Muniz Triumphs, Toscano Third at Army Open

MUNIZ TRIUMPHS, TOSCANO THIRD AT ARMY OPEN

Freshman Chris Muniz captured the gold medal in the 400-meter dash and combined with Ashley Toscano for four more school records at the Army Open, held Saturday, January 27 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Muniz (Suffern H.S./Suffern, N.Y.) blazed to victory in the metric quarter-mile, stopping the clock in 50.78 seconds and shaving nine one-hundredths of a second off his previous school record set two weeks ago at Yale. Not satisfied with just one barrier-breaker, Muniz returned later to place third in the 200-meter dash in 23.36, taking sole possession of a mark he had shared with Matt Winkeleer. Muniz now lays claim to five school records at distances ranging from 200 to 600 meters.

Fellow freshman Toscano (Clarkstown South H.S./West Nyack, N.Y.) mirrored Muniz’s performance by posting school records in the same two events. She finished third in the 400 in 62.64 seconds, eclipsing her former standard of 63.4, and later placed seventh in the 200 in 27.92, intrinsically superior to her hand-timed 27.8 from earlier in the season.

Another freshman, Mike Valentine (Walter Panas H.S./Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.), joined the Spartan speed parade with a solid fifth-place showing in the 400 in 52.64, his seasonal best. He also finished second in his section and 13^th overall in the 200 in 24.07.

A pair of St. Peter’s Boys’ School alums from Staten Island, sophomore Andrew Gangemi and freshman Aidan Hearn, finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 1,000-meter run. Gangemi clocked 2:49.96, followed by Hearn in 2:56.67. Hearn also wound up 12^th in the mile in 4:56.67. Freshman Renee Remmers (Northwest Regional, New Hartford, Conn.) took ninth in the 800 in 2:50.32.

STAC’s next competition is Saturday, February 3 when the Spartans travel to East Stroudsburg, Pa., for the DeSchriver Invitational.