Field specialist Glen Forsythe turned in an outstanding indoor track and field season, climaxed by winning two events in the Nassau County or Section VIII championships at St. Anthony’s High School in Suffolk County.
One of the top competitors in his specialty on Long Island, Forsythe, who originally came north from Jamaica, West Indies, to Long Island during the ninth grade, captured the long jump and triple jump without much rest between events in the meet to help his high school, Uniondale, to take the team title in a field of 18 scoring schools in Class ‘A.’
The teams included fourth place Baldwin, seventh place Westbury, eighth place Elmont, ninth place Freeport and 10th spot Valley Stream Central.
Last year Westbury was the team champion in Class ‘AA’ Division, but at the start of the fall of 2010, county personnel moved them up to the stronger ‘A’ class. Despite not being in contention for the team title, Westbury did very well.
Forsythe long jumped 22-6 ¼ for first place and teammate Chris Armour turned in a 22-5 performance for third to lead the way for Uniondale to score 93 total points. Forsythe cleared 47-8 ¼ and teammate Stephen Muir jumped 43-10 ½ for fourth place in the triple jump.
A week later at the same site in the State Qualifier, Forsythe qualified in both the long-and triple-jumps to continue his excellent showing this winter. He long-jumped 22-8 ¾ for first place while third-place finisher Armour did the same with a leap of 21-3 ¼. In the State qualifier triple jump, Forsythe went 47-2 ½ to again post another double and represent Uniondale in the prestigious meet at Cornell this weekend. This time Stephen Muir will also make the journey upstate as he triple-jumped 44-6 for second place..
“Forsythe is a great kid and is one of the best all-around athletes we’ve ever had” said Head Coach Dennis Kornfield. “He can also run. Down the road in college he can probably be a helluva pentathlete or decathlete.”
“Hard work paid off for me,” Forsythe said. “Anything is possible.”
Joining the jumpers upstate will be hurdlers Amour (7.81) and Nyder Chardonette (7.84), and Uniondale’s 4 x 200-meter relay team of Derrick Ingram, Armour, Chardonette, and Terrance Rodway.
Of course, all eyes will be featured on Westbury’s senior Owen Skeete. His style of running, going out fast and being able to hold on at the finish should hold up in the 1600 meters and 3200 meters of the meet.
“I’m pretty consistent with my times, and that’s a good sign for the State meet,” Skeete said. “Two races are hard but it’s all mental. I had a good season so far.”
Joining the select squad will be Freeport’s sophomore sensation Jonathan Greenwood, who took the 600-meter run in his personal best time of 1:23.22 in the State Qualifier.
Greenwood certainly improved on his time of 1:26.27 for fourth place a week prior to the State Meet in the County Championships. “It feels good to go to the state meet,” said Greenwood, a two sports athlete, for he dons a football uniform in the fall.
Dennis Kornfield has won 40 County championships combined indoors and outdoor while at the helm of the Uniondale track and field program.
“It was great to win the Indoor title,” he said. “For me it was number 21 indoors. It was a very special one because we have so many young runners. We have a great group of kids. We have 80 athletes who already signed up for outdoor track.”
