Commack's Daniel Czop gets first and second win of career
Commack's Daniel Czop wins the League I 3,200-meter run on Saturday at Suffolk CCC-Brentwood. Credit: George A. Faella
Daniel Czop crossed the finish line, pumped his fist emphatically and soaked it all in. He’d just earned his first taste of victory for the Commack boys track team.
Making the momentous occasion even sweeter, the senior simultaneously became a league champion.
“I had never won a race before this,” said Czop, who picked up an electrifying victory in the 3200-meter run in 10.06.56, edging Ward Melville’s Harrison Bassin (10.06.89) at the Suffolk I championships at Suffolk CCC-Brentwood on Saturday morning. “So it’s a nice feeling to finally get that W.”
Czop concluded the day as a double winner, as he proceeded to win the 1600m as well (4:42.64). He said consistent training for a shorter race, the 800m, helped give him the extra boost that was needed in his dramatic initial victory.
“I’ve been doing a lot of 800-meter training this season and I think that helped me make that last little effort over the last 50 meters,” Czop said. “I was confident that if someone was gonna beat me today they would need to push a lot harder than I would.”
He helped lead Commack to the team title with a total of 95 points. Longwood finished second with 88, while Brentwood placed third with 69.
Another Commack runner, Vin Manna, also came up victorious for the first time on the league championship stage by taking first in the 600m in 1:27.64.
“As a senior, this was my last opportunity to do this,” Manna said. “In the years that I’ve done this, I love it. I just wanted to win for the team.”
Nicholas Scheiner of Longwood followed up Czop’s exhilarating win with one of his own in the 1000m, finishing in 2:38.39, just ahead of Patchogue-Medford’s Anthony Lazaridis (2:38.51).
“I was nervous during that race,” Scheiner said. “I fell back about halfway through and knew I had to pick it up. He has a great kick so I knew I had to catch him at the end. When I saw him on my shoulder I just put everything I had on the line and came away with the win.”
Scheiner later played a key role in Longwood’s 4x800 meter relay victory (8:25.92) alongside teammates Julian Paez, Edmundo Porras and Justin Rajab.
The Lions also featured a double-winner in Jaheim Dotson, who took both the 55-meter hurdles (7.80) and 300m (35.82).
“I had to be strong mentally,” Dotson said after winning the 300m. “Because once you have that strength it will carry you through your race and help you finish.”
Other track winners included Brentwood’s Julio Rodriguez in the 55m (6.61) and Bassin, Caleb Wheeler, Dave Selzer and Owen Larson in the 4x400 for Ward Melville (3:38.85). Brentwood’s David Wood, Frank Grey, Saad Quadri and Rodriguez won the 4x200 (1:34.72).
In the field, claiming first place were Commack’s Steven Vasile in the shot put (50 feet, 0.5 inches), Ishiin Jackson of Floyd in the long jump (22 feet, 2 inches), Central Islip’s Davon Goode (42 feet, 0.75 inches) and Brentwood’s Elijah Logan in the high jump (6 feet, 1 inch).
'Just disappointing and ... sad' The proportion of drivers who refused to take a test after being pulled over by trained officers doubled over five years. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
'Just disappointing and ... sad' The proportion of drivers who refused to take a test after being pulled over by trained officers doubled over five years. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
