Port Jefferson's Evan Monaghan defends his three titles at Suffolk 4B track and field championships
Port Jefferson's Evan Monaghan wins the boys 400-meter hurdles at the Suffolk 4B track and Field championships on Thursday at Mt. Sinai. Credit: Neil Miller
For Evan Monaghan, Thursday was somewhat bittersweet.
The Port Jefferson senior led all athletes with three individual titles at the Suffolk 4B outdoor track and field championships at Mount Sinai. He showed why he is one of the best hurdlers in the state, as he swept the discipline with wins in the 110-meter hurdles (14.93 seconds) and the 400 hurdles (58 flat). Between those two victories, Monaghan flew a personal-best 43 feet, 5 inches on his final attempt in the triple jump to secure a comeback win.
Monaghan won the same three events at last year’s county meet, and he won his class’ 110 hurdles title two years ago, as well. Though he enjoyed going 3-for-3 again, this performance left him with a slightly different feeling from years’ past . . . as he was just starting to get used to it.
“Today was a lot of fun,” Monaghan said. “I’ve been at this meet four times now, so things are starting to look familiar. I know where things are now. I’m going to be sad leaving this place.”
Though he will miss it, the Georgia Tech commit can rest easy knowing that he took full advantage of the chances he was given.
“Knowing that I can do what I did today — and actually executing — that doesn’t happen every time,” Monaghan said. “Having an opportunity at a meet like this — and watching it actually happen — I really liked it and it meant very much to me. It’s very satisfying.”
Two other boys won multiple events: Shoreham-Wading River senior Michael Huebner and Glenn senior Davin Li. Huebner won the 400 in 49.33 and the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 29.5 seconds. Li won the 100 in 10.8 and the 200 in 21.6.
Li started every game as a top back for Glenn’s county champion boys soccer team last fall and will be graduating a year early, as the class’ valedictorian, this June before attending MIT. He is also a strong violin player, as he was named to the All-State orchestra and spent time in Germany during the summer of 2023 in a violin program.
“I’m just doing my best, working hard and trying to be great on all fronts,” Li said.
In the 800, Southampton senior Tyrese Reddick ran the race for only the second time in his life and pulled off an upset, finishing in 1:57.78. He generally runs the 400, but he lined up for the 800 in a dual meet earlier this season against Port Jefferson and clocked a 2:06, making him eligible to compete in the event at the county meet.
He knew he could outdo that time, so he committed to running the 800 seriously. When he crossed the finish line, he let out a sigh of relief.
“In my school, there’s a wall with the All-County athletes,” Reddick said. “The last four years, I’ve been thinking, I want to be immortal. I want kids who don’t even know of my existence to look at that wall in 10 years and see my name. It’s been my biggest goal in high school and I’m just so happy that I finally got it.”
Mount Sinai won the team championship with 127 points. Junior Nicholas Tom, sophomore Vincent Tisch and seniors Jack Gottlieb and Logan Korakis won the 4 x 100 relay in 44.21. Sophomore Daniel Paolella, seniors Liam Metzler and Andrew Manise and junior John Casino ran 3:31.84 to take the 4 x 400.
Individually for Mount Sinai, junior Tyler Izzo scored 2,409 points to win the pentathlon and senior Tyler Zahra, a Navy commit, threw 58-5 3⁄4 to win his second straight shot put title.
“I’m mad that I haven’t gotten the school record, but I still have two more meets, so I feel like I’m getting to the point to where I’m starting to hit that peak that I’m needing to hit,” Zahra said.
Through throwing against each other at big meets, Zahra and Miller Place senior Olamide Dada have become close friends, which made it a special moment for them when they finished in the top two in the discus. The two hugged after the final tallies were announced.
Dada, who will throw at Albany next year, won with a throw of 172-2.
Amid the rather humid weather, Dada exceeded his own expectations en route to his first county championship.
“It’s a really cool feeling because I never expected to be here when I started throwing,” Dada said. “I just feel excited. The weather is kind of pea soup out here. I’m surprised I even threw it that far. I’m happy, man.”
Shoreham-Wading River sophomore Spencer Lee won the 3,200 in 10:03.11 and Port Jefferson senior Sviatoslav Zalizniak claimed the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:54.29.
Elsewhere, Miller Place senior Andrew Byrnes cleared 6-2 in the high jump, Shoreham-Wading River junior Leyton Mangiamele flew 22-8 1⁄2 in the long jump and Port Jefferson senior Kendry Rodriguez cleared 11 feet in the pole vault.
Freshman Dylan Iannello, sophomore Nicholas DiCaprio, freshman Noah Felice and sophomore Niko Gasparis combined to run 8:25.12 and win the 4 x 800 for Miller Place.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
