By Mitch Abramson
Heading into the final leg of the 400 meter relay Saturday at the CHSAA Boys Outdoor Intersectional, McKenzie was trailing the leader by maybe five yards when the dynamics of the race changed. McKenzie received the baton from Andre Jackson and nearly left a trail of fire in his wake as he grabbed the lead and raced to the finish line, shattering the school and meet records with a time of 42.57 at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island. Adrian Davis led off the race and Michael Johnson ran the second leg.The old meet record of 42.9 was set by Cardinal Hayes in 1991. The prior school record at Holy Cross was 42.85. The finish was so dramatic that the announcement to notify the crowd that history had been made never came. Instead, the victory was met with stunned silence.For McKenzie, who is headed to the University of Kentucky on a track scholarship, the race was business as usual. Last year the 400 meter relay at the outdoor CHSAA Boys Intersectional ended the same way with McKenzie, his Super Man cape dangling in the wind, coming from behind to win.”I guess I'm getting used to being in these situations,” he said. “I've been in that spot so often that it's kind of exciting to come from behind and win. It makes you try harder when you're not in the lead. I was in the same position last year.”Two weeks ago McKenzie strained his right hamstring during a meet at St. Anthony's High School. The strain was severe enough to make him miss the Brooklyn/Queens championships May 18, and he was contemplating skipping Saturday's meet.”I was worried,” he said. “That's an injury that doesn't go away. I was surprised with how well I did. The warm weather definitely helped.”McKenzie credited his quick recovery to Pro-Fit in Bayside, which administered physical therapy on him for two weeks before the race. In addition to winning the relay, McKenzie also won the 200-meter dash in 21.82 to qualify for the state championships June 3.Kevin Ogletree, one of the top football players in the city, was noticeably bigger when he competed in the 100-meter dash Saturday. The Holy Cross senior is trying to muscle up before he leaves for the University of Virginia to play football, and he has added around 12 pounds of bulk to his frame. He was unquestionably the biggest runner competing in the event, and chasing after the smaller runners made Ogletree appear like a hungry linebacker pursuing a tailback. In just his third race this year, Ogletree came in third with a time of 11.36. St. Francis Prep's Anthony Oluwanifise was distressed over his performance in the long jump Saturday. Two of his six jumps were fouls, and he later frowned upon the rest of his attempts. Fortunately for Oluwanifise, who also took second in the triple jump, his initial qualifying jump of 21 feet and 2 1Ú2 inches was far enough to win the competition. Oluwanifise is currently the top ranked long jumper in New York State based on his performance at the Hartford Invitational in which he placed second with a distance of 23 and 1Ú2 inches.In the team competition, Holy Cross and Archbishop Molloy tied with a fourth place finish of 24 points. St. Francis Prep came in fifth with 22 points. The overall winner was Mount St. Michael with 43 points.Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by E-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 130.
