Freeport newcomer Christian Quinn eyes another big-time championship

Christian Quinn is looking to go 2-for-2. One move to Long Island, two high-profile championships.

Not a bad seven months for the New England transplant.

Last July, Quinn, now a junior, moved to Freeport from Weymouth, Massachusetts, a small town about half an hour outside of Boston. Immediately, his skills landed him a starting spot on the Red Devils' football team, playing cornerback for the eventual Class I Long Island champions.

“It was a lot of pressure at first,” Quinn said. “It took a lot of getting used to . . . I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially on a good team.”

Now, Quinn has a chance to win again, albeit in an individual capacity. His 23-foot, 5-inch long jump at last weekend's Long Island Elite meet was the top mark in the state as of Wednesday, according to milesplit.com. This makes him the favorite to win the state championship on Saturday at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.

“It would be great and amazing,” he said of the prospect of another championship. “Especially because I just moved here to a new area and [I’m] able to compete with kids down here too. It’s a great experience.”

Quinn had long jump success in Massachusetts, but nothing quite like he’s experienced this season. Before leaving for Long Island, he placed third in the event at the outdoor New England Championships. He credits the Freeport coaching staff with his furthered success, specifically their emphasis on distance running in practice.

“It got me in better shape,” he said. “It’s a better way to compete . . . I gained a little more speed for the runway, and we do a lot of drills to increase the vertical. That’s really helped contribute to my performance.”

Quinn jumped 23 feet, 3 1/2 inches at the Nassau Class A championships on Feb. 4. That number stood as the standard in the state for over three weeks until he bested it last Saturday.

“I just got a good start,” he recalled of the performance. “We got there a little early, just to get to the runway and make sure my steps were correct. I just got good steps, found a good spot on the board, hit it, and had a good landing.”

Quinn qualified for the state meet by jumping 23 feet, 2 1/4 inches at the Nassau state qualifier on Feb. 11.

“I think I can definitely win,” he said. “That’s my goal.”

Quinn also qualified for the 300 meters and was part of Freeport's qualifying 4x200 meter relay team.

“This is kind of my first year [doing it],” Quinn said of the 300. “I ran it, maybe, once last year. It’s a fun race. I’m not sure if I’ll run at states this year, we might scratch it so we have a better time in the 4x2, but if I run it I hope to place in that too. That’s very achievable.”

Most of all, Quinn is just happy to get back to competing again. Long Island athletes had over two and half weeks between the state qualifiers and last Saturday’s Long Island Elite meet. It’s one thing to have a few days off after a grueling and compressed postseason, with leagues, counties, and state qualifiers jammed into a three-week period for most teams. It’s quite another thing to have almost nothing to look forward to for almost three weeks.

“It’s really annoying at this point,” Quinn said. “You go to practice and there’s no real motive . . . because you don’t have a meet coming up. It’s just harder to stay focused.”

That focus snapped into place once ‘states week’ began in earnest on Monday.

“I can’t wait to get back,” Quinn said. “I think I’ll be fine, especially because we still have practice. So it’s not like we haven’t been on the track. I just can’t wait to get out there and compete again after such a long break.”