Elmont thrives in relays, sprints

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The flipside of a handicap is opportunity for specialization.

Perennially limited in manpower, the Elmont track and field program has narrowed the scope of its endeavor – pouring all its precious resources into sprints and relay racing, while distance running and field events are regarded as someone else's affair.

The strategy is paying off. Despite having to take a pass on almost a third of the day's events, Elmont's girls team earned a number three overall ranking at the Nassau County Class AA meet May 23 at Glen Cove High School, while the boys team – likewise confined in participation– finished fourth-ranked.

Elmont's winning ways carried over to the Section VIII State Qualifier meet June 2 at North Shore High School, where the Spartans boys' 4x400 meter relay team took first place in Division I with a time of 3 minutes, 18.08 seconds, keeping pace with the Lady Spartans 4x100 meter relay team whose time of 48.32 seconds was also first in Division I.

"Since only so many kids come out, there's not enough to do all the events," said Elmont boys and girls coach Mike Graham, whose boys' 4x400 relay team claimed the state indoor championship last winter. "So our emphasis is on running, sprinting.  We don't worry about the other stuff."

Five Lady Spartans – juniors Brianna Harris, Khalia Whyte, Imani Gray, Zhaneia Thybulle and Israel Phillips – rotate on the 4x100 team, which also won the Nassau County championship at Glen Cove with a mark of 49.04 seconds.  Harris won the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the same event, with times of 12.69 and 25.78 seconds respectively, while Gray finished first in the 400 at 59.19 seconds.

"Imani Gray is a fierce competitor," Graham said. "Brianna Harris is intense.  She is serious about the sport."

Seniors Lucas Mathieu and Damahya Coeur, and juniors Malik Johnson and Demoni Gilkes compose Elmont's boys 4x400 squad, whose 3:19.24 time was best in Nassau County at the Glen Cove meet – where Coeur won the 400 in 48.56 seconds, just ahead of a second-place Johnson who came in at 50.20.

"Damahya is another intense competitor," Graham said. "He's a sportsmanlike kid, who'd do anything for the next person."

Coeur recorded a 48.25 mark to win the 400 dash at the state qualifying meet at North Shore, and will advance to the state championships June 10 at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, where he'll also run the anchor leg on his 4x400 team.

Harris, similarly, will run second on her 4x100 team at Endicott, and also race in the 200 dash, after qualifying with a first-place 25.01 second finish at North Shore.

"My expectations were to compete at the state level," Graham said. "I'm pleased with the season but it's not over yet. We have a goal to compete on a very high level and come away with some accolades."

Harris, Coeur, Gray, Gilkes, Mathieu, Johnson and Phillips each earned 2017 all-county honors.