Malone, Ouzounian Continue Comeback Seasons For Southampton Boys Indoor Track At League Championships; Ferguson, 4x2 Relay Are Champs

This winter has been the season of comebacks for the Southampton boys track team.

Last month, just a few weeks after competing at the New York State Cross Country Championships, senior Billy Malone was having a hard time breathing and had excessive back pain. After he was checked out by a doctor, it was found that Malone was suffering from a collapsed lung, which forced him to miss the entire first month of the indoor track season.

After receiving a medical exemption from Section XI, Malone returned to Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood for the first time this season on Sunday for the League V Championships — and it was business as usual.

Malone not only won the 600-meter run, in 1:28.74, he also anchored the Mariner’s winning 4x400-meter relay team, which finished in 3:51.63. Malone was joined by Christian Dugga, Riley Herman and Maxwell Murch in the relay.

Malone said the doctors could not figure out why someone who is in such great physical shape suffered a collapsed lung, or how. He said he’s just happy to be running again.

“I was in the hospital for a couple of days. I did not run, I think it was for, like, four weeks,” he explained. “There was no real reason for it, so it was kind of hard to comprehend. I had to wait it out and see what happens.

“I’ve gotten into shape pretty fast, but I’m not exactly where I want to be, so I’ll keep working on it and see where I go.”

Although he’s missed so much time, Malone’s goal is to still make the state meet. He said he’s going to try to add an event, possibly the 1,000- or 1,600-meter races, to his repertoire in the final two meets of the season, as long as his body can handle it.

William Ouzounian is another senior who has been competing in the shot put for five years. But back in February 2020, while practicing in a slick throwing circle, Ouzounian slipped and hyperextended his knee, and in the process fractured his patella and tore three tendons. He was on crutches for three months and then went through a six-month rehab.

With last season basically lost due to COVID, Ouzounian has called this winter his comeback season — and he’s done just that, regularly finishing among the leaders in the shot put.

On Sunday, Ouzounian finished third, with a throw of 38 feet 10 inches, about a foot or so under his personal best.

“I felt good. I felt like I was falling away a little bit, could have definitely done better,” he said after he wrapped up his throws on Sunday. “Happy with the results. I’ve been struggling this season, not hitting what I wanted to, but I’m happy. It’s a strong comeback.”

Southampton boys track head coach Tony Dottin said Malone and Ouzounian are two student-athletes dedicated to their sports and continually finding ways to improve.

Harrison Gavalas placed third in the 300-meter dash, in 38.32 seconds. If not for a slip at the very start of the 55-meter dash finals, Gavalas could have been in the mix to place in that event also. Instead, he settled for seventh place, in 7.04 seconds.

This weekend’s Last Chance Meet is the final tune-up before the Small Schools Championships on February 5, and the state qualifier on February 14.

Bridget Ferguson won the League V title in the high jump, clearing 4 feet 11 inches, and Southampton’s 4x200-meter relay team of Kyla Cerullo, Emily Zukosky, Katie Terry and Sofia Oliveri won in a season’s-best 1:58.47 to lead the girls team at its league championship, which was Saturday at Suffolk-Brentwood. The victories helped the Mariners place fifth out of 11 teams, with 36 points.

Cerullo placed fourth in the 55-meter dash, in a personal-best 7.94 seconds. Katie Terry placed sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 29 feet ½ inch. Vivienne Archer competed in the high jump for the first time and placed sixth after reaching 4 feet 3 inches.

Jaylin Maloney, Jeorgiana Gavalas, Jillian Switochia and Archer placed third in the 4x400-meter relay, in 4:39.24. Emma Suhr, Hayden Gilmartin, Lili Telvi and Gavalas placed fourth in the 4x800-meter relay, in 12:03.62.