Bowne buddies shine in borough final

Since meeting as freshmen, Tariq Devore and Kouri Falconer have become almost inseparable. They do everything together, from gaining college credits at Queens College, to training, to running on the same high school and club teams.
They also capped their indoor track & field careers with a bang.
Devore won the 300- and 600-meters while Falconer prevailed in the 1600- and 3200-meters at the New Balance Armory Track & Field Center in Washington Heights on Sunday February 11 as part of the Queens Borough Championships. They also formed the back two legs for the Wildcats in the 4×400-meter relay, finishing third.
For Devore, who is looking at Arizona State, Massachusetts and Connecticut as possible destinations next fall, the dominant afternoon was not too surprising; he has owned the 300 meters, winning Gold in five citywide events. However, Falconer, a late blossoming long distance runner, was still looking to find his gait, having struggled this year.
“I was the most nervous of all my teammates the whole day,” he said. “I knew I could do well. The hard work I put in between the last meet and now paid off.”
“This is by far his best season,” John Bowne Coach Ed Brown said of Falconer. “Kouri’s been progressing lately.”
Falconer and Devore each said their friendship had a role in their success, not only on this afternoon but also in general. Just a few months after Devore joined up with the Rising Stars as a sophomore, he encouraged Falconer to come with him. The two also share the same agriculture major at John Bowne.
“They work together,” Brown said. “In training they help each other and talk things over.”
While it is difficult for the best friends to give helpful pointers pertaining to their respective events, they still push one another in practice. “It gives you more momentum when your friend has your back,” Falconer said.
“When we’re practicing in distance, he know she has to chase me and when we work on sprints, I have to chase him.”
Overall, Francis Lewis dominated the rest of the pack, taking home 120 points. Campus Magnet was second with 77, and John Bowne took home third with 46.
Justin Chen won the 55-meter hurdles for the Patriots, their 4 x 800-meter relay team of Andres Cabrera, Corey Green, Michael Hintze and David Johnson took home the Gold and Wei Chu Yin earned first-place honors in the triple jump and pole vault. Francis Lewis also scored in nine other events.