Haynia Wins County Title In 3,200; Fellow 'Canes Hayes, Strebel Will Join Him at States

Max Haynia has the opportunity to win a state title in all three seasons and on Monday night, the Westhampton Beach senior put himself in position to claim one this winter.

Haynia won the 3,200-meter race at the Section XI Championships, also known as the state qualifier, at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood. He crossed the finish line in 9:24.12, not quite as far ahead of the field as he’s been all season long, but still considerably faster than the next finisher, Bay Shore junior Jake Gogarty, who finished in 9:31.17.

Always one to set high goals, Haynia said he will be looking to break the 9-minute mark at the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships, which are on March 4 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island. According to him, no one from Long Island has ever broke nine minutes in the indoor 3,200-meter race, the closest being Northport’s Mikey Brannigan at 9:04.

“I’m ninth right now,” in the state, Haynia said not long after Monday night’s victory. “But I think you get me on a better track with better competition, I think I can win. That’s just my thought process, but it’s going to be a tough race, it’ll be interesting.

“It would be great to win a state title,” he added. “But I’m looking more at that sub-nine. If I break nine, but don’t win, I’d be happy. If they both come together, perfect.”

It was a rather busy night for Westhampton Beach overall, as a handful of athletes reached the state qualifier. Haynia’s running mate, junior Trevor Hayes, placed second in the 1,600-meter race in 4:27.94 and will be making the trip as well. He finished just behind Bay Shore senior Dylan Beggins by just a little over a second.

Hayes said he had been dealing with some inflammation in one of his legs in the days leading up to Monday’s meet and therefore took some time off to heal up.

“I think I lost some of the top-end speed I had,” because of that, he said, “but overall, I felt like I had a great race. With about 600 [meters] to go I wanted to make a move, I knew I would have to open the gap and stay ahead. I tried to do it, but it wasn’t enough.

“When I come to Suffolk, I’m never coming for a time, it’s not the fastest place,” he added. “I just try and put myself in the best position to win. I’m happy with how I performed today, and to advance another week. I’m excited for states and excited for after states, as well, and the outdoor season.”

Sophomore Lily Strebel placed second in both the girls 1,000- and 1,500-meter races, becoming the first Westhampton Beach girl since Sarena Choi (long, triple jumps) in 2017 to qualify for states in more than one event. Strebel finished the 1,000 in a personal best 2:55.77 and the 1,500 in 4:43.62, just a few seconds off her previous best.

Strebel said her decision to compete in both races was largely based on her success a week prior at the Small Schools Championships, in which she had won both. Whether she’ll actually race in both at states is something she’ll figure out between now and then, she said.

“I’m really happy with what I did,” she said. “Excited to just go and be” at states.

Westhampton Beach sophomore Halle Geller just missed qualifying for states in the 55-meter dash. She finished fourth in 7.37 seconds. After finishing second in 9.02 seconds, her preliminary race of the 55-meter hurdles, junior Madison Phillips placed fourth in the finals in 9.08 seconds.

Another junior, Oona Murphy, competed in both the 1,000 and 1,500 along with Strebel. She finished seventh in the 1,000 in 3:10.70 and 16th in the 1,500 in 5:19.70.

Hayes, Haynia, Adrian Caumartin and Ezekiel McCrary finished fourth in the 4x800-meter relay in 8:32.61. The girls 4x200-meter relay team of Anabel Velloso, Annabelle Wasser, Mika Ling and finished fifth in 1:50.95.

Matthew Papajohn, a junior, took the highest placement for Hampton Bays at Monday night’s meet. After placing fifth in 36.83 seconds of the preliminary race to qualify for the finals of the 300-meter dash, Papajohn matched that placement in the finals, crossing the finish line in 38.94 seconds.

Both Eli Amos and Charlie Garcia competed in the 55-meter dash. Amos, a senior, placed ninth in the county in 6.75 seconds, while Garcia finished 13th in 6.81 seconds. The boys 4x200-meter relay team finished 11th in 1:38.91.

Emma Halsey, a junior, finished ninth in the girls 55-meter hurdles in 9.29 seconds.