Riverhead’s Dwayne Morgan breaks another school record, qualifies for states

A week after Dwayne Morgan broke Riverhead’s all-time 110-meter hurdle record and won the Suffolk County championship, the senior hurdler was back in action last Friday for the New York State qualifiers at Port Jefferson High School.

Then he surpassed another one.

This time, the senior took down Riverhead’s 400-meter hurdles record — a fitting way to close out a high school career already filled with firsts.

“He just flat out put in the work this year as simple as it sounds,” Riverhead track coach Tyler Lobenhofer said. “He worked out three days a week in the summer with our program and much more on his own. He joined cross country in the fall for the first time ever. He competed in events he never imagined himself in, the 400, 800, 1k, and even the 5k.

“But when it comes to the hurdles, he just has unreal confidence in himself, and it’s because he knows he’s done everything he can to be the best.”

There have been many firsts in Morgan’s final high school spring track season. He earned the title of Suffolk County champ for the first time, he broke a school record for the first time, and now, after finishing in first place in the 400-meter hurdles, qualified for states for the first time. 

“First, you go win a county championship without ever being a county champion and break Angelo Confort’s record that he set at the state meet,” Lobenhofer said. “And then the next week you take first overall in the 400m and beat two guys that have been consistently ahead of you for the last few years. And that day, you hit the state super standard and control your own destiny. It’s just unbelievable.”

Morgan was ranked fourth in the county coming into this season for the 400-meter hurdles. He not only bridged that gap — he passed everyone in front of him.

After winning the 110-meter hurdles at the Suffolk County championships, Morgan and the Riverhead track coaches shifted their focus to prepping for the 400-meter hurdles ahead of the qualifiers because they believed that was the event he was meant to dominate. His endurance set him apart from the pack, and they wanted to take full advantage.

“That’s been the conversation since last spring and all year,” Lobenhofer said. “If he wanted to make it to the state meet, it had to be the 400-meter hurdles. His skill set fits that event the best rather than the 110. He’s great at both events, but we felt he had the best chance to reach that super standard time in the 400.”

Ryan Budd had held the 400-meter hurdles record since 2010 with a time of 55.67 seconds, recorded by FAT, or fully automated timing.

But after digging through old records, Riverhead track coaches found a hand-held time from Gary Pettus of 54.9 seconds from 1997. Morgan eclipsed both marks with a time of 54.37 seconds, leaving little doubt about his place among Riverhead’s best hurdlers.

“At least in terms of spring track, he’s the best to ever do it here in Riverhead history,” Lobenhofer said. “He owns both records, so it’s hard to argue anything else.”

Morgan is simply hitting his peak at the perfect time. 

Track and field records have been falling steadily at Riverhead, a sign of the program’s growth in recent years. Christopher Jones took down several long-distance records, including the mile and 3,200-meter run last year. Sean Rowland broke the 2,600-meter steeplechase record in 2024.

On the girls’ side, Kayleanne Campbell broke the high jump record with a 5-foot-4 leap, and Emma Ellis broke the pole vault record in 2023. Ja’dah Williams broke the 1-kilogram discus record, and Jamie Ellwood broke the 100-meter hurdles record in 2024.

“I feel like every year we’re having someone break a record here,” Lobenhofer said. “If it’s not an individual time going down, it’s a relay time going down. It’s so motivating to the younger kids coming up. You see your teammates go and do it. It’s someone you train with every day. What it comes down to is, and this is for every sport, really, it’s the consistency. It’s checking all the boxes.”

“You’re listening to your coaches. You’re taking care of your body. You’re committing to this sport for all three seasons, and I can’t emphasize that enough. Like, why can’t it be you? Dwayne wasn’t hurdling until his sophomore year. Now he’s on top.”