Germanakos runs back strong

Just like he did on the lacrosse field this past spring, Lynbrook’s Luke Germanakos made a triumphant return to cross-country this fall after missing last season with a knee injury that required surgery and nearly five months of rehab.

“I felt really good about getting back on the course,” said Germanakos, a junior who came within one spot of earning All-County honors with a 16th-place finish in the Nassau Class III championship race at Bethpage State Park on Oct. 25. “Cross-country is such a different running style compared to lacrosse,” he added. “I may not have had the greatest times, but I had a solid season.”

The injury suffered by Germanakos took place in the water, no land. It happened Aug. 12 of last year in Point Lookout. Returning from a fishing trip, he leaped from his family’s boat into what he believed to be five or six feet of water. The depth turned out to be five or six inches, and his left leg took the brunt of the landing. “It was the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life,” he said. “I was hoping the pain and swelling would go away after a few days, but it was still there a week later so I had to have it looked at.”

Three months after the injury, Germanakos underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. It went well, and extensive physical therapy at Peak Performance in Lynbrook got him back in action for lacrosse. He didn’t miss a game while splitting the season between the JV and varsity teams.

“My knee held up pretty well in lacrosse,” he said. “I took a little time off after the season and then started training for cross-country in the summer.”

Owls cross-country coach Pete McNally said it took a few races for Germanakos to get into shape, but a big effort at Brown showed he was all the way back. “He really ran great at Brown, it was like the old Luke before the injury,” McNally said. “He ran 17:06, which was his best time.”

Germanakos, who as a freshman came within a stride of winning the 1000 meter indoor title, said he feels “as strong as ever” and is gearing up for the winter season. This fall, he led a youth-filled cross-country squad to an 8-5 record.

McNally said of Lynbrook’s top seven runners, only one — Griffin Kreit — is a senior. Kreit, a four-year member of the team and a year-round runner, has a great work ethic, the coach said. He was the Owls’ fourth finisher in the county meet.

Junior Pat Leahy and sophomore Brendan Kelly both saw their summer training pay off, McNally said. They were consistently the team’s No. 2 and 3 finishers, respectively. Freshman Griffin Karney also made huge strides as a newcomer, McNally said, shaving more than five minutes off his 5K time.

“With Luke leading the way, we improved a lot by the end of the season,” McNally said.