Thompson pushing to be one of the best in the 400 hurdles

By Brian Towey for DyeStat

New York -- After finishing fifth at the New York Indoor State Championships in the 300 meters, Linesha Thompson, a Jamaica native and Brooklyn Madison NY senior, welcomed the outdoor season.

RESULTS

"I'm most comfortable with the outdoor season because I'm from the Caribbean," Thompson said.

Saturday at the NYC Mayor's Cup Championship at Icahn Stadium, Thompson popped a US#3 time of 1:00.99 in the 400-meter hurdles.

"I started hurdling in 2016 (in Jamaica)," said Thompson, who arrived in Brooklyn the same year. "Ranford Spaulding, a coach at St. Andrew Technical Institute (and a rival of Vere Tech, where she attended), introduced me to it."

Thompson missed the outdoor championship season last year due to a hamstring pull. With her opener Saturday, this season looks promising.

"I want to go from 59 seconds to 58," Thompson said.

Fordham Prep and Xavier shared the boys team title at the Mayor's Cup, which matches New York City's best public and private programs against one another. Coach Pat Dormer, despite a lack of facilties and the school's midtown Manhattan location, has built Xavier, an all boys school, into one of the best distance programs in the state. The cross country team has finished second twice at the New York State Federation Cross Country Championships in the past four years.

"We're running at a huge disadvantage against suburban, public high schools," Dormer said. "They have so much of an advantage in terms of facilities and convenience."

Sophomore Sierra Dineen from Notre Dame Academy swept the girls 800 (2:16.20) and 1,500 (4:45.47). 

Charles Crispi of Monsignor Farrell made 15-6 to claim the boys pole vault.