Riverhead track sees major growth as freshmen, sprinters lead the way

When boys’ track coach Tyler Lobenhofer arrived at Riverhead four years ago, numbers were down across the board. The team was lucky to have 50 athletes. There were always standouts, but it wasn’t a true team with talent in every event. 

Over the years, that’s changed. 

In the first week of spring track this season, 94 student-athletes registered for the team. 

“By the end of the first two weeks, which is when you really figure out who is going to be on your team for the season, who can make it through the program and meet the expectations, and who wants to be there, we got down to 81 in total,” Lobenhofer said. “But even that is a crazy increase year over year.”

Led by some standout seniors who are making a mark in their specific events, the bulk of that number is underclassmen who have shown they’re ready to put in the work and improve every day.

“Last year we only had about 10 sprinters on the team,” Lobenhofer said. “There were 35 distance guys and a handful of throwers. Now we have a huge influx of sprinters, which is a great thing to see. There’s a massive freshman class that came in, and that’s different because usually we have to do the recruitment in the building, so hats off to the middle school program for that.”

Spring track and field has shifted from something to do to stay in shape into something athletes take seriously. Many of the standouts have committed to running all year, which has led to a surge in high-placing individual finishes this season.

The 4x100m relay returns the same sprinters as last year, but the group is more engaged and pushes themselves to consistently produce better times. Tatum Funn, Quentin Ward, Elijah Trent and Holman Velasquez typically do the relay, but Dwayne Morgan also joins the rotation.

The group has already qualified for Adidas Nationals, running a time of 44.90. Last year, they were ranked 29th in Section XI; this year, they skyrocketed to sixth. 

Funn was unranked last year in the 100m dash and is now ranked ninth in Section XI. Morgan is ranked third in Section XI 110m hurdles with a time of 14.86. Both are examples of how years in the program can culminate during a senior season.

The sophomore distance runners have already made a name for themselves during the fall and winter seasons, and they continue to break personal records. Four Riverhead 800-meter runners are in the top 18 in Section XI in the sophomore class.

Grady Moore runs a 2:12 in the 800 and a 4:45 in the 1,600. Antonny Juela Munoz posted a 2:13 and a 4:58. Franklin Sebastian crossed the finish at 2:16 in the 800. Brayan Chacon posted a top time of 5:10 in the 1,600. Nicolas Sabatini runs 53.6 in the 400, which is fifth in the sophomore class.

But what has coaches in Riverhead buzzing more than anything is the talent in the freshman class.

Kevin Velasquez currently sits in second place out of all freshmen in Section XI in the 800m with a time of 2:12. His time of 5:02 in the 1600 is good for 12th.

Jermaine Robinson-Daniels has really turned heads this season. The freshman has jumped 20 feet, 5½ inches in the long jump, which ranks second in the freshman class across Section XI. His 11.6 time in the 100 sprint is among the top five freshmen.

Justice Strand is making his mark in the high jump. He cleared 5-6 in his best attempt, which puts him second in the freshman class in Section XI and 10th statewide. His 19-10¾ long jump is fifth in Section XI and 10th in the state.

On the girls’ side, another freshman is starting to separate from the pack. Ka’Maya Johnson currently ranks 12th in the 100m, fourth in the 200m, and 11th in the long jump among freshmen in Suffolk County.

“Our numbers mean everything toward the success,” Lobenhofer said. “We’re able to try kids in different events, like in the jumps. Having depth only helps us as coaches identify what event is best for each athlete. Finding a specialty event that they really excel in gives us the opportunity to tailor workout plans to fit each individual athlete. Riverhead has always had athletes. We’re just thrilled to finally see them on the track, and the results speak for themselves.”