Chaminade's Brian Guiheen wins CHSAA Intersectional 3,200 championship, with teammate Blake Weaver right behind him

For the Chaminade track and field team, it’s more than a sport — it’s a brotherhood and a camaraderie that make winning titles more meaningful.

Brian Guiheen won the CHSAA intersectional 3,200-meter championship in 9 minutes, 40.86 seconds at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island Saturday, punching his ticket to the state championships, scheduled for June 13-14 in Middletown.

Behind him was a familiar face: teammate Blake Weaver, who placed second in 9:44.09. After crossing the line, they immediately embraced each other.

“The best part about it is we do it as a team,” Guiheen said. “We are never alone. We are always with someone that we know, and we just dominate together.”

Said Weaver: “Every day at practice, I know what it’s like to sit behind Brian, and when we are going through workouts and it gets tough, I know if Brian’s doing this, I can do this. So, when I saw him ahead, I said, I got to go, because we know how good we can be when we work together.”

A similar scenario happened in the freshman-sophomore meet last year, where they also placed first and second, making this moment even more meaningful for the two friends.

“Brian’s one of my best friends,” Weaver said. “So going through these nerve-wracking situations is fun, knowing I have my friend to do it with.”

“Blake is better than I was last year,” Guiheen said. “It feels awesome. We put in so much work to get to the level we are at now. It felt good to win at the big stages of the Catholic league.”

Fellow Flyer Jonathan Szymanski won both the shot put (58 feet even) and discus (168-6). He was named the field MVP of the meet.

“I was trying to get a good throw out there,” Szymanski said. “I just try to focus on my technical queues. But I know if I get one out there, it’s going.”

Szymanski prefers shot put, but the senior’s determination gave him the push needed in both events after placing second in both last year, making the victories extra sweet.

“I’m definitely a lot more consistent with shot put. Discus is a little tough. It’s harder to get the release,” Szymanski said. “Even though I fell short last year, I’m really happy I was able to secure the victory this year.”

Elsewhere, Kellenberg sophomore Damion Gordon Jr. won the 100 in 10.88, a personal record. He broke the school record of 10.94, set by Kavon Morris in 2021.

“It’s moments like these that pick you up mentally, as a person, and as an athlete. You just have to look forward,” Gordon said. “This sets my name up, especially in the future. When I was a freshman, I saw all the seniors; they were super-fast, and I wanted to be like that. I’m finally setting myself up to be remembered in school history.”

Gordon continued: “This sends a message to everybody. I’m here now, and I’m not the same person I was last year. I’m here to show everybody who Damion Gordon is.”

When things were looking down for St. Anthony’s in the 4 x 800 relay, James Ciaccio stepped up when it mattered most. Trailing on the final leg of the race, he was able to close the gap and earn his team a win in 7:57.41. The Northeastern commit, who was second in the 800 in 1:54.50, was awarded track MVP honors.

“I’m just so happy to give those guys an opportunity to [go to] a meet that big,” Ciaccio said of relay teammates Richard Grillo, Edward Lessing, and Nicholas Caroddo. “Getting our relay to a higher level has been our priority this season. It’s all about putting the pieces together and hammering it away.”

Fordham Prep won the team championship with 50.50 points. St. Joesph by the Sea was second (30) and Chaminade was third (28).