Hewlett second in Class AA

Sophomore Kevin Dehaney finished in the top three in every jumping event, including a win in the Triple Jump, and juniors Lamar Letts and Brian Durdaller also won events to lead Hewlett to a second-place finish in the Nassau Class AA track and field championships held at Cold Spring Harbor.

Only perennial power Westbury tallied more points than the Bulldogs’ 84. Letts captured the 400 Intermediate Hurdles title, Durdaller was an easy winner in the Pole Vault, and senior Neil Cohen finished runner-up in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” Hewlett coach Eamon McHugh said. “We were a little shorthanded and still managed to finish second.”

McHugh added he was more impressed than surprised by Dehaney’s success. Jason Pierre of Farmingdale was the only other male athlete in the county to score in all three jumping events. Dehaney edged Westbury’s Sayvon Burt in the Triple Jump with a top leap of 42-feet, 10.5-inches, and placed third in the High Jump (5-8) and Long Jump (20-4.)

“He’s a great jumper and a great athlete,” McHugh said of Dehaney, who set a personal best of 21-6 in the Long Jump in last week’s state qualifier meet held at Westbury High School. “Kevin joined our program last spring and I saw his potential,” he added. “He won every meet this year except one.”

Letts nosed Justin Wang of Jericho in the 400 IH, 57.8 seconds to 58.3, was also part of Hewlett’s 4-x-400 relay that placed fifth. “It was a phenomenal race on Lamar’s part,” McHugh said. “He worked hard with assistant coach Kristen Hamilton and peaked at the right time. It was the first time he broke a minute.”

Durdaller, who nearly scored in the 400 IH and placed seventh, one spot behind sophomore teammate Rafael Cohen, tied for the third-best vault countywide. “Brian didn’t spend a ton of time practicing the vault this spring, but when he did he practiced hard,” McHugh said. “He’s a versatile athlete.” Freshman Alex Bellucia and junior Corey Sider placed second and third, respectively, in the Pole Vault.