1995 Ramapo Boys' 1,600-Meter Relay
The Ramapo boys' 1,600-meter relay came into the 1995 outdoor season on a roll, having finished third in the New York State championships the previous year and setting a Rockland County record of 3:20.3 in the '94 Section 1 Open state qualifier. Seniors Courtney Headley and Nikomar Mosley teamed with junior Earl Morlese and sophomore Perry Jean to take the Gryphons a step further, all the way to the New York State title and a place in the Rockland County record books.
That foursome had become the first team from Rockland County to break the 3:20 barrier in the 4x400, en route to winning the Section 1 Open state qualifier in 3:19.5. At the State meet, anchor leg Headley took the baton from Mosley with a slight lead and held off the anchor leg from Syracuse Nottingham by just .07 – 3:19.59 to 3:19.66. Headley was clocked at 47.9 for his split and needed every bit of it to thwart the spirited bid of the Nottingham Bulldogs. Ramapo's time of 3:19.59 remained the County record for 12 years and currently ranks No. 5 on the all-time list.
“Those kids were mentally tough,” says Lamont McCormick, Ramapo's head coach and architect of the vaunted relay unit. “Nobody slacked off. They hung onto every word I said and they believed. Without exception they were constantly positive and determined to work hard.”
Building to a Crescendo
Early-season results don't always align with post-season outcomes, but the Ramapo relay burst out of the gate in April and rode the momentum to a stellar string of victories in May and June. Headley brought the Gryphons from third to first with a stirring anchor leg at the Nanuet Relays, setting the tone for the rest of the season. Morlese, Ricardo Francois and Mosley handled the first three legs. The winning beat continued at the League I-B meet, with Morlese, Francois, Jean and Headley clocking 3:28.2.
Ramapo continued to progress as the season rolled along, clocking 3:24.70 in the trial heats of the Loucks Games in mid-May. Headley also captured the open 400-meter championship in 48.41, the fastest time in the state up to that point. Ramapo then proceeded to sweep the County (3:28.6), Section 1 Class A (3:28.5) and Section 1 Open (3:19.5) titles, with Francois contributing a leg to the County crown and the Sectional 400-meter relay (43.3). Headley maintained his individual success in the 400, winning the County and Sectional titles, placing third in the State Qualifier and fifth in the State meet.
Headley's strongest impressions focus on the closeness and camaraderie of the relay members, as well as the impact Coach McCormick had on their development. “He was the difference maker,” Courtney says. “He brought out potential we didn't know we had. Coach McCormick was second to none.”
The coach adapted his approach based on each individual's needs. For example, Headley tended to “overthink” things so McCormick would tell him to “run your race and go disappear” to relax and recharge for his next race. The coach had Mosley run third leg because he “loved to run people down. Earl and Perry could run with anybody. If they could just stay close, the other two could run them down.” Mosley had sub-50-second speed on the relay, Morlese was in the 50-point range and Jean around 51 seconds.
Indoor 4x200 Prelude to Outdoor Success
The runners who brought Ramapo such acclaim in the outdoor 4x400 also carved a sizable niche in the indoor 4x200 during the 1994-95 winter season. Mosley, Francois, Morlese and Headley ran to victory in the Section 1 Class A and Open state qualifier meets, then placed second at the States and seventh at Nationals, both in County record times – 1:31.58 and 1:31.4, respectively, in the era before banked tracks became commonplace.
Although all the Ramapo relay members are at least 6 feet tall, they deftly negotiated the tight indoor turns and mastered the strategy involved. “It required a different style of running,” says Headley. “On the turns you had to drop your lower shoulder and lean into it. It was more tactical indoors; there was less room for error. But we always looked forward to running the 4 by 200. We looked at it as a precursor to the outdoor season, to get us ready for outdoors.”
As a postscript, the following year Ramapo again made the outdoor State meet in the 4x400 and won the Section 1 Open in 3:19.8, just missing their County record. Morlese and Perry Jean were carry-overs from the '95 team.
That foursome had become the first team from Rockland County to break the 3:20 barrier in the 4x400, en route to winning the Section 1 Open state qualifier in 3:19.5. At the State meet, anchor leg Headley took the baton from Mosley with a slight lead and held off the anchor leg from Syracuse Nottingham by just .07 – 3:19.59 to 3:19.66. Headley was clocked at 47.9 for his split and needed every bit of it to thwart the spirited bid of the Nottingham Bulldogs. Ramapo's time of 3:19.59 remained the County record for 12 years and currently ranks No. 5 on the all-time list.
“Those kids were mentally tough,” says Lamont McCormick, Ramapo's head coach and architect of the vaunted relay unit. “Nobody slacked off. They hung onto every word I said and they believed. Without exception they were constantly positive and determined to work hard.”
Building to a Crescendo
Early-season results don't always align with post-season outcomes, but the Ramapo relay burst out of the gate in April and rode the momentum to a stellar string of victories in May and June. Headley brought the Gryphons from third to first with a stirring anchor leg at the Nanuet Relays, setting the tone for the rest of the season. Morlese, Ricardo Francois and Mosley handled the first three legs. The winning beat continued at the League I-B meet, with Morlese, Francois, Jean and Headley clocking 3:28.2.
Ramapo continued to progress as the season rolled along, clocking 3:24.70 in the trial heats of the Loucks Games in mid-May. Headley also captured the open 400-meter championship in 48.41, the fastest time in the state up to that point. Ramapo then proceeded to sweep the County (3:28.6), Section 1 Class A (3:28.5) and Section 1 Open (3:19.5) titles, with Francois contributing a leg to the County crown and the Sectional 400-meter relay (43.3). Headley maintained his individual success in the 400, winning the County and Sectional titles, placing third in the State Qualifier and fifth in the State meet.
Headley's strongest impressions focus on the closeness and camaraderie of the relay members, as well as the impact Coach McCormick had on their development. “He was the difference maker,” Courtney says. “He brought out potential we didn't know we had. Coach McCormick was second to none.”
The coach adapted his approach based on each individual's needs. For example, Headley tended to “overthink” things so McCormick would tell him to “run your race and go disappear” to relax and recharge for his next race. The coach had Mosley run third leg because he “loved to run people down. Earl and Perry could run with anybody. If they could just stay close, the other two could run them down.” Mosley had sub-50-second speed on the relay, Morlese was in the 50-point range and Jean around 51 seconds.
Indoor 4x200 Prelude to Outdoor Success
The runners who brought Ramapo such acclaim in the outdoor 4x400 also carved a sizable niche in the indoor 4x200 during the 1994-95 winter season. Mosley, Francois, Morlese and Headley ran to victory in the Section 1 Class A and Open state qualifier meets, then placed second at the States and seventh at Nationals, both in County record times – 1:31.58 and 1:31.4, respectively, in the era before banked tracks became commonplace.
Although all the Ramapo relay members are at least 6 feet tall, they deftly negotiated the tight indoor turns and mastered the strategy involved. “It required a different style of running,” says Headley. “On the turns you had to drop your lower shoulder and lean into it. It was more tactical indoors; there was less room for error. But we always looked forward to running the 4 by 200. We looked at it as a precursor to the outdoor season, to get us ready for outdoors.”
As a postscript, the following year Ramapo again made the outdoor State meet in the 4x400 and won the Section 1 Open in 3:19.8, just missing their County record. Morlese and Perry Jean were carry-overs from the '95 team.