Thursday, October 1, 2026
Calhoun boys coach David Hendler entered the Nassau Class B indoor track & field championships at Saint Anthony’s High School Feb. 4 with a strong premonition.
While the Colts needed to contend with a tough Manhasset squad, Hendler knew he had a deep, versatile roster that could rack up key points when it mattered most. Calhoun did just that with two individual county champions and seven All-County placers to edge Manhasset, 78 to 75.
“Manhasset was the favorite, but I had a feeling we were going to win it because we had some really good athletes on the field and the track,” Hendler said. “It was a fun night and the kids were better than anybody could expect to. They were just amazing.”
The Colts’ county title was paced by first-place finishes from senior Oraldini Mpoy in the long jump and junior Jayden Hines in the triple jump.
Mpoy captured the long jump with a leap of 21-6 1.2 to finish ahead of Lion Jang of Bethpage and Hewlett's Tyler Hopkins.
Hines took the triple jump with a mark of 43-9 3⁄4 to beat out Manhasset’s Cole Miller (41-11 ½.). He also stepped up big in the long jump by exceeding expectations with a fourth-place finish.
“That was really huge,” said Hendler of Hines securing critical team points in the long jump. “He wasn’t supposed to score at all in that event.”
Junior Tyler Booker also earned All-County honors with third place finishes in the 1000 meters and 1600 meter events. Hendler said he was projected to place fourth in both events.
Calhoun also shined in the shorter races with senior Luke Pierce placing third in the 55-meter hurdles. His time of 8.46 seconds edged out Division’s Maxwell Ng by just .21 seconds to earn Al County accolades with a top three placement.
The field events were the ultimate difference in Calhoun taking home the county crown with senior Jack Ciccimarro taking third place in the triple jump to join his teammate Hines on the podium.
Senior Max Zubiria took third place in the pole vault with a clearance of 10.0. The shot put saw senior Hansen Cao take bronze with a throw of 41-7 ¼.
Hendler said Alexander Nalbone ended up playing a crucial role in Calhoun’s three-point county title triumph by earning two points in the 1600 by placing fifth after entering the event seeded seventh.
“That was a real clutch out of him,” said Hendler of Nalbone. “That to me was the difference in the meet.”
Calhoun followed up its championship performance by qualifying three athletes for the state indoor track championship at Staten Island's Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on March 6-7 in Hines (triple jump), Booker (1600 meters) and Mpoy (long jump.)
