Merchant Marine Asst Coach Breaks Throw Record

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Merchant Marine Asst Coach Breaks Throw Record

Written by Joseph Pisido Friday, 22 February 2013 00:00

United States Merchant Marine Academy assistant track and field coach Wilfredo De Jesus broke his Puerto Rican National Weight Throw record recently at the Crowell Invitational in West Point, with a distance of 20.70 meters.

Competing in the open division of the Crowell Invitational featuring top professional and semi-professional track and field athletes; De Jesus’ impressive mark was only bested by 2011 United States Weight Throw Champion Jacob Freeman, one of his training partners.

Wildfredo De Jesus competing in the weight throw competition at the Crowell Invitational in West Point.

De Jesus has held the Puerto Rican Weight Throw record since 2007 when he topped the previous record holder, Santos Vega. De Jesus was also the Puerto Rican National Hammer Throw Champion in 2009, 2010 and 2011, has been a member of the Puerto Rican National team since 2004, and until a few years ago, held every Puerto Rican under 23 national record.

In 2007, De Jesus was named Puerto Rican athlete of the year and became the first ever Puerto Rican to win a medal in the Pan American Games.

De Jesus will be competing at the Puerto Rican National Championships on June 14 and 15, but has his sights set on loftier goals as he will be representing Puerto Rico at the Central American and Caribbean Games. He only needs to increase his personal best distance by a small margin to qualify for world championships in Moscow. If he performs well at world championships, De Jesus is hopeful he can qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

A native of Arroyo, Puerto Rico, De Jesus has been assisting the men’s and women’s track and field teams since August 2011. He primarily works as a throwing coach, also serving as an off-season strength and conditioning assistant for speed and power events.

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St. Aloysius Church Celebrates 100 Years

Wednesday, 22 May 2013 08:08

Great Neck’s beautiful, majestic St. Aloysius Church celebrates its 100th birthday this year. On Sunday, June 23, the church hosts a centennial celebration, including a special mass and a dinner dance. The historic church is located at 592 Middle Neck Road in the Village of Great Neck.

“Even after 100 years, many people still consider St. Aloysius one of the most beautiful churches on Long Island,” said Monsignor Brendan Riordan, pastor of St. Aloysius. “This centennial celebration is a significant milestone for our parish and we are proud that St. Aloysius has been part of the Great Neck community for so many years.”

Sports

Therapeutic Skating Program Completed

Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00

The Great Neck Park District, in partnership with the Great Neck Figure Skating Club and the Great Neck School District, started the Therapeutic Skating program in February 2013. This program was extremely beneficial to students with special needs from Great Neck North Middle and High Schools. The skaters met bi-monthly at the Andrew Stergiopoulos Ice Rink through Tuesday, April 23. They ended the season with a skating session as usual and then enthusiastically were awarded their trophies.