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In Suffolk, Longwood boasts a pair of superb all-county runners in sophomore Kevin Krause and senior Sean Brinton. Krause outlegged runnerup Brinton to win the county Class A race in 16:24.7, the fastest freshman time at the Sunken Meadow course, and placed 12th in the state B meet.

Longwood, one of the favorites in Suffolk, totaled 36 points and captured the Boys A race. Shawn Brinton (second in 16:46.8) and sophomore Kevin Krause (third in 16:47.0) finished behind winner Pat Kearns of Calhoun (16:17.4). Babylon’s Gentile Wins

September 11, Boys-Girls race at Cathedral Pines – Photos taken by Joseph Sullivan

Cross-Country

Longwood (4-0), ranked No. 1 in the state in boys cross-country, defeated second-ranked Floyd (3-1), 23-32. Shawn Burinton of Longwoodset a course record on the Cathedral Pines’ 2.95-mile course with a time of 15:07 – Oct. 8

Longwood Rated Ahead of the Pack: [SUFFOLK Edition]

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 09 Oct 1986

When it comes to cross-country, high schools in Brookhaven seem torun well ahead of the pack. In polls conducted recently by the New York State Sportswriters Association, Longwood was ranked first among boys teams and defending champion Floyd was second. Shoreham-Wading River’s girls team was ranked second (behind upstate Auburn) and Floyd was 21st.

Local runners are even more dominant on home turf. Seven of the top eight girls teams in Suffolk are Brookhaven entries, according to a panel of coaches in a poll released last week. Shoreham-Wading River was first, followed by William Floyd (2), Sachem (4), Miller Place (5), Rocky Point (6), Ward Melville (7) and Bellport (8). Only third-ranked West Islip manage to penetrate the Brookhaven bloc.

Perhaps it is just coincidence. But local coaches offer at least two explanations for the fast pace set by town teams.

“It’s the competition,” said Longwood boys coach Tony Toro. “There are some good coaches out here, and they’ve developed good programs. The competition between them helps a lot.”

Even though standout Kevin Krause has missed most of the season with a sore achilles heel, Longwood has not lost its stride. The Lions won the Varsity I race at the Grout Invitational in Schenectady Saturday as Shawn Brinton covered the 2.84-mile course in 13 minutes, 32 seconds. Teammates Eric Gennes (fifth in 13:59, Greg Fragoa (seventh in 14:01) and Krause (25th in 14:24) also ran strongly.

EASTERN STATES

1. Roger Letchworth (Countryside, Fla.) 12:06.3. 2. McArdle (Garden City) 13:03.5. 4. Brinton (Longwood) 13:09.0. 8. Gennes (Longwood) 13:19.0. 13. Fragola (Longwood) 13:24.9. 16. Kirchner (H.H. Hills West) 13:30.7. Team Scoring – 1. Catholic Memorial 86. 4. Longwood 150. Boys G

Floyd, the defending county and state Class A champion, squeaked past Longwood, 38-42, to win the Conference I championship. Shawn Brinton of Longwood captured the race in 16:21.1. But Floyd’s Terry Pricher took second (16:32.3) and teammate Tom Burroughs (16:32.3) placed third. Mark Cruz finished sixth, Mike Stockwell 11th and Paul Childs 16th to win the title for the Colonials, who have won the county title two years in a row.

Tim Kirchner of Half Hollow Hills West cruised to an easy victory in 16:57.7 in the Conference II race. Hauppauge won the team title with 56 points. In Conference IV, Kevin Dickens of Southold/Greenport/Shelter Island won in 17:00.9, defeating second-place finisher Mike Cannuscio (17:26.3) of Hampton Bays by almost 26 seconds. Stony Brook, led by third-place finisher Marc Conti (17:26.6), won the team title.

HIGH SCHOOLSPort Jeff’s Breit Records Best Time: [SUFFOLK Edition]

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 25 Oct 1986: 

It wasn’t hard for Port Jefferson’s Tom Breit to record thefastest time at the boys cross-country conference championships at Sunken Meadow State Park yesterday. It was a necessity. Breit, who led all the way and finished in 16:14, was pushed hard in the final strides by Harborfields’ Pat Smith (16:15.2) and Sayville’s Keith Larney (16:16.4), a mere 2.4 seconds separating the three runners. Larney’s efforts enabled Sayville to beat Rocky Point for the team title, 60-61.

Floyd, the defending county and state Class A champion, squeaked past Longwood, 38-42, to win the Conference I championship. Shawn Brinton of Longwoodcaptured the race in 16:21.1. But Floyd’s Terry Pricher took second (16:32.3) and teammate Tom Burroughs (16:32.3) placed third. Mark Cruz finished sixth, Mike Stockwell 11th and Paul Childs 16th to win the title for the Colonials, who have won the county title two years in a row.

Tim Kirchner of Half Hollow Hills West cruised to an easy victory in 16:57.7 in the Conference II race. Hauppauge won the team title with 56 points. In Conference IV, Kevin Dickens of Southold/Greenport/Shelter Island won in 17:00.9, defeating second-place finisher Mike Cannuscio (17:26.3) of Hampton Bays by almost 26 seconds. Stony Brook, led by third-place finisher Marc Conti (17:26.6), won the team title. BOYS Conference I

1. Shawn Brinton (Longwood), 16:21.1. 2. Pricher (Floyd), 16:32.3. 3. Burroughs (Floyd), 16:32.3. 4. Fragola (Longwood), 16:49.0. 5. Gennes (Longwood), 16:50.3. Team Scoring – Floyd 38, Longwood 42, Sachem 128, Half Hollow Hills East 151, Whitman 152, Centereach 174, North Babylon 177, Ward Melville 216, Northport 224, Connetquot 249, Smithtown East 286, Brentwood 315, West Islip 333, Patchogue-Medford 353, Lindenhurst 380. Conference II

Best of Suffolk Earn Run at StateLongwood heads Class A: [SUFFOLK Edition]

By David Shaw. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 01 Nov 1986

Kevin Krause played the hero for Halloween. Despite a sore right Achilles heel that has slowed him much of this season, the Longwoodsophomore performed better than expected and helped his school win its first Suffolk boys Class A cross-country title yesterday at Sunken Meadow State Park.

“He’s just the gutsiest kid I’ve ever coached,” coach Tony Toro said after Longwood totaled 63 points, edged runners-up Floyd (73) and Sayville (87) and earned a trip to Saturday’s state meet at Elma Meadow Park in Buffalo. “He told me on the starting line he was going to run in the 16:50s. Then he just put his head down and did it for the team.”

What he did was score in a race for only the second time this season, finishing 10th after covering the 5,000 meters in 16:46.0. It paled in comparison to his first-place finish last year when he set a course record of 16:24.7 for a freshman. “That was last year,” Toro said. “{Yesterday} we needed everything he had and he gave it to us.”

Also scoring for Longwood were Shawn Brinton (second, 16:16.8), Greg Fragola (eighth, 16:35.4), Eric Gennes (ninth, 16:45.2) and Stu Byrnes (34th, 17:39.2). Floyd, the defending state Class A champion, placed five finishers in the Top 27 and qualified for the state meet as Suffolk’s second Class A school. Terry Pricher (third, 16:20.3) led Floyd.

After Sunken Meadow, It’s All Downhill: [SUFFOLK Edition]

Herrmann, Mark. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 06 Nov 1986

Local cross-country runners and coaches feel that after you’vecovered the steep and winding course at Sunken Meadow State Park,everything else seems like running downhill. So Brookhaven runners who frequently train and race on the steep hills of Sunken Meadow in Kings Park will be able to focus on their competitors rather than the layout in Saturday’s state meet at Buffalo’s Elma Meadow Park.

“I think Suffolk runners are going to do very well,” said Longwood boys coach Tony Toro. “One of the reasons is that Sunken Meadow is the toughest course around.”

Toro’s team was the best over 5,000 meters in the state park last Friday, winning its first Suffolk Class A title and defeating defending state champion Floyd by 10 points.

Longwood, led by Shawn Brinton (second in 16 minutes, 16.8 seconds last Friday), and Floyd, led by Terry Pricher (third in 16:20.3), will bring their William Floyd Parkway rivalry far north this weekend. Each will attempt to beat other contenders such as Newburgh Free Academy and Lockport on a layout that takes in part of a Buffalo golf course.

Running Off With State Titles Gentile, McArdle, Middleman and SWR girls No. 1 in cross-country: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 09 Nov 1986: 

Garden City’s T.J. McArdle, Clarke’s Dan Middleman, Babylon’sChristine Gentile and the Shoreham-Wading River girls team were big winners at yesterday’s state cross-country championship meet at Elma Meadow Park in Buffalo.

McArdle covered the rain-soaked 5,000-meter course in 15:45.3 to win the boys Class A race. He broke the course record, set by Lockport’s Kerry Fly (16:00.0) last weekend. Sweet Home’s Charlie Kearn was second in 15:55.0.

Middleman won the boys Class B race in 15:56.0, edging runnerup Pat Smith of Harborfields by more than 20 seconds. Gentile, the four-time defending Suffolk champion, won her second state Class B girls title in 18:46.7. Michelle Franklin of Homer finished a distant second in 19:13.4.

Shoreham-Wading River was the only Long Island school to win a team championship, totaling 60 points in the girls Class B race, the lowest point total by a Suffolk team in the state meet since 1975. Harborfields had 111 in 1978. All five Shoreham-Wading River scorers finished in the Top 40. It also was the first time Suffolk had the individual, team and sectional champions in the same race. This was done for the fourth time since 1975. The other sections to accomplish the feat were Sections III, V and IX.

Gentile was only the second Suffolk girl to win an individual title. She won in 1980 as a freshman. Laura Whitney of Stony Brook won in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981. (Winners and top Long Island finishers)

Boys A – 1. T.J. McArdle (Garden City) 15:45.3. 4. Brinton (Longwood) 16:13.4. 7. Reid (Sayville) 16:21.0. 9. Kearns (Calhoun) 16:23.1. 11. Breit (Port Jefferson) 16:30.5. 12. Pricher (Floyd) 16:35.4. 17. Burroughs (Floyd) 16:40.7. 18. Gennes (Longwood) 16:43.8. 20. Fragola (Longwood) 16:49.5. 28. Krause (Longwood) 16:51.0. Team Scoring – 1. Sweet Home 47. 2. Longwood 48. 3. Floyd 111. 10. Freeport 218. 11. Bellmore JFK 316. Section Scoring – 1. XI 165. 8. VIII 493.