The floor at The Armory was shaking as the championship plaque was held high by Campus Magnet runners as they danced and jumped jubilantly in celebration.
The Bulldogs were back.
Campus Magnet won its first PSAL Queens indoor track and field boys borough championship Tuesday night, beating Springfield Gardens, 104-72. Defending champion Francis Lewis was third with 66 points. It is the school’s first crown since 2001 when first-year coaches Martin Weir and Naim Abdul-Malik were members of the squad.
“They told us when you work hard it is a lot of blood sweat and tears, but when you finally get it, it’s the best feeling in the world,” senior Kevin Shand said. “That’s exactly how I feel right now.”
Shand won the 300 meters in a time of 35.53, was second in the 55 dash with a mark of 6.64 and in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet 10 inches after an intense battle with Francis Lewis Shervin Mobasheri. Senior Anthony Diggs placed first in the long jump with a leap of 20-03.50, the triple jump in 42-4.50 and was second to teammates Devon Duncan (8.04) in the 55 hurdles in a time of 8.07.
“I just knew I had to run my behind off because he wasn’t running to come in second,” Diggs said of Duncan.
The Bulldogs held a near strangle hold on the field events, especially the jumping events. It was an area Weir, the head coach, said they were a bit nervous about coming into the meets.
“We were counting on those guys the whole year,” Abdul-Malik said of the team’s 14 seniors. “They knew it. They just keep fighting and they were going to come through in the end and they did.”
The athletes also gave plenty of credit to former coach Rhashida Abdul-Malik, Naim’s sister. The former South Carolina standout was with the team for three seasons, before leaving to work at a charter school in Ethiopia, but was credited for laying the ground work for their success.
“She built us up a lot,” Shand said.
Weir and Naim Adul-Malik, who also won the city championship in 2001, told their team what it was like for them to be champions. Weir cracked a huge smile when he was finally handed the championship plaque and took a second to take it in as his team went for a victory lap. While he was happy to bring another title back to the school, he was even more proud of his kids.
“We just want them to build their own [legacy],” Weir said. “And then come back and say we helped build the Campus Magnet track foundation.”
