Fordham Prep Spring Track Newsletter 2001 click here for Previous Meets - go to Armorytrack.com for complete league results

CITY CHAMPS!! The beginning of the end.....Dave Bailey hands off to Obaro Emenike, who would catch Holy Cross anchor Michael Davenport for the 4x100m win.  Meet Director Jan Mitchell looks on.  (wingedfootfotos) An historic event for the Prep: 74 years in the league, national record holders, state records, olympic trials athletes, and yet no track and field city championships---until today.  Rams, both past and present, have alot to be proud of as the 2001 team put their hearts and souls into an unforgettable season.  Yes, we are the City Champions!

May 26, 2001 - 74th CHSAA Intersectional Championship - Mount St. Michael HS
- Check out the City Champs Diary: An account of the day's events
- Check out the photos!
- New! See the words of many well-wishers! (Thanks!)
- Read Newsday's account (from a Queens perspective) of Fordham Prep's 4x100m win! 
- Read a mediocre article in the Daily News--but with a nice photo of Idris !

*=medal winner; PR=personal record; ATP=All Time Prep

City Champs Diary: A detailed description of the days events - Photos

The Start: Rain, Pain and Gain (9:30am)
The weather was wet, dreary, and cold for late May.  But optimism was still high.  The first event was the 400m Intermediate hurdles.  We counted on 3 points for this event--hoping, conservatively, for 4th place from the Freshman Sans and 5th from the Sophomore Fernandez.  Both athletes had been terrific surprises this year.  Two athletes made for the event given their speed, strength and mental toughness.  But like much of the meet, this event saw both happiness and disappointment.  Fernandez came up big--a 2 second personal best and a 3rd place finish in 57.42-breaking his own soph school record.  Greg, unfortunately twisted his knee at the 300m mark, couldn't finish,  and would miss the rest of the meet--a loss that left the fate of the 4x400 meter relay in jeopardy.  Mount's Rich Villanueva won the event and Chaminade's Pete Garafolo placed second--results that we expected-so the scoring was as yet going as planned.

The Discus Misunderstanding (9:30am)
Mike Sangobowale had had a tremendous practice on Thursday.  Conservatively estimaing some throws at over 155 feet, Coach Dowling was optimistic.  But with Coach Dowling serving as Javelin official, he couldn't be there to sraighten out the mess that would folllow.  The Discus is supposed to have the top seeded athletes throw in the final flight, so that the best throwers won't have too much time between their trials throws and their finals throws.  But the flight sheets were never given to the discus official, who did not know the athletes in the event.  As a result, Mike was inserted in the first flight and had to throw in the driving rain.  Other top competitors were randomly thrown in other flights, and some of the best threw when the rain had stopped.  Mike made the finals, but had to wait one and a half hours to throw.   His throw of 138 feet was good for second, but only 3 feet from first place and far below his expectations.  The scoring was still what we had expected (Kellenberg's Jean Afflack 6, Fordham 4) but we felt we were denied a fair chance at a better outcome.  

Money in the Bank (9:30am)
It's not wise to be overconfident, but Steve Naclerio in the Javelin is better than Mariano Rivero in the bullpen. It was an expected 6 points from the State's leading javelin tosser, and the Boston College-bound senior delivered.  Steve's toss of 169'5" is 15 feet below his PR, and he still needs to throw 200 feet to win a steak dinner from Mr. Dowling.  Steve even stuck around for the entire meet, apparently motivated solely by the possibility of dousing Coach Febles with gallons of ice water at meet's end.  Kellenberg's Pat Bradley took 4th, a point better than we expected--the beginning of our concerns for the Kellenberg threat.

Insane in the Rain (10:00am)
At practice on Monday, Coach Febles announced that Coach Sullivan's distance crew, the young, talented group that logs all those miles, all the while complaining of the "easy" workouts for everyone else, was to be given a special assignment.   Since they are a year away from being scoring threats at the major championship meets, they would be asked to perform an important duty.  Coach Febles had observed that the Steeplechase at the City champs is always lightly entered and thus only has one heat each year.  That speeds up the time schedule and allows for only 30 minutes or so between the 400 meter hurdles and the 4x400 meter relay trials--an event in which the Prep needed the services of both Fernandez and Sans--who could use all the rest they could afford after their first event.   The assignment?  Eight brave souls would compete in this event for the first time ever, joined by the experienced Pablo Romero, to force a second heat.  The boys were game.  Attempts at formal training were scuttled as rain all week conspired to prevent us from going to a nearby school to practice, forcing Coach Sullivan (Prep record holder in the event) to try to teach using regular hurdles--a poor substitute.   As the event was clerked and sent to the starting line, Xavier Coach Pat Dormer (Fordham Prep assistant 1988-89, 91-93) noticed that the clerk had tried to put more than 25 runners on the line--a league rules no-no.   Coach Dormer started screaming "By-laws! It's in the By-laws", referring to the 15-man maximum allowed in the event according to CHSAA rules.  The matter was resolved and we got our second heat--a fun affair as we may have found some steeplechasers for next year.

The Substitute (10:30am)
We advertise to new runners that track has no benchwarmers. That is, everyone who practices hard gets to run regardless of ability.  But the City Champs presented a special problem for one runner.  Junior Olusola Olaleye was to be an alternate on the 4x400 meter relay.  But with the finals listed as the meet's final event, Coach Febles told him there was a good chance he wouldn't get to run on Saturday.  That is, in case of injury, he would need to be "fresh" in case he was needed for the finals--an event that could have decided the entire meet.  But as it turned out, Greg Sans' injury meant that Olusola would be called upon--literally.  When Coach Febles asked, at 9:45am, "where's Olusola?", he was told he had not yet arrived (report time was set at 8:45am for all).  Taking out the ever-feared team cell phone, the call was placed to the Olaleye residence where Coach was assured Olusola had left some time ago.   As the cell phone was put away, Olusola appeared and was told to warm up.   Olusola gave the team his best 400 ever, running the 3rd leg in a PR 53.3--helping the team to the 6th and final spot in the finals. 
    In addition, the steeplechase plan apparently worked as Jose Fernandez led off in a PR 51.7.  Freshman William Holder was a story unto himself as he showed the poise of a veteran with a sterling 51.4 split--believed to be the fastest 400m split ever for a Fordham Prep freshman.  Sophomore Conrad Dalton anchored in 50.7 to round out an incredible team of underclassmen.

Slip Slidin, Up and Away
One of the toughest assignments of the meet was handed to talented Sophomore Conrad Dalton.  Fresh off his blazing 400m anchor in the 4x400m trials, he had to head over to the high jump apron where the team was counting on a third place finish based on his personal best of 6'4"--the school Sophomore record.  The rain had been unkind to the apron, and especially to Conrad, whose approach to the bar is more angular than most--making the slick take-off area particularly difficult to navigate for Conrad.  Still, clearing 5'10", Conrad managed a tie for 3rd, staying ahead of the athletes he needed to beat.  Kellenberg earned 6 for their win by Brian McCarthy--an expected result, but Chaminade suffered a set-back when their 6'4" high jumper showed up too late to compete in the event.  Again, Kellenberg looks strong early on.

Hurdle Hopes
Coach George Febles Sr. has been coaching and officiating in the league for 36 years, and has seen his share of great moments and great athletes.  He has served as the Prep's hurdles coach for the past 8 years and his expertise played a vital role in the Freshman and Sophomore City Championship titles we won this year, as well as the Sectional crown last week.  His day started off well with Fernandez' big race, now he was looking for his army of sub-17 second 110m hurdlers to come through.  The CHSAA is a talented hurdle league, so while we didn't "count on" any 110mHH points, we knew they were within our grasp.  Will Heitmann, on his way to a career-day in the pole vault, false started, hurting our chances at inserting someone into the finals, but Junior Rupert Pond, Soph Clark Palicka and Senior Mark Greiss all hit PRs in the trials, giving the Prep 3 of 12 spots in the semis.  Valiant efforts were made in the semis, but none made the finals--Rupert and Will turned their attention to the vault.  As a side note, we salute Jerrey Alcoser of our Jesuit friends on 16th street, who became Coach Dormer's first-ever Varsity City Champion.

Angry Young Man with a Shot Put
Senior Mike Sangobowale was looking forward to a super day.  He would be nearing the end of one of the best athletic careers in Fordham Prep history.   All-City Defensive Back on one of the City's best Football teams, leader on the one of the best Prep basketball squads in years, and double Sectional champion in the Discus and Shot Put, the U Penn- bound senior was looking to improve on his PR of 53'4".   Mike would throw a frustrating 50'8.75 for 4th place.  Kellenberg's Jean Afflack would earn the meet's Field Events MVP award for his 55 foot win, for a 4 point difference between he and Mike that we hoped not to see.  A small setback, but not enough can be said about what Mike has meant to Fordham Prep these past 4 years. 

Just Waitin' on a Bend
Five years ago, Coach Brian Carney asked Coach Febles if he could study the Pole Vault and start training kids in the event.  The event would cost money.  We started the tradition of selling Christmas Poinsettias which continues to this day, eating up a big portion of the budget.  A year later, we convinced the school to spend $7,000 on pole vault mats.  Why did Coach Carney want to start an event that he never participated in?  Simple--he couldn't stand to see schools like Iona Prep get all those "cheap" points at big meets, trouncing us in the process.  Two years later Carney guided Lloyd Nolan to the New York City record of 15 feet, and today it was time for all his efforts to payoff in the form of a City Championship.  We would count on Coach Carney's kids for nearly a quarter of the team's points--a heavy burden to bear when you have to vault in the rain. 

Pole Vault official Tom Cox held up the event until it stopped raining, but it would be damp all day.  Junior Colin O'Dwyer would be the team's first casualty of the meet conditions when, despite an outstanding week of practice, he would clear only 11'6".  Still, Will Heitman would actually vault his best height ever in these conditions as he became Carney's 7th 12 foot vaulter, capturing 4th place.  Rupert Pond would equal his best, taking 3rd at 12'6", and Soph Gavin McMahon would repeat his indoor  performance and win his second City Championship plaque in his young career.  The 11 points would give us our first lead of the meet.  28.5-26-24 over Kellenberg and Chaminade. 

Tactics, Tactics, Tactics
Senior Idris Payne has been around Track since the days he was a Xavier groupie following his brother to meets at the Armory.  He shocked some by deciding on Fordham Prep in the fall of '97, but no one at Rose Hill regrets that decision.  Idris' is a story of dedication and growth, a story that has shown his rise, in typical Fordham Prep fashion, from a sub midget sprinter to a feared force in the league's premier event--the 800 meters.  Despite a tough year that saw Idris sustain a devastating hip flexor injury, Idris began to come alive in his last few weeks at the Prep, logging a 400 meter split of 49.9, and taking 4th at last week's Sectionals in a PR 1:57.3.  Idris would be up against the National Indoor 800 Meter Champion Corey Thomas of Loughlin and a talented field of half milers.  A tactical error---falling behind at the 300 meter mark and forcing a mid-race surge that would take some of his kick away--would relegate this team leader to 7th in 1:59.00.  But Idris would have an appointment to keep in few hours when he would be inserted as the anchor on the all-important 4x400 meter relay.   We knew this would be a tough event to count on points from, but Mount St. Michael's 6 points for 2nd and 4th places seemed to revive their chances at contention after a few setbacks for them to this point. 

Chaminade Jumps In
Prep Junior Kamar Adlam had battled nagging injuries all year, but had managed to step up at the Indoor City Champs to earn 6 crucial points and a trip to the State Champs in the Triple Jump.  Kamar would be just slightly off his best today, flying 41'9.75" for 6th in the Triple jump, and just missing the Long Jump final at 19'4".  Chaminade coach Tom Kehrli takes pride in his jumpers, and despite a setback in the high jump, his horizontal jumpers would put the Flyers right in the mix.   Taking 2nd in the Triple and 1st and 4th in the Long Jump, Chaminade earned a 12 point advantage on us in those events--twice what we had anticipated.  With strong quarter and half milers in the relays to come, and a tradition of familiarity with Championship situations, the boys from Mineola now posed as serious a threat as Kellenberg.  

Interlude: MVP Millioen; Sockless Owl Wins the Mile; the Jugheads|
The middle portion of the meet was a waiting game. Waiting for some non-scoring events (our Soph 4x100m got 5th place medals) and events that we did not concentrate on to be completed.  The meet was, of course, more than just Fordham Prep.  St. Anthony's Charles Millioen won the 3200 meter run by half a lap in a super 9:15.99, and Regis' Terry Lennon, after losing one of his shoes just after the 800 meter mark, won the 1600 meter run in 4:23.36.  Another quirk of the meet was the rather recent phenomenon of JUG-sentenced Prep students serving as "go-fors" for Coach Febles.   Sophomore Drew Hurry was on his second tour of duty as "Guy Friday" for missing Gym classes--he had told the gym teacher he was on the track team.  He wasn't, and would now pay with his free time on Saturdays.  Actually, Drew served admirably.  Junior Andres Bermudez played a similar role, but for required service hours, not for JUG.

Controversy in the 200 Meter
Some of the tougher coaching decisions involved our strategy with in the sprints.   Should Obaro Emenike run the 200 as well as the 100 since he had the the 3rd fastest 200m time in the City?  Or should he run on the relay, giving Junior Joe Flucus, ranked 6th in the City, the responsibility for those points.  The coaches went with Flucus--the talented, outspoken, often hard-luck sprinter (two weeks before at the Hartford Invitational, a beautiful sunny day turned into a torrential downpour solely during his event).  Joe qualified 5th in the trials in 22.92, but one of two controversies developed.  Just before the final, the officials realized they had overlooked Holy Cross Senior Brian Chiantella--in actuality the top seed--for the final.  Having already assigned lanes, the officials decided to run a 7-man final, allowing 7th seed Craig Nelson of Christ the King into the final as recompense for their mistake.  Coach Febles approached the meet directors to protest (Nelson had beaten Flucus in their only matchup earlier this season).  As the gun was raised, Coach Febles had to make a decision to officially lodge the protest to stop the race to review the decision.  Two conflicting scenarios were at work: If Nelson was taken out of the 200m final, he would be more rested for his 100 meter finals matchup with our own Obaro Emenike, whom he had also beaten earlier this year; if he runs the 200m final, he could knock Flucus back a precious place.  What should Coach have done?  Coach Febles decided not to protest, showing his faith in Flucus and his ability to rise to the occasion--Joe ran 22.91 to Craig's 22.92--an amazing 1/100th difference.  A winning gamble.  Coincidentally, Coach Febles also won the $81.00 exacta on the Preakness last Saturday.

But the controversy was not over.  Flucus was originally chosen as the 5th place finisher by the judges, despite Coach Febles Sr's and Coach Carney's protest.  We asked for a review of the photo finish (the meet directors had only decided to hire electronic timing the night before), and  Flucus was indeed determined to be the 4th place finisher--changing his time to 22.89 and more importantly, his points to 2.   Kellenberg's Ron Franklin finished 7th.  We were now up by 3 and a half points over Kellenberg, 5 and a half over Chaminade. 

One-Lap Wonder: Bailey in the Quarter
Last spring, Dave Bailey came out for track for the first time with a reputation as one of the best athletes at the Prep--ever.  He'd already established himself as a premier back in football and a top-notch guard in basketball. With a stint in Freshman baseball too, it seemed Dave was just joining to see what all the fuss was about on the track team.  He fit in right away.  Instantly adding to our 4x100m and 4x200m relays, he was a workdog in practice, and continues to be one of the most "coachable" athletes around.  When told a strategy, he follows it to the letter--leading to success.  . 

This year, Dave worked on learning the intricacies of what some call the most grueling sprint event, the 400 meters.  Weekly adjustments saw Dave improve to a quick 50.4 at Sectionals last week, leaving the coaches with a big decision for Cities.   His time was only 7th among the expected starters at Cities, but one needs to be seeded in the top 6 in order to be in the most competitive heats.  If you're seeded 7th, you run against runners that are slower.  Another alternative would have been to pull Dave from the 400 and enter him in the 4x400--which would have virtually guaranteed the 4x400 a spot in the final, but would have left the 400m race devoid of Prep kids, when the top 3 entrants would, ironically, be from the 3 schools we feared--Chaminade, Kellenberg and Mount St. Michael.  So at the seeding meeting on Wednesday night (unlike all other meets, all top athletes are pre-seeded 3 days prior to the Cities--no changes to your lineup are allowed after that), Coach Febles made another slight gamble and entered Bailey in the 400m, hoping the Steeplechase strategy would be enough to help the 4x400m gain the finals.  But there was a twist.  At the meeting, Coach Febles listed Bailey at 50.3, not his actual time of 50.4.  This kind of "reality manipulation" is, or at least was, common at the seed meeting, so don't think less of Coach Febles for it.  Coaches can challenge the seeds entered by other coaches, and Coach Febles was gambling that no one would.  He got lucky again, and Bailey got into a strong trials heat, running 51.2.  In the finals, Dave ran 51.52, took 4th behind the very teams we expected--Mount's Jaray Green was 3rd, and Kellenberg's Robert York upset Chaminade's Paul Malmquist for a very big win for Kellenberg, who now regained the lead in the meet by a slim half point. 

Now it was crunch time.  There were 5 events remaining, and Fordham and Kellenberg would be matched up in 3 of them.  Chaminade had strong entrants in 2 events, with the long jump about to start the finals in which they had two finalists. 

Lightning!  Obaro's Race of the "Century"
Three weeks ago, news spread that the CHSAA's reigning sprint king, Mount St. Michael's Senior Ron Hussey, would be out for the remainder of the season.  This left the City Champs sprint scenario, and indeed the team scoring scenario, "wide open".   Unlike the indoor season, where almost all teams see each other nearly every week, outdoors sees a diaspora of CHSAA teams as they spread out among the metro area looking for invitationals.  So comparing intra-league sprinters is tough.  Holy Trinity's Dwight Vincent had put up tremendous times all spring.  Christ the King's Craig Nelson was ranked among the state's top 10 in the state for much of the season.  And our own Obaro Emenike had recorded some eye-popping performances.  Obaro suffered a slight hamstring twinge early in the season that nagged him for most of April.  Taking his team role seriously, Obaro listened to coaches and teammates and improved his stretching routines, which were lacking to say the least.  He worked diligently on his start, and benefited from increased mileage for endurance (the sprinters often recorded 5+ miles a day running to and from Van Cortlandt Park for practice).  In short, Obaro was prepared for the tough day ahead, which would ask him to run 5 quality races in crucial events.  Breezing through the trials, Obaro found himself in the finals with two Kellenberg athletes from their large and talented sprint group.  With a half point separating the Prep and Kellenberg, their colorful head coach Kevin Buckley was heard to say before the event, "this race is huge".  

Obaro blew everyone off the line--head down, arms pumping high, at full stride almost immediately.  The race was so evenly matched that after the first 10 meters, no place changes took place.  Obaro kept the slim lead he had on Nelson and Vincent at the start for the entire 100 meters.  An incredible study in concentration and preparation, and a lightning bolt for the Prep.  With only the 3 relays remaining, we had a 4.5 point advantage on Kellenberg, whose two finalists only managed 5th and 6th in the 100.

4x100 Meter Magic: A Story of Perseverance
Of all the drama at the meet, nothing exceeded that of the 4x100 meter relay.  At the beginning of the season, we knew we had the makings of a City Champ-quality 4x100, but roadblocks kept appearing.  First, a key part of our spring sprint routine is the hill and plyometric workouts at nearby Botanical Gardens.  But in March, a Freshmen snowball fight got all Prep runners thrown out of the Gardens for the entire spring.  Also, Holy Cross high school in Bayside had begun to put up times that seemed untouchable--their 42.85 at the Penn Relays was the 6th-best time in CHSAA history and the fastest time in the league in 8 years.  In addition, Kellenberg's 43.11 at Hartford was another scary clocking.  Still, many weeks we devoted two practices exclusively to stick passing.  Running down to Van Cortlandt and parking at our usual northeast corner of the track at the third exchange zone, we'd spend 2 hours perfecting steps and baton exchanges.  By the time late May rolled around, the team of William Holder, Joe Flucus, Dave Bailey and Obaro Emenike was a well-oiled machine.  

But a major part of this story belongs to captain Boomie Awofeso.  Straining his hamstring back in January, he would not be the same all spring.  He saw doctors and diligently followed every comeback regimen.  We'd sit him out for 2-3 weeks, bring him along slowly, then only meet disappointment when the strain would reappear.   This was supposed to be Bommie's big season and it was slipping away week by week.  He missed running at the Penn Relays,and it looked like he might not be back at all.  But to his credit, Boomie never lost the determination and desire to make a full recovery.  He was at every practice--many times only able to stretch and ice his leg.  He still served as a forceful captain who never let the underclassmen lose sight of the ultimate goal--the team's first ever track City Championship.  Clearly, good things come to those who persevere.  His first real test came last week at Sectionals where he led off the gold medal-winning team.  Boomie was back, and ready for the most important race of his career.  

The trials saw disaster strike two key teams.  Kellenberg's powerful squad dropped the stick at the final exchange, and in the process impeded Mount St. Michael's team--forcing their disqualification as well.  The Prep's trials race wasn't flawless either as the first exchange had trouble getting the baton handed off.  In addition, Kellenberg's "B" team had qualified 3rd--displaying their depth in the sprints.  But there was a sign of hope--despite the less-than-perfect stick passing, we still were only .3 seconds behind Holy Cross.  In the finals, it all clicked.  Boomie was indeed "back" as he went stride for stride with Holy Cross leadoff Brian Chiantella.  Joe and Dave lost only a step or two as Obaro got the stick 3 meters behind Holy Cross anchor Michael Davenport, to the roars of the Fordham Prep faithful sitting at the 3rd exchange zone.  He began closing the gap steadily.  Would he have enough room?  The crowd was screaming as they went by, a lean at the tape and YES!  The Prep's first relay title at a City Championship in 25 years!!  With Kellenberg's "B" team also getting disqualified, the meet was virtually won as the Prep took a commanding 10.5  point lead (Chaminade would need to take 1st and 3rd in the Long Jump and win and shut out the Prep in the 4x400 to win).   How great that the winning moment of the meet would be one of the most exciting finishes of the entire day.  

Icing on the Cake: 4x400m makes States
Rarely do you see runners approach the starting line with smiles on their faces.   But 4x400m anchor Idris Payne had an ear-to-ear grin as he made his way to the track.  He knew all he had to do was beat one team to ensure the win.  And his confidence was running high.  But there was pride at stake as well.  Idris failed to place in his individual event, and now, against some of the best quarter milers in the league, he would make his mark. 

Jose Fernandez led off in a superb 52.1, handing off in 5th, but in a tight group--what a day for a Soph.  Another Sophomore, Conrad Dalton, now got to do what he loves best--chase.  Abandoning all restraint, Conrad went after the leaders.  Drawing up on all of the them after 300 meters, he swung 4 wide down the stretch to hand off equal to the leaders in a spectacular 49.8.   William Holder would again rise to the occasion as he sprinted to the lead and created an amazing sight as the 5'6" Freshman fought Mount's 6'3" Duke-bound linebacker Phil Alexander all the way to the 200m mark.  Will began to fade down the stretch, handing off to Idris in 5th--but within striking distance.  The anchor legs made up a Who's Who of CHSAA quarter milers, listed with their PR's:  Kellenberg's Robert York  48.9, Loughlin's Corey Thomas 47.9, Chaminade's PJ Malmquist 48.9, Mount's Ricardo Aguirre 49.0, Farrell's Vince Verteramo 49.9 and Idris, whose PR was 49.9 to date.  With the crowd screaming, Idris blazed by Verteramo and the fatigued Malmquist, but Loughlin's Thomas went right by Idris.  Earlier in the year the same scenario happened and Idris let Thomas go.  Not so today, as he went stride for stride with Thomas right down to the wire, passing Aguirre in the stretch and placing third just behind Thomas.  The splits?  Thomas 47.1 and Payne an amazing 48.5--possibly the fastest Prep 400m split since John Hallinan and Fred Miller ran 47.9 in 1970 and 1969.  More importantly, it was over.  The Ram faithful erupted in celebration.  Loughlin's Corey Thomas may have summed up the emotion of the day as he, one of the best athletes in CHSAA history (1:51.8 800m), broke down crying.  Not for the loss, but because, as he would say, "I don't want it to be over".

Alumni Make it Memorable
The alumni support was incredible.  Only 2 or 3 had called or emailed Coach Febles to say they would come, and it would have been understandable for many to stay away given the nasty weather.  But more than 20 alums made it to the meet, many staying for more than 8 hours to witness the exciting, historic conclusion.  The team is greatly appreciative of this loyalty and support.  Among those seen at the meet (let us know if some are missing): Mr. Bill Fischer '66, Bill Porcaro '67, Greg San George '68, John Hallinan '70, Bob Anastasio '70, Coach Gerry Sullivan '92, Mr. Chris Lockwood '93, Pete Canale '94, John Verlezza '94, Rob Weitzman '96, Justin Chin '96, Dave Fernandez '99, Craig Postolowski '99, Sam Sangobowale '99, Jerry Matthews (dad of Jamaal Matthews '99), Mr. Keller (dad of Matt Keller '99), Mark Porcaro '00, Sean Geraghty '00, Joe Salvati '00, Matt Cowan '00, Adriaan Doering-Dorival '00, Doyle Hunt '00 and Athletic Director Mr. Bob McLaughlin. Thanks! 

Waterworld: The Celebration
19 Championships.  A rare sweep of all levels: Freshman, Sophomore and Varsity City Championships outdoors.  Freshman and Soph Citiy Champs indoors.   Our first ever-Outdoor sectional championship.  A super year.  We did it with throwers, jumpers, vaulters, hurdlers, sprinters and distance men.  And a nice combination of veterans and youngsters.  Most important, the team came together in May to focus on the tasks that lay before them.  No one disappointed--a phenomenon unheard of on a team of 80+ kids, 100+ indoors. 

Mr. Febles had successfully avoided the traditional gatorade bath after the Jesuit Championship, but as the team started started to close in, it was useless to resist.   But it felt good--Fordham Prep's first Track and Field City Championship was in the books, the start of what we hope is a long and fruitful tradition.

Check out the photos!

Scorecard - Scoring is 6-4-3-2-1

Track Notes

Updated 06/27/01 . E-Mail comments to Coach Febles