400 hurdles. Abdur-Rahman won in 56.89 with Manny second in 57.02. They are currently listed in the same order in the New York State rankings as the only two runners in the state to have posted marks faster than 54 seconds.
They both ensured a 1-2 finish at the state meet.
“We both can run 53 constantly,” Abdur-Rahman said. “It helps to always have someone there to push you.”
Manny Mosley said they are both looking to run 52 seconds at states and take the first two spots, regardless of the order.
The Mosley twins, their cousin Shakoy Burton and Abdur-Rahman will also be the favorite at the state meet in the 4x400. They won Friday in 3:18.78. Newburgh ran 3:21.80 for second. Darin Brown and Web Pierre also joined the twins to win the 4x100 in 42.94.
Abdur-Rahman also won the Division I 110 hurdles in 14.53 (he clocked 14.21 in the trials). Middletown nearly swept the sprint events if it wasn’t for Washingtonville’s Alanzo Contini. The senior, who signed to Delhi, won the 200 in 22.26, holding off Darious Reynonds and Middletown’s Pierre.
“I didn’t want to look back,” Contini said. “I made that mistake at (OCIAA champs) and I lost. I just wanted to focus on my own race.”
Warwick Valley won the 4x800 in 7:56.33 with Ray Farinella, Aaron Peterson, Tim Luthin and Dan Paez. The team proved that they could win from anywhere. They ran the complete opposite order – with Paez and Luthin up front – when they ran the state leader (7:44.27) at Warwick Fast Times on Tuesday.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHuntArmory.