MUNIZ, TOSCANO SET SCHOOL MARKS AT NYU FAST TRACK
Freshmen Chris Muniz and Ashley Toscano continued their season-long record-setting binge by posting school marks in the 400-meter dash at the NYU Fast Track Invitational, held February 23 at the New Balance Armory in New York City. The meet attracted teams from as far away as Texas and Minnesota.
Muniz (Suffern H.S./Suffern, N.Y.) won his section and finished 27th overall among 67 finishers in 50.23 seconds, shaving more than half a second off his previous standard of 50.78 set earlier this season. Toscano (Clarkstown South H.S./West Nyack, N.Y.) also prevailed in her section and placed 42nd overall in 61.52, breaking her old school record of 62.64 by more than one full second.
Freshman Jeanette Gibson (North Rockland H.S./Pearl River, N.Y.) placed 11th overall and second in her flight of the shot put with a best throw of 36 feet 4 ½ inches, less than four inches shy of her school record.
First-year sprinter Mike Valentine (Walter Panas H.S./Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) clocked 52.24 to place fifth in his section of the 400 meters, while sophomore James Strysko (Suffern H.S./Hillburn, N.Y.) finished eighth in his heat of the 60-meter dash in 7.76 seconds.
STAC’s men’s 4x400-meter relay wound up sixth in its section in 3:37.28. The quartet was manned by Muniz, 50.7; Valentine, 52.7; Andrew Gangemi (St. Peter’s Boys School, Staten Island, N.Y.), 54.9; and Anderson Munro (St. John the Baptist H.S./Wyandanch, N.Y.), 58.8.
The Spartans hope to conclude their season on a high note when they travel to Boston on March 3 to participate in the IC4A men’s championships at Boston University and the ECAC women’s championships at the Reggie Lewis Center.