Robert Long Fondly Remembered at Second Annual See You Out There 5K in East Quogue

The East Quogue connection between the two champions of the Mr. Long See You Out There 5K continued on Saturday at the second annual race at the hamlet’s elementary school, with both Nick Berglin and Jackie Amato having strong ties, not just to the area but the race’s namesake, Robert Long.

Berglin, 27, a graduate of Hampton Bays High School, repeated as the overall champion, crossing the finish line of the 3.1-mile race in 17:04.72, a mile pace of 5:30, and just two minutes off his time from last year’s inaugural race. A former collegiate runner at SUNY Oneonta, Berglin first met Long at the Montauk Turkey Trot over 15 years ago, and wound up working for the former East Quogue School District superintendent and principal, who died in August 2022, at least indirectly, when he was hired as a part-time security guard by the district in October 2020.

Berglin, who still works at the school as a security guard, said he couldn’t miss the race.

“I had to,” come back, he said. “I work here,” he quickly added, with a laugh. “It’s almost like I’ve got a contract.

“I knew Rob for a long, long time. Before I started working here,” Berglin added. “This is my fourth year here. Rob was the principal the first two years. My dad [Rich] is a retired school teacher who taught his kids. A lot of people taught his kids in Hampton Bays. So, yeah, I had to come back.”

Berglin added that he really likes the community feel as he runs around the course.

“A lot of community support,” he said. “It’s funny, I ran by so many parents who pick up their kids from school. PTA parents I know. I knew many people on the course, which is cool.

“And I like this course,” he added. “There aren’t too many, what I would consider hills, but there are some gradual inclines, I guess you could call them. It’s not super, super fast … it’s just a nice course.”

Amato, who finished in 20:11.48, got to run in the race for the first time due to it being about two weeks later than it was last year. Fresh off helping the Holy Cross University women’s lacrosse team win its first postseason game in 10 years, the 2021 Westhampton Beach High School graduate, who also graduated from East Quogue Elementary, remembered Long fondly.

“I Love Mr. Long. We always had a special bond. We always bonded over running, so I just wanted to make sure I was here this year and run it to honor him,” she said.

Amato added that as long as she’s home from school next year, she’ll be sure to return and defend her title.

Trevor Hayes, a Westhampton Beach High School senior, coasted to a second-place finish in 19:22.19. With the county track and field championships on Monday, Hayes took things real easy. Charles DiFalco, 37, of Quogue, placed third overall in 19:43.33, Jared Adolfsen, 22, of Eastport, finished fourth in 19:46.04, and Kevin Weldon, 45, of Medford, finished fifth in 19:46.94.

Anna Blanco, 16, of East Quogue, placed second among female runners in 21:54.30. Stefani Joslin, 29, of Hampton Bays, placed third in 24:19.94, Karen Cotty, 60, of East Quogue, finished fourth in 24:30.82 and Lynda Maniscalco, 47, of Central Islip rounded out the top five women in 24:38.32. Last year’s inaugural female champion, Caeden Dorn, could not return as she was playing in the Suffolk County Class C semifinals with the Westhampton Beach varsity girls lacrosse team on Saturday.

Full results can be found at elitefeats.com.

Hampton Bays Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen said that in the past year, the Wildcat Education Foundation, started by Long and a few community members, and the Robert J. Long Scholarship Foundation merged to become the Robert Long Wildcat Education Foundation to join its efforts in supporting students with scholarships and also an annual gift to the East Quogue School. Clemensen was proud to announce that the foundation will provide an outdoor water station for those who use the school’s outdoor facilities.

The foundation already provides a $10,000 scholarship to a graduating senior who attended and graduated from East Quogue Elementary School, in addition to another $2,000 scholarship that increases over time to a graduating sixth-grader each year in memory of Long. The other goal of the foundation is to create a financial sustainability plan, Clemensen said, so that it grows to a point where the benefit of scholarships and support of the East Quogue School in the future doesn’t peter out.

A Hampton Bays resident, Long began his career as an administrator when he became principal of East Quogue School in 2000. “See You Out There,” was something that the East Quogue faculty and students would often hear Long say after every one of his morning announcements.

For more information on the Robert Long Wildcat Education Foundation, to apply for one of the scholarships or become a sponsor, go to rjlscholarship.com.