Blue Devils Track Stars From Then, Now Meet

Modern-day track star Infinite Tucker is pictured with 1949 Huntington High School alum Paul Johnson, a Blue Devil star in his own right. Photo/Huntington School District

Two Huntington High School track stars met at the Dennis Walker Championship Classic on Saturday. One of the stars, Infinite Tucker, is currently a senior at the school, and the other graduated as part of the Class of 1949.

85-year-old Paul Johnson, a Korean War veteran, didn’t speak with Tucker about hurdles, relays or long jumps. Instead, he pushed Tucker, a member of Huntington indoor 4x400-meter relay team that a national championship in March. Johnson urged Tucker to further his education, and not to solely focus on athletics.

“It was an absolutely beautiful sight to see these two Huntington track stars separated by nearly seven decades making the connection they did and getting along so well,” said Ron Wilson, Huntington’s current track coach, who was also joined by retired coach Dennis Walker to greet Johnson.

Wilson added, “It was a priceless moment in time and something very special for all of us.”

Johnson attended Huntington High School when it was still located on Main Street in Huntington at the current site of Town Hall. The school’s 1949 yearbook notes that Johnson, nicknamed “Johnny,” was an “active, energetic track star,” and that he liked “girls, photography and good times.” He “dislikes work,” however.

But, after he served in the Army, Johnson did go on to work for the Long Island Lighting Company.