Westhampton’s Valerie Finke Wins Three County Titles

Valerie Finke had just hopped off a plane from Hawaii, but that wasn’t going to stop the Westhampton Beach senior from securing the Suffolk County titles she knew were hers.

Finke placed first in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, and the 200-meter dash, at Kings Park High School to earn the Class B crowns on May 25. She also earned a chance to compete in the state qualifiers on June 2 and 3 at Comsewogue High School.

“I was in the right head space, knowing I can’t do or change anything at this moment that could influence my race — all I could do was run,” Finke said. “I have a bad habit of psyching myself out, but this time I was cool, confident and ready to race. It’s probably the meet I’m proudest of to date, because each event was so close, not a landslide win. Each race I won purely from grit and not letting go the last few meters of the race.”

Finke ended the 100 hurdles in 16.60 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 1 minute, 5.64 seconds. She crossed the finish line in the 200 dash in 26.93 seconds.

The senior said she felt more and more validated as the meet wore on, and was pleased with her outcomes despite her very different training while away in Hawaii.

“The time zone difference actually worked in my favor, because I was able to wake up at 5 a.m. and go on runs while it was still relatively cool and not so humid,” Finke said. “Most training consisted of a morning mile or two, followed by a cool-down walk. During the day, while I was at the beach, I’d make it a point to run up the dunes for more explosive training. It was by no means similar to a regular workout, but I made it work.”

The captain said she needed to be sure she’d be able to contribute like her coach hoped she would. What made it more nerve-racking for all involved was that Finke had broken the spikes on her shoes at her senior meet the day before she left for Hawaii.

“I hadn’t ordered a pair by the time I got back,” she said, laughing. “My mom was a saint and went out to buy me spikes the day of counties. I didn’t want to let [head coach John] Broich down. I know being away on vacation right before a crucial meet made him sweat quite a bit.”

The senior’s top finishes helped the Hurricanes come close to their goal of placing first in Class B. Westhampton Beach finished third, with 94 points. East Islip claimed first with 134 points, and Sayville was second with 110.

Broich said injuries in the 100 and 200 dash made the difference, but said seeing what Finke was able to achieve was still outstanding. No other Class B contestant had done the same — earning gold in all three events, the maximum a student-athlete can compete in — nor did it happen in any other class countywide.

“Valerie Finke did what she’s supposed to do, that’s for sure,” Broich said, laughing. “She’s a responsible athlete and very motivated, obviously, and sacrifices a lot. She’s the identity of the team.”

But Finke wasn’t the only girl to grab the top spot. Sophomore Madison Phillips’ 2,428 points was good for first in the pentathlon, and freshman Maya Cirincione’s time of 7:55.80 earned her a first in the 1,500 race walk.

The coach said Cirincione was struggling with her form the week before the meet and would have been disqualified had the issues not been addressed, and adjustments made.

“She’s a pretty tough kid,” Broich said. “I spent a lot of time with her breaking down the proper technique, and it worked out. She was composed, and did very well.”

Phillips had personal bests across all of the pentathlon events.

“She worked very hard,” the coach said, “and she was challenged.”

Freshman Lily Strebel will also make the state qualifier in the 800 and 1,500. She placed second in the 800, stopping the clock in 2:20.12, and third in the 1,500, crossing the finish line at 4:55.25.

Junior Emily Tully placed fifth in the race walk, with a time of 8:41.40, and freshman Sydney Beardslee finished eighth, in 9:07.95.

Senior Keira Falvey also will make the qualifier after placing third in the 3,000, in 11:09.11, with sophomore Oona Murphy right behind her, with a time of 11:52.85. Falvey’s time of 5:06.92 was also good for fifth in the 1,500.

Freshman Mia Valenzuela earned sixth in the 400 dash, clocking in at 1:03.28, and sophomore Sabra Harry grabbed 8th in the 400 hurdles, with a time of 1:14.83.

Sophomore Kylie Way’s 77-foot, 8-inch toss in the discus throw earned her fifth place, and freshman Lucy Mansfield finished right behind her with a 74-foot, 1-inch toss. Sophomore Hollie McAllister’s pole vault of 7 feet, 6 inches was good for seventh.

The 4x400 and 4x800 relays both nabbed third with times of 4:24.77 and 10:34.36, respectively, and the 4x100 placed eighth, in 57.22.

“This year started off strangely with masks being worn during practice and at winter meets — until you hit the starting line you couldn’t take them off — and, fast-forward now, I’m a county champ for three different events,” Finke said. “It’s been a wild four years, and I couldn’t have been half as successful without having coaches Broich and Otton and my mom in my corner — it definitely takes a village.

“Heading into state qualifiers, I’m hungry for another win, but I know regardless I’ll leave everything out on the track.”

Maximus Haynia and his teammates also had a strong showing for Westhampton’s boys team.

The junior’s time of 9:31.47 was good for first in the 3,200. Sophomore Trevor Hayes clocked in right behind him, in 9:40.17, and Haynia’s younger brother, Marcus, a freshman, finished sixth by crossing the finish line in 11:34.53.

Senior William Barry earned second in the shot put with a toss of 45 feet, 4.75 inches, classmate Cole Cammarata grabbed third in the 1,600 run with a time of 4:45.35, senior Aidan Mckeon placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 2 inches, classmate Colbie Mason tied for sixth with an 11-foot pole vault, and classmate William Barry finished ninth in the discus with a throw of 109 feet, 3 inches.

The Hurricanes’ 4x100 relay and 4x800 relay both placed fifth, with times of 46.65 and 8:54.68, respectively.

The boys finished sixth overall, with 38.5 points.