Colin Funk is tired.

He’s competed in so many meets for the Schreiber High School track and field team over the past few years, running the 800, the 1,600, the 4×800 meter relay, you name it, the speedster has done it.

So when it came to the state track and field championships on June 10-11, he was ready to put on one last, great set of performances, and finish with a flourish.

And that he did. In a near-perfect finish to a glorious career, Funk put up three Top 8 finishes for the Vikings. His 1:54.78 in the 800 meters was good for fourth overall in the state, while his 1,600 meter time of 4:14.27 placed him fifth.

Then Funk and teammates Max Meehan, Terrence McGinty and Kevin Taylor finished seventh overall in the 4×800 relay, running it in 7:56.79.

Funk’s performances were a highlight of area competitors at the state meet, as he was the only local to place Top 8 in three events.

“I was very happy with how I did, but you know, I’m ready to move on to college running,” said Funk, who’ll compete for George Washington University in the fall. “I was really pleased with my times, and after not having a state meet for outdoor track the last two years (because of COVID), it was really great to finally get to do well at states.”

Funk, who along with his 4×800 meter relay teammates qualified for nationals, said that he was very happy with his times in his last meet of his scholastic career.

While Funk expected to garner some all-state finishes, another local athlete surprised herself greatly.
Sydney Romano, a sophomore at Wheatley who’s being recruited by major Division I schools as a soccer goalkeeper, decided to try throwing the discus this spring after Dad Wayne, a former thrower himself, encouraged her.

“I figured I had lots of practice throwing a soccer ball pretty far so maybe I could be good at this, maybe it’s genetic,” she said with a laugh.

All Romano did in her rookie year in track was finish second in Division 2, and third overall at states, with a top throw of 115′-11.”

“I was very surprised and very excited,” Romano said. “Coach Capo (Robert Capobianco and Coach (D.J.) Paulson were more excited than I was, even, they were jumping up and down and congratulating me. I really was just hoping to get maybe Top 10. I had so much help from those coaches and coach Tim Schwalm at the beginning of the year.”

The Wheatley School had another outstanding performance at states, with the girls 4×800 team finishing third in Division 2, and 12th overall. The foursome of Juliana Mendes, Emmie Keys, Caitlin O’Keefe and Caroline O’Brien ran a 9:46.93.

Also shining at states was Manhasset’s Paul Park, who came in fifth in the triple jump (42’7″) and eighth in long jump (20’10.5″)