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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Boys and Girls track star Richard Rose has experienced the highs and lows of the Millrose Games. Knowing how losing feels only made the elation of victory more thrilling.
“It means everything,” The junior said of winning the track and field showcase. “Last year when we lost, I felt like crying. I know how it feels [to win] because my freshman year we won. It felt good.”
Rose and teammates Michael Moore, Donald Merceus and Shavanes Robinson ran Boys & Girls to a victory in the Public School Athletic League 4 x 400 meter relay with a time of 3:19.66 during the Millrose Games at The Armory last Saturday. It is the Bedford-Stuyvesant school’s third title in the last five years and avenges last year’s loss to Tilden. The time is the best in New York State this season.
Rose, who has interest from Florida State, Louisiana University, Michigan and Penn State, had already closed the gap between first and second when the race-leading Paul Robeson runner dropped the baton in the back turn of the second leg. Rose saw a chance to kick it into another gear and open up a sizeable lead.
“Once I’m in the front, I just go out and I don’t wait for no one to come and get me,” Rose said.
Tilden’s team of Kyle Baptist, Paul Clarke, Kwasi Applewhite and Adekunie Samuel placed second in 3:22.19. Samuel made a late push for first on the anchor leg. He pulled within 10 meters of Robinson around the final turn, but ran out of gas. Robinson expected the surge to come at some point, but had enough left to hold it off and secure Boys & Girls the title again.
“This is what we came here to do,” Robinson said. “It is a great feeling for me and my teammates. Our hard work had paid off.”
Tilden had to digest the feeling of a second-place finish twice last Saturday. The team of Applewhite, Baptist, Clarke and Solomon came second again in the boys’ 4 x 200 meter relay with a time of 1:31.36.
Tilden was happy to place at the prestigious meet behind Delaware Valley Charter (1:30.37), but did not best what it did year, when it also place number two, with a time below its best of the season.
“We would have won,” the anchor leg Solomon said.
The sophomore, who is returning from a hamstring injury, was still able to keep the Blue Devils in second. He had to hold off a late burst from Medgar Evers’ Rasheed Best around the final turn. The Cougars team of Semasa Oni, Corey Butcher, Kyle Johnson and Best was third with a time of 1:31.42
“I saw him coming,” Solomon said. “I just tried to finish strong and just try to hold him off.”
Tidlen was in the position thanks to great second leg from the senior Baptist. He saw Anthony McFarland of DeMatha Catholic (Md.) drop the baton on the handoff. Baptist immediately pushed himself forward and erased a small gain to takeover second place for good.
“I had to switch it to next gear and just try to go for first,” Baptist said.