On January 11, 2025, the school track team brought about 20 athletes to compete in the Armory Hall of Fame Invitational Meet with schools from all over the east coast. In the midst of many personal bests made by others that day, the boys sprinter relay broke the school record for the 4×200 meter race. Running on the ‘fastest track in the US’—The Armory in Brooklyn—Justin Li, Ethan Wilson, Sebastian Hansman and Usman Iqbal ran a total of 800 meters, passing off the baton every 200m, in an unparalleled time of 1 minute and 38.28 seconds. This shattered the former school record for this relay, a time of 1:38.99, from 2019.
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised that we managed to pull it off, more proud and happy for myself and the guys. We all ran our hearts out that day and constantly worked our butts off at practice so, I’m just glad it all paid off in the end,” junior Justin Ali said. “I remember the times during my earlier track seasons, when my friends and I would look up at the list of school records, wondering if I could ever etch my name in there someday. Feels pretty good knowing that I left my mark on the school, and that I did it just by doing what I love.”
Practicing six days a week, for anywhere from one to three hours a day, NHP’s four record-breaking athletes trained for long hours to achieve this record.
“From a 7th grader just starting out to a senior captain, hard work and consistency made the difference. Now, with the 4×2 school record, it’s proof that dedication builds legacies. Keep chasing greatness,” senior captain Ethan Wilson said.
“I think we had a great mix of new and returning people, and that helped make us super competitive,” senior captain Sanjay Chemban said.
Another part of what made this record distinctive is who ran it—two of the athletes on the relay team, Iqbal and Hansman, had just started track this past winter and were consistent soccer athletes, newly exposed to the rubber track. Despite this being their first-ever season, they put in the work and ran hard, and their effort was rewarded with this school record.
“Different sports use speed differently. Track was new to me but I adapted through the support from coaches and my constant commitment to getting better. While I was catching my breath at the end of the race, I waited patiently for the scores to come out. I looked up at the big screen and saw the record-breaking time. I felt proud for all of which we put in and the family that was built,” senior Usman Iqbal said.
“Playing soccer was the foundation for being able to break the record. It was nice to be able to put my and my teammates’ names in the school records,” senior Sebastian Hansman said.
In addition to new athletes this year, the track team also had a brand new coach, Coach Samantha Collins.
“Witnessing the boys 4×200 team break the school record was an unforgettable moment in my first year coaching at New Hyde Park. It was a very rewarding feeling seeing all of the hard work, determination, dedication, and teamwork come together,” Coach Collins said.
Coach Christina Bianco has coached for over 10 years, and she was also elated by the new record.
“It was such a great feeling knowing that these boys had been working so hard and were able to accomplish something so amazing,” Head Coach Bianco said. “It was definitely a highlight of the season.”
