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Fordham Prep claims second straight CHSAA title
By Joseph Staszewski February 14, 2009
Andrew Hemmings won triple jump (44-08.25) and was second in the long jump (25-02) for the Rams. Photo by Baiju Thakkar
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Nazareth’s Sean Atkinson appeared to have claimed
the boys’ 600 meters race when he opened up a lead on the field heading into
the final lap.
Then Zach Keefer kicked.
“If he is going to use his speed early, let me
wait,” Keefer said. “I don’t have to be right on him. I could definitely close
on the back stretch and that’s what I did.”
“I told myself wait for the pole vault pit and then
I’m going to take off from there and give it all I got,” Keefer said.
The Fordham Prep runner made a charge and moved into
second over the final turn and had Atkinson his sights. Keefer made a quick
side step to the outside and moved into first over the final 60 meters.
As he crossed the finish line and won in a time of
1:20.88, he was greeted with a roar from a large Fordham Prep contingent,
something he said he didn’t hear until after the race was over.
His victory helped Fordham Prep on its way to a
second straight CHSAA indoor intersectional team championship at the Armory Saturday.
The Rams had to overcome some adversity to do so as their 4 x 400 relay team
was disqualified in the trials and the league’s top pole vaulter John Horvath
was out with a dislocated shoulder.
Fordham Prep scored 54 points. Chaminade was second with 24.
“You look up and you see everyone on their feet,”
Keefer said. “It means a lot.”
“We just all clicked this year I guess,” said Mike
Jennings, who placed third in the 1000 in a time of 2:31.45 and was a member of
the winning 4 x 800 relay in 7:56.54.
Fordham Prep sealed the title after senior Wayne
Seaton and junior Bruce Grant, both Rams football players, placed first and
second in the 55 meter hurdles in times of 7.60 and 7.66 respectively. Both
times broke the meet record with Seaton now holding the crown.
“I was scared,” said Seaton, who has the fastest
time in the CHSAA in the event this season at 7.52. “Bruce has been my biggest
competitor, my own teammate. It’s good to show him I still have seniority.”
Andrew Hemmings also took home a top finish in the
triple jump for the Rams with a leap of 44 feet 8.25 inches and second in the
long jump in 25-02.
“Everything,” he said when asked what went right
today. “It’s important for me because now I have a chance to go into states.”
“We were confident that we could go in here and win
this,” Farley said. “We were behind in the meet and we wanted to go out with a
bang.”
The Farrell 4 x 400 relay team is looking at the
state championships and beyond after setting the meet record in the event with
a time of 3.23.45. It was one of the few times this season the team of Anthony
Evangelista, Pete Falcon, Corey Orazem and James Farley, the school’s best
combination, has run together, they said.
One of the days intriguing races saw Wilfred Ruck of
Holy Cross and Atkinson square off in the 300. The pair had raced two previous
times this season with Atkinson winning both times. Ruck held an early lead in
this one, but Atkinson caught him around the final turn and held him off in the
straightway. He won in a time of 34.65 and Ruck was second in 34.80.
“I was just upset about getting second in the 600,”
Atkinson said. “I just wanted to come out of here with at least one win today.”
Ruck, who lost to Atkinson at the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens
championship and in the Stanner Games, knew Atkinson would make a charge.
“I just tried to get out strong and hold him off,”
Ruck said. “But he got me.”
James Cannon of St. Peter’s was second in the 1,600
in 4:19.7 and Bishop Ford’s Jason Gilhuley was second in 4:20.90. Ford’s Paul
Gilhuley was second in the 3,200 in 9:35.50.