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Light Rain Jets finish second at national meet
East Meadow's shuttle hurdle reaches All-American level
Two one-hundredths of a second is what separated East Meadow from a national championship last weekend.
The boys’ 4 x 55-meter shuttle hurdle team — sophomore Kyle Bettex, junior Chris Garzia, senior Tom Ford and senior Tim Milian — was that close.
“It was unbelievable,” said coach Jim McGlynn. “You had to stare at the race for the longest time to see who won it.”
The Jets lost to Christian Brothers Academy, a large private school in New Jersey, at the New Balance High School Championships held at the Armory in Manhattan on Saturday. They ran for a time of 30.89. The same East Meadow shuttle hurdle team shattered a national record in January at the Stanner Games, with a time of 30.57.
But even competing in the national meet was uncertain, as injuries plagued the squad. Milian was recovering from a separated shoulder, and the decision to run was not made until two days before the meet.
Being the Jets still hold the national record in the 4 x 55-meter shuttle hurdle relay, and finished as the top public school at the national meet, McGlynn said there is much to be proud of.
“I told our kids they can’t be ashamed of this,” McGlynn said. “The kids were disappointed, but they still have the record.”
