High School Cross Country

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Dennis Scruggs once told me, "I don't like silver."
He has the right idol than. Michael Johnson
The Bellport senior grew to admire the Olympic gold medallist by watching videos of him on YouTube. Scruggs, a middle distance runner like Johnson, even has a pair of gold sneakers like Johnson use to wear.
"I don’t have the official gold shoes that he wore, but I have the bootlegs models," Scruggs said. "Maybe when I get in college and start running."
He is also motivated by one of Johnson's sayings.
"They don’t give you gold medals for beating someone," Scruggs said. "They give you gold medals for beating everyone. That's what I go by this year."

Check out this week's Insider to read more about Scruggs' amazing season and inspiration given to him by his older brother who was killed in 2006.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Conference II

Baldwin used a strong showing from Isaiah Mask to earn a Conference II title on Jan. 29. Baldwin beat out second place Calhoun 115 to 102.5. Mask won the 300 meters in 37.0, the 600 in 1:25.1 and was a member of the winning 4 x 400 relay team in 3:42.0. In the 300, teammates Scott Robinson was second in 37.6 and Kahlil Dozier was third in 38.2. Nicholas Guscott placed first in the 55 dash in 6.7 and was a member of the 4 x 200 relay with a time of 1:38.0. Valley Stream Central’s Kevon Carter and Zico Williams each won two individual events. Carter placed first in the 3,200 in 9:51.5 and the 1600 in 4:36.4. Williams won the 55 hurdles in 7.9 and the triple jump with a leap of 41 feet 5.25 inches. Carter was also a member of the first place 4 x 800 rely that finished in a time of 8:47.8

Team Scores

1. Baldwin 115
2. Calhoun 102.5
3. Valley Stream Central 97
4. Port Washington 66
5. East Meadow, 34.5
6. Long Beach 12
7. Hicksville 7

Conference IV

Lynbrook used the beat them with numbers to earn the League IV title 134 to 110 over Westbury. Lynbrook won just three events, but hand finishers in the top three in nine others. Andrew Bellinger placed first in the 600 in 1:28.6, Dennis Donovan won the high jump with a leap of 5-04.0 and its 4 x 200 relay, with Bellinger as the third leg, won in 1:41.1. Westbury’s Deondre Clark won the 300 in 37.3 and the 55 dash in 6.9 and Daniel Pierre finished first in the long jump with a leap of 20-4.5 and the triple jump with a jump of 42-01.75. Clarke was also a member of the winning 4 x 400 relay with a time of 3:46.8.
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Team Scores

1. Lynbrook 134
2. Westbury 110
3. Roslyn 83
4. South Side
5. Plainedge 27
6. Wantagh 24
7. Sewanhaka 16
8. New Hyde Park 2

Conference VI

Steve Carey helped lead Valley Stream North to a 125 to 119 win over Manhasset for the Conference VI title. Carey placed first in the 1,000 in 2:43.9, the 1,600 in 4:47.6 and was a member of the 4 x 800 relay with won in a time of 9:08.7. Carlo Balbo and Matthew Pearlman placed first and second respectively with time of 1:32.8 and 1:33.3 in the 600. Balbo was also a member of the first place 4 x 400 relay team with a time of 3:51.9. Manhasset’s Kadeem Howell won the 55-dash (6.7), the long jump (19-3.75) and the triple jump (43-2.).

Team Scores

1. Valley Stream North 125
2. Manhasset 119
3. Seaford 51
4. Mineola 46
5. Wheatley 42
6. Friends Academy 19
7. Malverne 15
8. Cold Spring Harbor 6
9. Oyster Bay 6
10. Locust Valley 4

BOYS

1. Farmingdale

2. Baldwin

3. Valley Stream Central

4. Middle Country

5. Longwood

6. Brentwood

7. Half Hollow Hills West

8. St. John the Baptist

9. Kellenberg

10. Bellport

GIRLS

1. Bay Shore

2. Garden City

3. East Meadow

4. Northport

5. Uniondale

6. St. John the Baptist

7. Shoreham-Wading River

8. Kellenberg

9. Lynbrook

10. Sayville

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Keith Mellor kept telling his coach about his sister.

“He told my coach when I was playing lacrosse that I was fast and was trying to get me to do varsity track,” Mt. Sinai’s Janet Mellor said.

The sophomore finally ran in the winter as an eight grader to prepare for lacrosse in the spring.

“I didn’t do spring track in eight grade,” Mellor said. “Ninth grade I went to states and I was successful at states. I knew I had to try spring track.”

She is one of the best middle distance runners on Long Island as her brother, a former shot putter, is now a sophomore defensive lineman at Marist.

He still pushes her.

“We talk online and he always wants to see how I do,” Mellor said. “He’s still hard on me. He wants me to do the best I can.”

Check out this week's Insider about the versatile Mellor and her Mt. Sinai teammates, a look at the Garden City and Uniondale girl's relays and the runners of the week

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

League I had the most surprising outcome of last weekend’s Suffolk Boy’s League Championships. Middle Country toppled powers Longwood and Brentwood to claim the crown. Middle Country earned 120 points. Longwood had 108 and Brentwood 79. There is a new contender of the Suffolk Large School title.

Miles Lewis led Middle Country. The junior won the 55 meter dash (6.77), the long jump (20-6.25) and was a member of the winning 4 x 200 relay team (1:38.18). Evan Zucaro and Gregg Ellis also had impressive days. Zucaro won the triple jump with a leap of 40-05.75, was second in the 55 hurdles (8.25) and third in the high jump (5-10). Ellis placed third in the hurdles (8.47), second in the high jump (5-11).

Gregory Mercado had a strong day for Brentwood. He won the 55 hurdles (8.15), was second in the long jump (20-03.25) and third in the triple jump (39-05.5).

1) Middle Country 120
2) Longwood 108
3) Brentwood 79
4) 4) Sachem North 59
5) 5) Sachem East 36
6) 6) Lindenhurst 18
7) 7) Ward Melville 12
8) 8) William Floyd 1

League II

Northport beat out Half Hollow Hills East 98 to 69 for the League II title behind Evan Bloomberg and Colin Anderson. Bloomberg was first in the 3,200 in 9:55.20 and Anderson was second in 10:00.0. Anderson won the 1,600 in 4:42.82 and Bloomberg was third in 4:46.79. Mychael Fabio of Whitman placed first in the 300 in 37.50 and the 55 dash in 6.78.

1) Northport 98
2) HHH East 69
3) Bayshore 67
4) Walt Whitman 59
5) Commack 36
6) West Islip 34
7) East Islip 30
8) Central Islip 28
9) Connetquot 13

League III

You knew it was going to come down to Half Hollow Hills West and Bellport for League III supremacy. Hills West prevailed 107.50 to 85 behind a dominate performance from Kyle Merber. He won the 3,200 in 10:01.40, the 1,600 in 4:37.51, and was a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay team in 8:46.90. Teammate Keenan Weaving placed first in the triple jump with a leap of 40-04.50, the 55 hurdles in 8.20 and was a member of the winning 4 x 200 relay team 1:40.62.

Dennis Scruggs and Jaquan Holland, Bellport’s studs, also did not disappoint. Scruggs finished first in the 600 in 1:27.96, the high jump with a leap of 5 feet 8 inches. Holland won the 55 dash in 6.61, the 300 in 37.32. Both were members of the winning 4 x 400 relay team in 3:38.33

1) HHH West 107.50
2) Bellport 85
3) Smithtown East 78
4) Riverhead 37.50
5) Smithtown West 34
6) North Babylon 32
7) West Babylon 28 8) Deer Park 16
8) Copiague 16

League IV

Vincent Bond’s two wins helped lift Harborfields to a close 96 to 84 win over Huntington for the League IV title. Bond placed first in the triple jump with a leap of 38-09.75 and the 600 in 1:27.72. Teammate Dave Romanelli won the 300 in 38.58. Huntington’s Quillian Respass won the 55 dash in 6.98 and was a member of the winning 4 x 200 relay team in 1:38.60.

1) Harborfields 96
2) Huntington 84
3) Kings Park 63
4) East Hampton 56
5) Hauppauge 52
6) Miller Place 35
7) Islip 26
8) Rocky Point 11
9) Sayville 10

League V

Shoreham-Wading River had six first-place finishes as it easily won its second league title in five years, 120-85, over Amityville . Bobby Andrews won the 1,600 in 4:35, was a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay in 8:33 along with Sean Norberg, Brian Nill and James Gladysz and placed second in the 3,200 in 9:50.58. Nill also won the 600 in 1:26.6, and Gladysz won the 1,000 in 2:42.1.

Amityville’s Victor Drew won the triple jump with a leap of 40-10 and was second in the long jump in 19-08.75. Shoreham’s Scott Sherlock was first with a jump of 19-10. Westhampton’s Jared Nilsson placed first in the 300 in 36.55, the 55 hurdles in 7.60 and the 55 dash in 6.77.

1) Shoreham Wading River 121
2) Amityville 80
3) Bayport/Bluepoint 60
4) Westhampton Beach 51
5) Mount Sinai 49
6) Port Jefferson 35
7) John Glenn 33
8) Southampton 5

Here is a list of the Long Island athletes at the top of the State Track and Field rankings.

GIRLS

800 Meters

1. 2:12.40 CHARLENE TIPSEY (HEMPSTEAD)
1. 2:12.40 SARAH MCCURDY (BAY SHORE)
4. 2:14.27 BRIANNA WELCH (NORTH SHORE)

600

2. 1:32.82 CHARLENE LIPSEY (HEMPSTEAD)

Mile

1. 4:56.71 EMILY LIPARI (ROSLYN)

3000

2. 10:19.72 EMILY MENGES (GARDEN CITY)

2 Mile

1. 10:43.49 EMILY LIPARI (ROSLYN)
3. 10:50.86 SUEJIN AHN (WARD MELVILLE)

1500 Race Walk

1. 7:06.9 LEAH BULETTI (WESTHAMPTON)
4. 7:23.81 EMIIJA VASKYTE (VALLEY STEAM NORTH)

500

3. 1:16.09 CHARLENE LIPSEY (HEMPSTEAD)

4. 1:19.61 MAGDA ROBAK (HALF HOLLOW HILLS WEST)

55 hurdles

4. 8.38 ASHLEY HENDRIX (UNIONDALE)

400

4. 57.11 CHRISTIE VERDIER (BALDWIN)

1000

4. 2:55.36 BRIANNA WELCH (NORTH SHORE)

BOYS

55 hurdles

7.59. CHRIS PARKER (MEPHAM)

600 (1:25.04)

1. 1:20.28 DENNIS SCRUGGS (BELLPORT)
2. 1:21.14. ISAIAH MASK (BALDWIN)
3. 1:21.34. TERRANCE LIVINGSTON (GREAT NECK SOUTH)

300

3. 35.23. JOE SCHER (CAREY)
4. 35.29 ROBERT BARNES (BRENTWOOD)
5. 35.68 TYREK BARNEY (HOLY TRINITY)

400
1. 48.56 DENNIS SCRUGGS (BELLPORT)
2. 49.71. BARRY MASK (BALDWIN)
4. 50.11. CHAD ALLEN (HEMPSTEAD)

1000

1. 2:31.62. KYLE MERBER (HILLS WEST)
2. 2:34.77. MICHAEL SCHIEK (CHAMINADE)

1600

1. 4:15.13. KYLE MERBER (HILLS WEST)
3. 4:21.32 GIOVANNI SIGNOGNORETTI (SMITHTOWN WEST)
6. 4:23.66 MICHAEL ELNICK (KELLENBERG)

3200

2. 9:36.28 BARRY FRANKLIN (LONGWOOD)

Triple Jump

3. 46'9" AMIRE SOLOMON (ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST)
5. 46'4" KADEEM HOWELL (MANHASSET)

Shot Put

2. 55'4" JORDY PAULEMON (BRENTWOOD)
3. 54'5.25" LOUIS DAY (HOLY TRINITY)

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Conference II

East Meadow ran away with the Nassau Conference II title, with a bevy of top three finishes. It placed in the top three in 12 events and finished with 157 points to Valley Stream Central’s 78.

Valerie Sanders (11:28.3), Sarah Beganskas (11:29.1) and Priya Patel (11:30.0) went one, two and three in the 3000 meters. Cara Mattson (3:22.8) and Bridget Faria (3:23.5) were second and third in the 1000 meters. Roxanne Smith (5:26.5) and Jessica Widmann (5:27.0) placed second and third in the 1500. Nicole Banker (1:46.3) and Luisa Echeverri (149.1) placed first and third respectively in the 600. East Meadow also won the 4 x 400 and 4 x 200 relays.

Baldwin’s Christie Verdier (41.6) and Deidra Bryant (44.6) finished one and two in the 300 and in the 55 with times of 7.3 and 7.6 respectively. Bryant also placed third in the triple jump (30 feet 4.5 inches).

Place Points School
1. 157 East Meadow
2. 78 Valley Stream Central
3. 63 Calhoun
4. 53 Baldwin
5. 50 Port Washington
6. 33 Plainview Kennedy
7. 22 Long Beach
8 4 Hicksville

Conference IV

Lynbrook edged out second place Plainedge 135 to 100 for the Conference IV title. Senior Dana Levitt earned a first place finish in three events to lead Lynbrook. She won the 1000 (3:15.8), 300 (43.7) and was a member of the winning 4 x 400 relay team in 4:28.9. Majorie Diemickie led Plainedge. The junior placed first in the 600 (1:47.6), the triple jump (31 feet 7 inches) and was a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay team in 10:48.1. Roslyn’s Emily Lipari won the 1500 in 4:59.8 and the 3000 in 10:16.4.

Place Points School
1. 135 Lynbrook
2. 100 Plainedge
3. 58 South Side
4. 38 Roslyn
5. 36 Wantagh
6. 34 Sewanhaka
7. 30 New Hyde Park
8. 27 Westbury
9. 2 Bethpage

Conference VI

Valley Stream North earned a slim 125 to 109 win over Manhasset to claim the Conference IV title. Brianna Cano was the star for Valley Stream North. The junior won the 1000 (3:17.0), the 1500 (5:10.1) and was a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay team in 11:07.2. Emiija Vaskyte won the 1500 race walk in 7:32.0. Patrica McNish and Jasmine Blocker did their best earn Manhasset the title. McNish won the 55 hurdles in 9.1 and the long jump with a leap of 16 feet 3 inches. Blocker won the 300 in 42.7 and the 600 in 1:44.6. Cold Spring Harbor’s Erica Cirino, whose team placed third with 77 points, won the 3000 (10:40.8) and was second in the 1000 (3:21.7) and the 1500 (5:13.5).

Place Points School
1. 125 Valley Stream North
2. 109 Manhasset
3. 77 Cold Spring Harbor
4. 40 Wheatley
5. 32 Oyster Bay
6. 31 Mineola
7. 19 Seaford
8. 18 Malverne
9. 10 Friends Academy

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Keep and eye on Holy Trinity's Tyrek Barney. Last season the All-CHSAA football player was primarily sprinter and long jumper, but this season has excelled at the middle distance. The junior has already run a 2:03 in the 800 meters and ran a 1:26 in his first 600 of the year, according to coach Justin Renna. He placed second in the 300, his first of the season, with a time of 35.68 at the Staner Games last Saturday at the Armory.

Check out tomorrow's web-exclusive Insider on Mepham's Chris Parker.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Garden City's Emily Menges placed second in the invitational 3000 meters with a time of 10:06.49, the second fastest time in the nation this season, at the Stanner Games at the Armory. Cassie Goutos of Saratoga Springs won the event in 10:05.96, the nation's top time. Erica Cirino placed fifth for Cold Spring Harbor Maddie Adams was third in the invitational mile in 4:56.47, the third fastest time in the nation according to Garden City coach Erica Fregosi.

Hempstead's Charlene Lipsey set a Stanner Games' record of 1:32.82 in the 600. She broke the previous record of 1:33.17 set in 2005. Shoreham-Wading River's Ashley Clasen won the weight throw with a toss of 47 feet .5 inches

Brentwood's Robert Barnes won the 300 meters in at time of 35.29. Teammate Jordy Paulemom won the shot put with a toss of 54 feet 6 1/2 inches. Amire Solomon from St. John the Baptist finished first in the triple jump with a leap of 46 feet 9 inches, a school record, according to coach Dave Wood.

Bay Shore's Stephanie Barnes won the triple jump with a mark of 36-3. Senior Jasmyne Spencer placed third in the 55-meter high hurdles in 9.02 seconds, and the long jump with a leap of 16-7 1/2. Junior Cherrice Brown was second in the shot put at 34-8 1/4. Barnes, Kate Keagins, Alexa DeLyra and Sarah McCurdy finished fourth in 4 x 800 relay with a time of 9:44.01.

Kellenberg's Kristin Wenthen, Chelsea Gardner, Katie McLaughlin and Meghan Wendleken won the 4 x 200 meter relay in a time of 1:48. 7 at the Darmouth Relays. Kellenberg placed fifth out of 82 teams and was the top New York finisher.

BY ADAM RONIS

Sophomore Emily Lipari of Rosyln and senior Pat Dupont of Fairport and were selected as the Gatorade New York Cross Country Runners of the Year. Both are eligible for the national award. This is the first year that Gatorade has included cross country as part of its awards program.

Lipari was also named the NYSSWA girls cross country runner of the year. She won the state and Federation championships and placed sixth at the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Here is a list of the Long Island athletes at the top of the State Track and Field rankings.

800 Meters

1. 2:12.40 CHARLENE TIPSEY (HEMPSTEAD)
1. 2:12.40 FAT SARAH MCCURDY (BAY SHORE)
2. 2:14.27 FAT BRIANNA WELCH (NORTH SHORE)

Mile

1. 4:56.71 EMILY LIPARI (ROSLYN)

3000

1. 10:17.64 CASSIE GOUTOS (SARATOGA)
2. 10:19.72 EMILY MENGES (GARDEN CITY)

2 Mile

1. 10:43.49 EMILY LIPARI (ROSLYN)
3. 10:50.86 SUEJIN AHN (WARD MELVILLE)

1500 Race Walk

1. 7:06.9 LEAH BULETTI (WESTHAMPTON)
2. 7:23.81 EMIIJA VASKYTE (VALLEY STEAM NORTH)

500

1:19.61 MAGDA ROBAK (HALF HOLLOW HILLS WEST)

BOYS

55 hurdles

7.59. CHRIS PARKER (MEPHAM)

600 (1:25.04)

1. 1:20.28 DENNIS SCRUGGS (BELLPORT)
2. 1:21.34. TERRANCE LIVINGSTON (GREAT NECK SOUTH.
3. 1:21.77. ISAIAH MASK (BALDWIN)

1000

1. 2:31.62. KYLE MERBER (HILLS WEST)
2. 2:34.41. MICHAEL SCHIEK (CHAMINADE)

1600

1. 4:24.70 GIOVANNI SIGNOGNORETTI (SMITHTOWN WEST)
3. 4:26.45 THOMAS ELNICK (KELLENBERG)
4. 4:26.78 MICHAEL ELNICK (KELLENBERG)

3200

1. 9:36.28 BARRY FRANKLIN (LONGWOOD)

Triple Jump

2. 46'7" AMIRE SOLOMON (ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST)

Shot Put

1. 53'6.25" JORDY PAULEMON (BRENTWOOD)

Boys

1. Farmingdale

2. Baldwin

3. Valley Stream Central

4. Longwood

5. Brentwood

6. Half Hollow Hills West

7. St. John the Baptist

8. Kellenberg

9. Lynbrook

10. Bellport

Girls

1. Bay Shore

2. East Meadow

3. Garden City

4. Northport

5. Uniondale

6. St. John the Baptist

7. Shoreham-Wading River

8. Kellenberg

9. Lynbrook

10. Sayville

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Chaminade’s Charlie Donnelly, Mike Schieck, Chris Tonn and Steven Donnelly won the boys CHSAA 4 x 800 relay in 7:57.13. It was the second-fastest time in the country this season and best the state. The team qualified for the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 1.

Kellenberg's Candice Gibson, Kristin Wenthen, Kelsey Gardner and Meghan Wendelken won the CHSAA 4x400 meter relay in 3:59.11 at the Millrose Trails at the Armory. It is the third fastest time in the state, according to coach Bob York. The team qualified for the Millrose Games.

Bay Shore's Brittany Silipo, Tenica Roberts, Stephanie Barnes and Sarah McCurdy won the Suffolk 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:02.18 to qualify for the Millrose Games

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Check out my Insider about St. John the Baptist triple jumper Amire Solomon in tomorrow's paper and Halk Hollow Hills West's Kyle Merber, the N-Zone athlete of the week, in Friday's paper.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Emily Menges won the 3,000 meters in a school record time of 10:19.97 at the Southern Tier Invite at Cornell University this past Saturday. It currently ranks her second in the state. Menges also won the 600 in 1:39.55. Maddie Adams won the 1,500 in a school record time of 4:45.9 and ranks her fifth in the state. She also placed third in the 300 in a time of 1:40.57.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

A bit of a buzz hit the press room at the Armory when someone said that Roslyn's Emily Lipari was likely running the invitational mile at the Hispanic Games last Saturday. She brings that level of attention after a stellar cross-country season. That attention will certainly increase after she won the event and earned a spot in the Millrose Games on Feb 1.

"I'm just excited because I get to race so many respected runners," Lipari said.

She said the decision for her to run at the Hispanic Games was made just two days prior, "I was kind of thrown into it.”

According to Lipari it was just her third distance race indoors. She is happy to be back running her normal distance after competing in a few sprints early in the indoor season.

She looked right at home

Running in the last lane, she worked her way back to the front of the pack after getting swallowed up in the pack early

"I kind of felt my shoes hitting someone else so I was like I hope I don’t fall,” Lipari said.

With a lap and a half left he decided to make her move on Gillian Greibesland of Warwick (Section IX).

“I always look at the girl’s condition in front of me,” Lipari said. “If I feel like she is looking really really strong, I’ll sit behind her until its completely necessary. If the girl looks like she is dying I’ll pass her right there. It kind of makes her go faster earlier.”

Greibesland had enough left to pass her, but Lipari found a late reserve and a strong final kick you are not used to seeing from her to earn the win in the straightaway.

Maybe some of those sprints paid off.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Even after arguably Kyle Merber's greatest individual achievement his mind to his teammates.

"I know I am going to call me relay,” Merber said. "They are a good group of guys and a good group of friends. I am going to go call them now."

Jared Squires, Christian Dottin, Harold Jamison and Merber finished won the distance medley relay a time of 10:30, qualifying them for the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the Armory in March. The same Hills West team also won the 3,200 relay in 8:06.52.

After winning the invitational mile at the Hispanic Games yesterday and qualifying for the Millrose Games, Merber said prior to his trip to the Garden he would concentrate on the team and hopefully run some good relays.

"Now I can run with them a little bit more instead of worrying about trying to get in," he said.

Look for additional stuff from the Hispanic Games over the next few days.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

I am currently enjoying by first visit to the Armory, one that could have started at 11 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. if I read the event sheet correctly. I will do my best throughout the day to updat the blog with Long Island winners, top performers and other observations.

UPDATE 9: Bay Shore's Sarah McCurdy won the 800 meters in a time of 2:12.40. Hempstead's Charlene Lipsey was second in 2:13.60.

*****UPDATE 8*******: Emily Lipari won the girls invitational mile in a time of 4:56.71 and earned a spot in the Millrose Games.

***UPDATE**** Half Hollow Hills West's Kyle Merber and Roslyn's Emily Lipari both one their respective invitation mile race and earned trips to the 101 Milrose Games in February. Merber did so in 4:15.13, the fastest time in the country this season.

UPDATE: 6: Smithtown East's Brendan Connell won the unseeded boys mile in 4:26.12

UPDATE 5: I was just imformed the Roslyn's Emily Lipari will likely be added to the girls invitational mile field.

UPDATE 4: It looks like Long Island will have two shot putters in the final. St. John the Baptist's Simon Mercado (49.7) and Longwood's Vinny Guida (49.3) are both at the top of the field. I will let you know how they fair. MERCADO PLACED SECOND and GUDIA THIRD.

UPDATE 3: Mepham's Chris Parker just placed second in the 55 meter hurdles in a time of 7.50. Devon Hill of Trenton Central won the event in 7.35. It is the second time the two placed first and second in the event. They finished that way at the Bishop Loughlin Games in December.

"It not the time," Parker said. "Im just tired of getting second place. I am a little disappointed but, I have to get back on it"

UPDATE 2: St, John the Baptist jumper Amire Solomon is here, but not seeded. He just jumped a person best 20-11 in the long jump and will be competeing in the triple jump later in the day.

UPDATATE 1: Westhampton's Leah Buletti won the race walk in convincing fashion with a time of 7:09.41. Buletti is the defending state champion in in the event. Emilija Vaskyte of Valley Stream North was second in 7:23.81.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Bright and early Saturday morning I will be make my first trip to the famous Armory in the city to cover the Hispanic Games. I will try my best to blog any winners or breaking news, but for now here is a look at the event to keep an eye on.

GIRLS

800 meters

Hempstead's Charlene Lipsey shocked North Shore's Brianna Welch last week at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic in this event. What will happen this time? The two are seeded first and second respectively and will also have to contend with Bay Shore's Sarah McCurdy.

Mile

McCurdy, seeded fifth, will also be running this event along with Ward Melville's Suejin Ahn, seeded second.

2 Mile

Northport's Samantha D'Amato and Meghan Lutz are seeded fifth and sixth in this race. Bay Shore's Kim Moran is eighth.

Long Jump

Bay Shore's Jasmyne Spencer is the fifth seed.

Shot Put

Spencer's teammate Cherrice Brown seeded second and Hempstead's Brittany Dukes is seventh.

BOYS

55 hurdles

Valley Stream Central's Zico Williams, who is also at the top of the field in the triple jump, is seeded third. Gregory Mercado of Brentwood is 10th and Baldwin's Alex Williams and Brandon Camille are 12th and 13th.

200

Brentwood's Robert Barnes is seeded fourth.

400

An impressive group of Long Island runners, including Hempstead's Anthony Celestin, Bellport's Dennis Scruggs and Baldwin's Barry Mask, will look to imerge from a very large and talented field.

Mile

The race features alot of familiar names. Half Hollow Hill's West's Kyle Merber, fresh off an impressive relay performance at the Brown Invitational, is joined by Kellenberg's Tom and Michael Elnick and Chaminade's Charles and Stephen Donnelly.

2 Mile

Valley Stream Central's Kevon Carter, Shoreham-Wading River's Bobby Andrews and Long Beach's Brandon Abasolo are seeded in the middle of the field.

Shot Put

This event could turn out to be a battle between top-seeded Jordy Pauleman of Brentwood and No. 2 seed Chris Searles of Longwood. Rio Caputo of Smithtown West is seeded fourth.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI AND MARCUS HENRY

Newsday's Top 10 rankings

GIRLS

1. Bay Shore

2. East Meadow

3. Garden City

4. Northport

5. Uniondale

6. St. John the Baptist

7. Shoreham-Wading River

8. Kellenberg

9. Lynbrook

10. Sayville

BOYS

1. Farmingdale

2. Baldwin

3. Valley Stream Central

4. Longwood

5. Brentwood

6. St. John the Baptist

7. Half Hollow Hills West

8. Kellenberg

9. Lynbrook

10. Bellport