Congratulations to the varsity boys’ track & field team, head coach Andrew Ferriolo and assistant coach Kevin Bullock for winning the Section XI League 1 Championship with first-place wins in the following events:
Jordan Gibbs – 55 Meter Dash 6.50s
Garfield Geddes – Long Jump 20-1.25 feet
Ayobami Adebayo – Triple Jump 43-11 feet
Desmond Calderon – 300 Meter Dash 36.22s and 4 x 400-meter relay 3:37.79s
The team is heading to the Suffolk County Championship on February 3. Best of luck! #GoLions#LCSDPride
Longwood Wins Large School County Championship!
Longwood scored 79 points and won the large school title behind the winning 4×400 and 4×200 relay teams and individual wins from Jordan Gibbs, Ayobami Adebayo, Garfield Geddes and Desmond Calderon.
Adebayo cleared 6-4, a two-inch personal best, on his first attempt to win the high jump. The Lions senior also finished third in the triple jump (44-2).
“I was just thinking about all the work I put in, all the time I put in, for this moment right here,” Adebayo said. “[This team is] like family. I’ve grown as a person with them, I wouldn’t be the man I am without a lot of these guys. I love them.”
Geddes launched himself exactly 22 feet to win the long jump. Gibbs won the 55 in 6.45 seconds, then anchored the Lions’ winning 4×200 team. Calderon won the 300 in 35.87 seconds and anchored Longwood’s champion 4×400 relay.
Northport scored 42 points and finished second in the large school team competition. Vito LaRosa finished second in the 55 (6.47), Alex Toran finished second in the 600 (1:24.61), and Brandon Cruz placed second in the 1,600 (4:31.85) for the Tigers.
Garfield Geddes of Longwood leaps to a win in the long jump during the Suffolk boys large school indoor track and field championships at Suffolk Credit Union Arena on the Suffolk CCC-Brentwood campus on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.
Jake Russo of Longwood celebrates a 4×800-meter relay heat win during the Suffolk boys large school indoor track and field championships at Suffolk Credit Union Arena on the Suffolk CCC-Brentwood campus on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.
Garfield Geddes of Longwood takes flight and the victory in the long jump during the Suffolk boys large school indoor track and field championships at Suffolk Credit Union Arena on the Suffolk CCC- Brentwood campus on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
Desmond Calderon of Longwood pulls away in the 300-meter dash during the Suffolk boys large school indoor track and field championships at Suffolk Credit Union Arena on the Suffolk CCC-Brentwood campus on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.
Ayobami Adebayo of Longwood clears the bar on his way to a first-place finish in the high jump during the Suffolk boys large school indoor track and field championships at Suffolk Credit Union Arena on the Suffolk CCC-Brentwood campus on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.
Jordan Gibbs of Longwood edges out Vito LaRosa of Northport and Joshua Jordan of Floyd in the 55-meter dash finals during the Suffolk boys large school indoor track and field championships at Suffolk Credit Union Arena on the Suffolk CCC-Brentwood campus on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.
Tristen Michaud of Longwood, center, poses for pictures alongside Thomas Acosta of Northport, left, and Jacob Park of Half Hollow Hills West after competing in the boys pole vault during Day 2 of the Suffolk indoor track and field championships and state qualifiers at St. Anthony’s on Friday. Credit: James Escher
Longwood pole vaulter Tristen Michaud dealt with a back injury over the last couple of weeks that led him to doubt his ability. Northport’s Thomas Acosta came a few spots short of qualifying for the state championship last season. And Half Hollow Hills West’s Jacob Park didn’t even participate in indoor track and field before this season.
But none of that stopped the three athletes from qualifying for the state indoor track and field championships on Friday at the Suffolk state qualifying meet at St. Anthony’s High School. Michaud and Acosta became Suffolk’s first co-champions in the pole vault in “recent history,” according to county coordinator Debra Ferry.
Park, Acosta and Michaud all cleared 14 feet, crushing the qualifying mark of 13 feet after no one exceeded 12 feet, 9 inches last year. Acosta and Michaud narrowly edged Park for the first two spots on the podium after neither missed a single attempt leading up to their final one.
“I thought that if I could pursue pole vaulting in the winter, it would really pay off,” said Park, who also wrestled this winter. “And it did.”
Michaud and Acosta went back and forth at different heights to try and break their tie. But after each pole vaulter made their attempts, the meet officials confirmed with the coaches/athletes that they were OK with a tie. The two shared the top spot at 14-3.
“I didn’t think I was going to do anything [because of my back],” said Michaud, who won the event in 2023. “It’s just awesome. I’m really happy.”
Acosta said he views his run as the most important part of the event. He said that was why he helped shovel snow from the track so he could practice after Tuesday’s winter storm.
“It’s a complete world of difference [from last year],” Acosta said. “It’s been a lot of training and work on my own. It’s definitely a lot of commitment that not a lot of people are doing.”