Paul Suwan
The Journal News

NEW YORK — As the members of the Fordham Prep 4x800-meter relay team
regrouped in the bowels of Madison Square Garden last night, they were
mobbed by a group of teammates, well-wishers and even CHSAA rivals.
There was, of course, plenty to celebrate — namely, the school’s first
victory at the Millrose Games in more than four decades.
One of the favorites coming into the CHSAA boys 4x800 race, the Rams got a
sparkling anchor leg from Conrad Dalton to pull away from St. Peter’s and
win by a second in 8 minutes, 11.34 seconds. Mount St. Michael finished
fourth in 8:17.87.
It was Fordham’s first-ever triumph in the 4x800. The school’s only previous
Millrose victory came in the 1€-mile medley relay in 1958.
“It’s big,” said New Rochelle resident Brian McCabe, who ran the second leg.
“To win for the first time since 1958 shows how competitive this race is. It
shows us what we can do.”
Jose Fernandez led off the relay for the Rams in 2:00.3, followed by McCabe
(2:03.0), Olusola Olaleye (2:07.8) and finally Dalton (2:00.2). While their
time was well off their season best of 8:00.90, coach George Febles said he
was happy with it, considering the unusual length of the 145-meter track at
the Garden.
Fordham Prep’s victory highlighted the performances by local high school
athletes at the 95th annual Games.
For New Rochelle’s girls 4x400 relay team of Shenae Dawkins, Natalee
Pennicooke and Offeibea and Nana Hanson-Hall, which was making its
first-ever appearance in the Millrose Suburban Mile Relay since the event’s
1995 inception, the track also took a bit of getting used to.
With a strong anchor leg by Nana Hanson-Hall, however, the Huguenots
finished on a high note, passing Bay Shore and placing second to
Willingboro, N.J., in 4:04.21.
“We ran a pretty good race,” Dawkins said. “We were kind of unsure of what
our competition would be ... and our 4x4 hasn’t run together since (the
Millrose trials on Jan. 9). But people from our team and just regular people
from our school came down to support us. Everybody was behind us, I guess
that’s why we ran well.”
In the boys Suburban Mile Relay, Byram Hills’ team of Ben Jaffe, Greg
Simonds, Rob DeLaski and Jeff Waksman led going into the final leg, but
couldn’t hold off Camden, N.J., and wound up fourth overall in 3:36.23.
Suffern was fifth in 3:38:74.
The lone area athlete competing individually last night was Bronxville
senior Michelle Rorke, one of nine entrants in a very competitive girls
one-mile run. Rorke ran near the front of the pack for much of the race, but
ultimately faded to seventh in 5:05.77. Melissa Donais of Phillips Andover,
Mass., led wire-to-wire to win in a national-leading 4:53.90.
“The last couple of laps, I don’t know where my head was,” Rorke said. “I
just saw a couple of girls go by and I got nervous and I got scared. ...
Right now, I’m (disappointed), but probably in a couple of years, I’ll look
back on it as a fond memory.”