Cardozo’s Chamique Francis was the girls outdoor Wingate winner. (Robert Cole)
Claudia Francis and Chamique Francis got to enjoy one more accomplishment together.
The Benjamin Cardozo stars (no relation) have been competing side by side since they were 7 years old. Monday night at St. Francis College they were with each other for the last time as teammates to celebrate the final achievement of their high-school careers.
“We have been together since we were really young,” Chamique Francis said. “Never in a millions year did I think we would get the same award for high school.”
The Texas-bound senior was honored with the PSAL girls outdoor track Wingate Award and Claudia Francis, who is headed to Oregon, earned the indoor track honor. The two have played a starring role in the Judges claiming the last four indoor and outdoor city crowns. The Wingate Award is given to the top senior in his or her respective sport.
“It’s kind of cool because Cardozo kind of dominated the track section of the PSAL,” Claudia Francis said.
Claudia is coming off arguably her best season after returning to Cardozo following a junior year running unattached. Indoors she ran the fastest time in the country this season in the 600 meters (1:29.98) and the second best in the 800 (2:06.98) and 1000 (2:48.75). By the time outdoor season came around she become of the state’s top 400 runners and with an injury to Chamique Francis was the anchor leg of the Judges 4 x 400 relay that ran the second best time in the nation of 3:42.73 at the Penn Relays.
“If you put your mind to it and set your standards high anything is possible,” Claudia Francis said.
Added Dozo assistant Ray James: “I didn’t see any limitations.”
Limited was unfortunately the way to describe Chamique Francis’ this season. One of the nation’s premier 400 runners never fully healed from a hamstring injury early in the indoor campaign. A year ago she had the nation’s fastest time in the event and James felt she would have broken the 52-second mark if healthy. This season she was an important member of Cardozo’s 4 x 400 relay and picked up her fourth PSAL indoor and outdoor city championships.
“I had so many goals this year,” Chamique Francis said. “It was a little disappointing, but everything happens for a reason.”
She took some time to remember where she and Claudia had come from. Chamique Francis described her teammate as always being fast and a bull on the track as she was the opposite spending her early years finishing in the back of races and not the front until she blossomed as a freshman. Now they are two of the nation’s top runners runner ready to continue their careers in college and possibly beyond.
“It’s not a closing,” Claudia Francis said. “It’s just the beginning of something that is going to be big.”