Blue Devil Sports Briefs
Huntington High School girls’ cross country coach Debra Cheskes paid tribute to the team’s departing seniors at the 40th Senior Athletic Awards Banquet. The talented group includes Chetarra Godfrey (Nassau Community College), Jennifer Hannan-Backert (Mt. Saint Mary’s Univ.), Shameika Hanson (undecided), Allyson Nevins (Sacred Heart Univ.), Erika Norton (Univ. of Connecticut), Leslie O’Brien (Johns Hopkins Univ.), Nicole Palmer (Univ. of Maryland) and Tori Smith (SUNY College at New Paltz).
“The girls’ cross country team continued to grow this year,” Cheskes said. “I am proud of the strides this group has made.” The Blue Devils earned New York State Scholar Athlete honors and won a Section XI Sportsmanship Award.
The Huntington boys’ track and field team finished the season with a 7-0 record, winning the Suffolk League V crown under head coach Ronald Wilson. Eddie Santos, Fritz Barreau, Josh Daves, Jack Gayle, Emmanuel Dume, Chris Sandoval, Chris Glaser, Brian Cotter, David Acton, Stevenson Gabriel, Sharif Jarvis, Dylan Payne, Walter Stephen, Jr. and Eric Szilagy earned All-League honors. Santos, Barreau, Daves, Gayle and Dume were also All-Division and Santos and Barreau added All-County recognition to their respective resumes. Santos went on the place ninth in the state Class A finals. Wilson won the League V Coach of the Year Award.
The Huntington softball team won the Section XI League V Sportsmanship Award in the sport as voted by opposing coaches. The Blue Devils were coached by Krystle Canino.
The Blue Devil girls’ spring track team was led by captain Ally Nevins, a three-year varsity performer. “She excels in the 100 HH and the 400 IM,” head coach Debra Cheskes said. Nevins earned All-League honors for the first time this spring. Next year she will compete in the college ranks for Sacred Heart Univ. “She will be greatly missed,” Cheskes said.
Senior Shameika Hanson also turned in a fine season on the track this spring. It marked the second year of varsity participation for the two-time All-League and All-Division honoree. “This year she was undefeated in league competition in discus,” Cheskes said.
Nevins and Hanson were presented with MVP Awards by Cheskes at the Senior Athletic Awards Banquet.
What does the future hold for the Blue Devil boys’ track program? “Next year looks to be a rebuilding year,” head coach Ron Wilson said. “We will be down a hurdler, sprinters and discus and shot put throwers. However, we should still be dominant in the long jump with the return of Josh Daves and Jake Gayle. Our distance program should improve with the return of Brian Cotter, Dylan Payne, Eric Szilagy and Sharif Jarvis.”
Leslie O’Brien is headed to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland where she will play soccer. But, at the Huntington Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, she was presented with the girls’ winter track team’s MVP Award. In four years on the varsity, O’Brien has built up quite a list of achievements.
“She holds the school records in the 55m high hurdles, 55m dash, shuttle hurdle relay and this year she was a member of the record setting spring medley relay team,” head coach Debra Cheskes said. “Her focus and determination are a force to be feared on the track.” O’Brien is a two-time All-League performer and also earned Academic All-County honors.
The Huntington boys’ track and field team won the Section XI Sportsmanship Award in the sport as voted by opposing coach. The Blue Devils were coached by Ronald Wilson.
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