L.B.'s Henry jumps to All-State

When Long Beach senior David Henry leapt 45-feet, 1-inch to win the Nassau Class AAA Triple Jump championship last month, coach Greg Milone referred to it as the “best jump of his life.”

As it turned out, it was merely a sign of bigger things to come. Henry went on to establish a new career best at the State Qualifier meet, winning it with a jump of 46-1½, then topped that at the state meet (46-7) at Cicero-North Syracuse High School to become the second member of the Marines’ track and field program in as many years to earn All-State honors.

“David’s a special athlete who has a knack of finding that extra something in pressure situations,” Milone said of Henry, a four-year member of the team who also took sixth in the county in the Long Jump to help Long Beach to a fourth-place finish out of 15 schools. “In true David fashion, he nailed his last jump to finish second in the Federation finals,” he added.

Last spring, Long Beach’s Josh Trone became the school’s first state track and field  champion when he won the 100-meter dash. Henry was a key part of last year’s team and captured the Division 2A titles in the Triple Jump and Long Jump, then enjoyed a strong winter as a senior and earned All-County honors.

“One of David’s best attributes is he doesn’t get too rattled,” Milone said. “He doesn’t get discouraged after a foul or anything like that. He just turns his focus to the next jump.”

Ranked in the middle of the 20-kid field at the state meet, Henry reached the Division I podium with a fourth-place finish thanks to the 46-7 jump. “He’s broken his own record numerous times,” said Milone, who added it’s also a school record. “It was really great to see all his hard work and determination pay off.”

Henry is taking his talents to Monroe College.