Bruins hit stride on track

Nassau Class AAA boys' track and field runner-up Baldwin  will look to cap a huge spring this Friday and Saturday at the state championships at Vestal High School.

The Bruins, who captured the Division 1B title, will be represented upstate by senior James Lowe and juniors Karl Desil, Justin Mahoney and Ieshawn Johnson.

“We’ve had a great spring,” coach Joe Mercado said. “I thought we were a year away from contending, but these kids are amazing.” 

Desil won the 400 Intermediate Hurdles at the state qualifier meet on June 2-3 at Westbury High School, turning the table on East Meadow’s county champion Baffour Obiem. Desil finished in 55.89 seconds, a full second ahead of Obiem. 

“Karl came out of nowhere,” Mercado said. “He got so much better and stronger this year.”

Lowe was part of a blanket three-way finish at the qualifier in the 110 High Hurdles and placed second between Westbury’s Wayne Stewart and Obiem. The trio was separated by just two-hundreds of a second, with Lowe advancing to the state meet by the slimmest margin possible. He was second in Class AAA in the event as well as the 200 meter dash.

“All James wanted was top two,” Mercado said. “He’s never been to a state meet, so it’s something special. It was tough waiting 60 seconds for the computer-generated time, but it was that close.”

Mahoney surpassed his third-place finish in Class AAA in the 400 with a second-place showing at the state qualifier, running 48.5 and 49.97, respectively. His time in the county meet at Mitchel Athletic Complex on May 25 was a career best. 

“Justin understands what it takes to win,” Mercado said. “He didn’t break 50 all year, then he does it back-to-back.”

After a disappointing third-place performance in the discus in the county meet, Johnson came through at the state qualifier and threw more than 156 feet. He was also second in the shot put in the county meet and fourth at the state qualifier.

“Ieshawn has come a long way in a short time,” Mercado said of Johnson, who set a school record in the discus last month.

Baldwin totaled 75 points at the Class AAA championships, finishing ahead of 15 schools and behind only Farmingdale. The Bruins were propelled by a pair of first-place relays, the 4 x 400 and 4 x 100. Comprised by Lowe, fellow seniors Jean-Marc Bastien and Tony Jones, and junior Stephen Tang, the latter foursome crossed the tape with the same time (43.4) as Uniondale and Long Beach but was awarded the victory. The 4 x 400 (Mahoney, junior Jarrek Baab, sophomore Kirk Staine and freshman Trevon Mask) won handily in a time of 3:22.8.

Baab placed fourth in the county in the 400 IH, Jones was fourth in the 100, and freshman Jovaun Tomlinson tied for fourth in the High Jump.