Tracksters in Postseason

Ben Turnbull, who coaches East Hampton High School’s boys track team, said earlier this week that he expected that Ryan Fowkes, in the 800 and 1,600-meter races, Robert Weiss, in the 100 and 200, and Matt Maya, in the pentathlon, should earn berths in the state qualifier meet that is to take place at Comsewogue High School tomorrow and Saturday.

Likewise, Yani Cuesta, who coaches the girls, said she had hopes that her two freshman long-distance runners, Ava Engstrom and Bella Tarbet, and Bella Espinoza, a pole-vaulter, would qualify for the qualifier.

At the division meet this past week, Weiss was the 100-meter runner-up and was fourth in the 200; Fowkes placed third in the 1,600 and fifth in the 800; Frank Bellucci placed sixth in the steeplechase, and Eamon Spencer placed seventh in the 800.

As for the girls, Cuesta said Engstrom, competing in the freshman-sophomore meet, set a school record in finishing fourth in the 2,000-meter steeplechase in 7 minutes and 44 seconds. The record had been held by Liana Paradiso, who did a 7:47.89 last year. Engstrom also set a school record in the division meet’s 3,000, placing ninth in 11:01.82.

Engstrom was third and Tarbet was fourth in the freshman-sophomore 3,000, and Espinoza would have placed second in the pole vault, at 7 feet 6 inches, if the wind hadn’t blown her pole back onto the bar, knocking it off the standards. 

“She cleared that height by about a foot,” said Cuesta, who was to have argued her case at Tuesday’s seeding meeting.