Calhoun's Moore returns to state meet

There hasn’t been much separation between Calhoun sophomore Grace Moore and Port Washington senior Joelle Feinberg in the 1500 meter run this spring.

In a one-week span, two of Nassau’s most talented distance runners produced amazing finishes in the county and state qualifier track and field meets. Feinberg rallied to take the Nassau Class AAA championship by a little more than two-tenths of a second (4:46.08 to 4:46.30), and Moore turned the table to win the state qualifier by fewer than a half-second (4:50.24 to 4:50.60) as well.

“They were two of the better races I’ve ever seen,” Calhoun first-year coach Pat Duggan said. “Grace showed a lot of mental toughness and determination in winning the state qualifier in the last 10 meters. She’s really growing as a runner.”

In hockey terms, Moore completed a hat trick with the state qualifier win. After qualifying for the state meet in cross-country and winter track, she’ll represent the Lady Colts at the New York State championships this Friday and Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. “Grace is very impressive,” Duggan said. “She’s one of the biggest reasons we won our division meet.”

Calhoun was an upset champion in Division 2A after completing the regular season a notch below neighboring Mepham. However, the Lady Colts totaled 166.5 points in the division meet, besting the Lady Pirates by 30 and the rest of the field by more than 100.

Moore, senior Jennifer McElwain, and junior Olivia Huckemeyer each won two events in the division meet. Moore took the 800 and 1500, McElwain won the 400 Intermediate Hurdles and the 100 hurdles, and Huckemeyer finished first in the Long Jump and Triple Jump. Other key contributors were sophomore Juliann Vizoso, who won the 400, senior Katie Woo, who took the 3000, and senior Monica Levy, who placed second in both hurdle events.

Calhoun placed seventh in the 19-team field in the Nassau Class AAA championship meet. “It was a really great year,” Duggan said.

Calhoun second in Division 2A
Seniors Brendan Carroll and Tommy Hozmacher each won a pair of events to help Calhoun to a runner-up finish behind Long Beach in Division 2A boys’ track and field. Carroll took the 200 and 400 meter races, while Hozmacher captured the 400 Intermediate Hurdles and the 110 hurdles. Both went on to earn All-County honors this spring, and Hozmacher is headed to the state meet in the High Jump.

“Brendan has broken every school sprinting record in the winter and spring,” Colts coach David Hendler said of Carroll.

Carroll placed second in Nassau Class AAA in the 200, finishing in 22.93 seconds. Hozmacher was runner-up in the county in the High Jump after placing second in the division meet in the event. Long Beach’s Tyquan Scott, the defending state champion, finished first in both cases. “Tommy’s been consistently solid in the high jump and it was great to see him qualify for the state meet,” Hendler said of Hozmacher.

Sophomores Michael Dobkowski (1600m) and Elijah Maduro (800), senior Harpreat Singh (Long Jump), and junior Matt Dunn (Pole Vault) also finished second in the division meet.