Hassan Takes Another Step Forward With 800 Win at Loucks

By Brian Towey of DyeStat

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Loping through the boys 800 meters with an effortless stride, Abdullahi Hassan provided one of the Loucks Games' biggest surprises Friday.

The sophomore from Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute in the Scarborough area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, stole the show amongst a talented field that included Fairport NY's Ben Bulkeley, rolling with the pack through a modestly-paced 56 opening 400 before staving off Northport NY's Elijah Claiborne for a 1:52.23 win.

"I got a letter from Fred Singleton, the meet director, asking for him by name," said Glenn Duncan, one of the track and field coaches at Birchmount. "We made the eight-hour drive down."

Hassan is only in his second year in the sport after being discovered by a physical education teacher during a 12-minute run (he ran nine laps). Coming from the diverse east side of Toronto, he's still getting acclimated to the sport.

Hassan, whose parents are originally from Somalia, led Birchmount to an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) cross country team championship earlier this year.

"In grade nine I debuted," Hassan said. "I was going to play football. I quit after one day."

Birchmount boasts a strong track and field tradition. Under John Stephens, who works with the middle distance runners, the program has developed four Olympic track and field athletes, including shot putter Brittany Crew, sprinters Ian and Justin Warner, and Aaron Brown, who captured a bronze medal as a part of Canada's 4x100-meter relay in the 2016 Olympics.

"We've always had a good training program," Duncan said. 

Oxbow VT senior Izzy Giesing, who finished third in the girls 800 meters in 2:13.78, also received a personal invite from Singleton. A 2:10 talent from Bradford, Vt., a town of around 2,000 people, she was soaking up the big-meet experience.

"It's a lot different than what I'm used to," said Giesling. "We have dogs and baby sheep running through our practice. It's farms. This is what happens."

Gill St. Bernard's NJ senior C.J. Licata won the boys shot put with a mark of 63-2.50. 

"I'm trying to get to that 65-plus," said Licata, a Princeton commit.

Madison OH junior Nolan Landis, who finished second in 59-0.50, made the trip east after recently breaking 60 feet at his conference meet.

"I finally broke through that barrier," Landis said.