St. Anthony's Robert Doherty a double winner in 800, 400 meters at CHSAA Intersectional Championships

It was an unconventional double, but no less satisfying for St. Anthony’s Robert Doherty. The senior won the 800 meters in one minute, 56.76 seconds and the 400 in 48.52 seconds at the CHSAA Intersectional Championships at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan on Saturday.

For his efforts, he was named Track MVP of the meet.

Generally, the 800 is an event that couples with higher distance races, like the 1,600 or 3,200. Not for Doherty. He can zig-zag down the distances, excelling just as much in the sprinting 400 as he did in the fall on the 2.5-mile cross country course.

He is an electric athlete with elastic legs.

"I do [the 400] most of the time on relays," Doherty said. "I do 400s pretty frequently."

Doherty won the 400 out of the sixth lane, an outside placement that made winning a little more difficult. Windy conditions made the victory a lot more difficult, too.

"I didn’t let the wind stop me, or any of the rain," Doherty said. "I was just kind of sticking with them and gave everything I had in the last 100."

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In the 800, Doherty led slightly on the opening lap and opened up his lead with 300 meters to go. He closed in 59.01 seconds.

"I tried to take the lead and just kind of maintained until the second lap," Doherty said. "Then I gave it everything I had."

St. Anthony’s ran away with the team championship.

Elsewhere, Chaminade’s 4 x 800 meter relay team, composed of Brendan Anselmo, Liam Going, Sean McDermott and Frank Naudus, won in 8:24.86. Naudus, who also placed second in the 1,600 in 4:27.56, ran a 2:04.44 anchor leg, answering a Monsignor Farrell move on the final lap and closing easily. Monsignor Farrell was second in 8:30.94.

"Right when he passed me, I knew that I had to pass right away if I had any chance to pull away," Naudus said. "That’s what I did. I passed him right away, and I just went for it."

Once the final pass was made, it was all about holding on.

"It was pretty much whatever I had left," said Naudus, a senior. "It’s my last high school race, so I might as well just put it all out there."

St. John the Baptist’s Fernando Sanchez won the 400 hurdles in 57.43 seconds.

In the field, Chaminade’s Daniel Muccini cleared five feet, 10 inches to win the high jump. St. Anthony’s Nicholas Lourenco won the pole vault, clearing 15 feet. He was named Field MVP of the meet.