Justin Guerre, a senior at St. Francis Prep High School, located in Fresh Meadows, Queens, posted the only double victory on the track in the 11th annual Knight-Time Invitational track and field meet on a Saturday morning and afternoon at Uniondale High School in Long Island.
In fact, Guerra is a two-sport athlete at St. Francis Prep as during the fall he puts on a football uniform, and does well playing his specialty, running back.
Justin’s father, Roosevelt Guerre, was born in Haiti and eventually became a football coach for a youth organization located in Rosedale. Football was primarily Roosevelt’s sport, and his son is following in the latter’s footsteps.
“I stopped coaching last year… and now am focusing on sending Justin to college (as he narrowed his choices down to two),” said Roosevelt, a train dispatcher at Penn Station.
Justin nosed out for second place Shaka Shomari, a junior at Holy Trinity High School, winning the 100 meter dash in 10.83 to l0.95 as and he did the same in the longer 200-meter invitational with a clocking of 22.41 to 22.65. The 200 meters was one race or based on time while the shorter distance race marked trials and finals.
In scoring, each winner earned 10 points, as the initial six place finishers in all events scored for the team. The meet drew public and private high schools from Westchester, New York City, and Long Island.
This Knight-Time marked the first major meet of 2014 outdoor season.
“It feels good to win both races,” the 5 foot 8 inch 155-pound Guerre said after getting his award on the Uniondale High School field.
Now his goal is to qualify and land a berth in the State meet and do well in it come June and to keep improving and getting faster and faster.
He is a fast runner and tough both on the track and on the football field. And he always wants to win., if he can. And he has an excellent work ethic. However, his immediate goal is to compete in the Penn Relays.
A two-sport athlete, he started and starred on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams, and continued his success at football. There he was a running back in a very competitive Catholic High Schools Football League.
He has not made up his mind about which college to attend but is considering the University of Pittsburgh or La Salle, both in Pennsylvania.
