The first clue Kenneth Ramdayal of Herricks High School had that this past weekend’s state meet might be perfect came on Thursday.
The throwing circle where the junior would throw the shot put was slow. He likes it when the circle’s sand is slow because it allows him to get better footing and allows for a smoother and more powerful toss.
“It was exactly how I liked it, so that gave me confidence,” Ramdayal said. “Then it was just going out and doing it.”
That he absolutely did. In a state meet for the ages, Ramdayal made some history for his school at the meet at Middletown High School. On Saturday, he became the first track and field competitor from his school to win a state championship, putting the shot 59 feet, 6.75 inches, to win the Class A shotput.
This came one day after an outstanding performance in the discus, when Ramdayal finished second in Class A, and fifth overall, with a powerful throw of 168 feet, nine inches.
Not bad for a kid who just started throwing discus 12 months ago.
“Coming from a few years ago, when I was throwing in my backyard and had terrible form, this was really exciting and I’m really happy,” Ramdayal said on Sunday. “I was nervous before I threw (the shotput), but once I saw how far it went, I was pretty calm and had a good feeling I’d win.”
Ramdayal, who also just missed winning the Federation title (which includes private schools, and Ramdayal finished second there), was one of many Nassau County boys’ and girls’ track and field stars who shone at states.
Also standing atop the podium on the boys side was the Manhasset 4×800 relay team, which repeated its state title win in the indoor season by squeaking to victory at states.
The Set duo of John Hogan, Ryan Boldi, Blake Sealy and Nic Katsoulis grabbed the early lead, fell behind Xavier High School on the final lap, but got a great finish from Boldi to win in 7:46.04, .78 ahead of Xavier (Syosset’s quartet finished fifth).
It’s the third state title won by Steve Steiner’s Manhasset running program this school year, to go along with the indoor title in the 4×800 and the team cross country win.
“I realized he’d gone out very fast to catch me, so I knew on the last lap I could pass him,” Boldi said. “It means a lot, to not just win it once but to back it up. Us four guys, we have a really special bond, and have spent so much time together, so it means a lot.”
Another terrific performance from the boys side came from Roslyn senior Zachary Davidson, who narrowly missed a state title of his own. Both Davidson and Batavia High’s Cooper Konieczny pole vaulted 15 feet, 6 inches, tying for the best mark in Class B. But because Konieczny hit that mark on his first try, while Davidson did it on his second, Konieczny was awarded first place.
Still, Davidson was plenty happy with the meet.
“I was super happy with that performance and what more could I ask for, going out like this on my final state meet,” said Davidson, who also finished third in 2024. “I’ve been training hard, working on everything, all geared to being at my best for the state meet. So I’m really, really happy.”
On the girls side, Baldwin’s 4×100 relay team of Breanne Barnett, Jahzara Emeli, Kelys Walker and Sariah Doresca blazed to a 45.84 first-place win, a new meet record.
Port Washington star Bella Lucas, long a state medalist in long jump and high jump, decided to really challenge herself by entering the pentathlon competition. And Lucas, as usual, rose to the occasion, as the senior came in second in high jump and third in the long jump, to finish second overall in the state meet (third in the Federation meet).
“It was such an amazing feeling,” said Lucas, headed to Binghamton University in the fall. “I’ve never wanted something more than I wanted a medal at the state meet.
“Having my coaches and my parents there to watch me do so well was so amazing, and their support pushed me to do my best.”
Also excelling on the girls side was Manhasset’s Kate Voelker, who finished second in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 8 inches, just one inch off winner Paige Fessler from Valley Stream North.
“Everything was wet and it was raining and I tried not to let that get in my head,” Voelker, a junior, said. “To go 5-8, that’s a really big number for me, so I was really excited, and to get a second-place medal.”
