On May 23 and 24, Great Neck South High concluded its team competition at the Nassau County Championships at Mitchel Field. The Rebels dominated the meet and finished a school best second at Counties, the "playoffs of track." All 19 AA Nassau teams came down and competed fiercely to earn the title of county champion. Coming into the meet the rebel's top competition was Westbury, Lynbrook, South Side and Lawrence. Westbury has been a dominant force in the division, winning their division title an unheard of seven of the last eight years. Lynbrook, a new addition to the AA classification, has been an annual county leader.

South's amazing finish is reminiscent of the Rebels dominance under Coach Bob Baratta of the 70s and 80s in which it was a rarity to see South out of the top 5 in county. It takes something special to be among the elite in the county. Coach Baratta explains that, "Great Athletes must be willing to work and want to be good, the willingness to work hard is actually a talent." Track is a much tougher and competitive sport than most people think. Training involves pushing your body to the limit in order to reach your potential. Most races come down to the second, making every moment of every race important. A mixture of leadership, hard work, concentration and talent makes up the ideal track team.

The rebels, led by determined captains Brian Macarthur, Danny Hu, Lesford Duncan, Andre Burnett and Ben Lavender and experienced coaches Damon Reader, Georges Hudson and Carmine, were destined for success. "This year's team was more than a team, we were a family. Our dedication and cohesiveness brought us together and it really paid off," revealed team leader Brian Macarthur following the meet.

Macarthur set the tone for the rebels early in the meet, winning the 800 meter. He continued to demonstrate South's dominance by winning the 3000 meter steeple and earning All-County merit in the 2 mile. Fellow captain and leader Danny Hu received All-County merit in the 400 intermediate hurdles and the Long Jump. The most exceptional performance of the County Meet was by the rebels Count Champion 4X400 team. Andre Burnett, Ely Franko, Terence "T-Bunny" Livingston and Jeff Lugo put together the best 4X400 relay team in the county. Other outstanding performances were put in by Ben Lavender in the 100 and 200 meter, Ely Franko in the 400 IH, Francis Morris in the 110 High Hurdles, Jeff Lugo in the Steeple chase, Brian Mathew in the discus. The relay teams truly demonstrated South's teamwork and hard work. Both the 4X100 team of Ross Goldstein, Nick Kang, Ben Lavender and Francis Morris and the 4X800 team of Andre Burnett, Jordan Holtzman, Jeff Lugo and Ely Franko placed third in county for their respective events. "Our team is something truly remarkable. With our determination and unity never in short supply, there is never a race or obstacle that we cannot take straight on," explained junior track runner Nick Chu. It's not only the people who scored, but every single person on the team was a part of this year's success.

With all the great performances the Rebels earned second place at the County meet. Only Westbury finished ahead of South. The Rebels' great finish at Counties concluded their 9-4 season and runner up finish at the Division 2B Championships. Legendary Coach Bob Baratta said, "Track is a vivid example of life, you only get out of it what you put into it." This year the Great Neck South boys track team put in a lot of hard work and got out a successful and unforgettable season.