Clara Barton’s Steve Baker won the javelin. (An Rong Xu)
Strymar Livingston is down to his final suitors.
The Columbus star, one of the nation’s best middle distance runners, has narrowed his college search down to Baylor and Mississippi State. He is unsure when he will make his final decision.
“It’s kind of stressful, but I’ll get through it, he said.
He was in no rush running the 400 meters at the NYC Mayor’s Cup outdoor track & field championships at Ichan Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Livingston got out sluggish, but pushed past Midwood’s Andy Nichols around the final turn for a comfortable win with a time of 48.12. Livingston had already run 47.44 at the PSAL Season Opener. He owns the high school national record in the 500 and 600 meters.
“I went out too slow,” he said. “My coach is going to tell me that as soon as I go up there.”
Canarsie’s King takes two: Shenika King has been working on her finish, often running 500 meters in between 400s to work on finishing strong over the final 100 meters. She heard the rest of her competitors’ footsteps as she came down the straightaway in the 400. Instead her hard work paid off as she won in a personal-best time of 56.64. She later won the 200 in 24.86 with another strong finish.
“I’m finishing hard,” King said. “Usually I get out and die early, but my goal is finishing hard.”
Clara Barton’s Baker posts javelin PR: Steve Baker’s top throw jumped not once, but twice. The Clara Barton senior had a throw of 142 feet on his second try of the trials and on the next toss reached 149-01 to win the event. It’s been a year since he bested his old mark of 139. He jokingly credited a different pair of shoes – Nike Max Cat – as the reason for the jump.
“It’s had to be the shoes or something in that sense,” Baker said.
Parker mulls college choice, leads Mount to relay win: Bruce Parker has his college path for football and track narrowed down and hopes to have a destination at the end of the month. The cornerback/sprinter can head to American International College or Stonehill or go to Nassau Community College and chase his dream of playing for a Division I school. At the Mayor’s Cup he held off a Springfield Gardens charge to lead his team of Tavon Nowell, Dorwin Mitchell and Tae’lor Gibson to a win in the 4 x 400 really with a time of 3:27.64.
“I like than all, that’s why it’s kind of hard for me,” he said.
Farrell’s Hampton headed to East Stroudsburg: Charles Hampton, the Lions star defensive lineman, chose the Division II Pennsylvania school over Kean and Rowan. He hopes to play football and compete with the track team in the offseason. Hampton placed second in the shot put at the Mayor’s Cup with a toss of 45-02.75.He will be fighting for a scholarship when he gets to East Stroudsburg, where he was impressed with the coaching staff and could earn a half or full scholarship as a sophomore.
“I like the campus,” Hampton said. “Nice place.”
