It looked like Kobena, who also plays halfback for the Cardinal Hayes football team, was celebrating a touchdown run. But you couldn't blame the junior for his exuberance; he'd just blazed a 10.97, easily beating second-place Winston McCormack of Mount Saint Michael (11.16).
Not that Kobena spent much time dwelling on his Intersectional crown. He hopes to run under 10.4 at the state championship meet in Syracuse on June 12. (Only St. Francis Prep senior Tristan Akong who clocked a 10.74 at Brooklyn/Queens championships, has run faster this spring.) After that, Kobena will return his attention to the gridiron, preparing for his senior season at Hayes.
That's not to say that Kobena didn't relish his most recent sprint title. Here, he breaks down the 100-meter Intersectional final.
"I got out at the start, and I was a bit choppy. I started talking to St. Francis Prep (sprinter Tristan Akong), saying 'I got you, I got you, I got you.'
"My coaches always say you don't win the race at the beginning, you win it at the end, so I just kept driving and pumping my legs and finished first.
"I was aiming for a 10.4, but my start wasn't that great. So I was aiming for the 10.4, but that's what (the state championships) are for.
"It felt really good to win."
