Another strong year for Rams

Lacrosse, baseball and softball grab most of the headlines at this time of year on Long Island, but track and field, which has roots that trace back to the earliest of times, is alive and well. While running surfaces, footwear and the events have made drastic changes through the years, the pure competition to determine who can run faster, jump higher or throw farther hasn’t changed all that much.

West Hempstead boys’ coach Tim Doyle, who has been with the track program since 1971, saw the Rams have another strong season. “The season went very well,” Doyle said. “In the dual meets, we ran very well. We use the dual and quadrangular meets to experiment with kids going into various different events. We made some great strides this season.”

Kyle Garrett had an outstanding season. The junior earned All-County status by taking second place in the 400 meters in the Nassau Class A Championships in a time of 51.6 seconds. Garrett ran his best time of the year, 51.5, when he took first place in the St. Anthony’s Invitational. He also took second place in the Division III-B Championships and at Lynbrook’s Green and Gold Invitational. 

West Hempstead’s 4x100 relay team composed of junior Scott Leeb, sophomore Justin Boatwright, Garrett, and freshman Tayvon Hall won the division title in 44.9. Hall also had a breakout season in the long jump pit. Hall won the event twice during the regular season, and then took third in the division championship with a jump of 20-feet, 9-inches. Leeb also performed well in the long jump, leaping 20-4. in the county championships, good enough for fourth place. He had a personal best 39-8 in the triple jump in the division meet.

Doyle thinks the sky is the limit for Hall. “He has tremendous talent,” Doyle said. “It’s only the beginning for him. To jump that far as freshman is very impressive. Tayvon has a great future.”

Senior Michael Garcia, a first-year hurdler, took second in the division in the 400 IH with a time of 1:01.3. He ran an outstanding 59.6 at the county meet to take fourth place.  

The girls’ team, coached by Keith Bosch, had a few strong performers. Junior Chandra Fogg finished fourth in the 100 HH in a time of 17.9. Fogg also jumped a personal best 14-5 to place third in the long jump at the division championships. Senior Shani Walker finished fourth in the shot put with a throw of 26-2 at the divisions.

Doyle, who has seen just about everything in his 40 years at West Hempstead, is thankful for the support his program gets. “We get tremendous backing from athletic director Chris Mistretta, the administration, and the board of education,” he said. “The athletes love to compete. They like to attend a lot of different meets, and we always get the support we need. They’re all about the kids.”