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Vol. 75 No. 47
NoVEMBER 20 - 26, 2025
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UHS choir lifts spirits and goes viral By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Melissa Baptiste/Herald photos
Members of the Uniondale Show Choir during the school’s second-ever Gospel Fest Nov 9. Its performance drew a standing ovation and later went viral on TikTok, with over 300,000 views in two days.
Uniondale High School’s Rhythm of the Knight Show Choir doesn’t usually perform gospel music. But when it took the stage at this year’s second Gospel Fest Nov. 9, something changed — in the audience, on stage and, soon, online. The gospel-themed performance at the high school drew a standing ovation, brought tears to the eyes of students and staff, and — thanks to a clip posted by choir member Presley Crawford — racked up more than 300,000 views on TikTok in two days. Choir Director Lynnette CarrCoNTINUed oN paGe 7
Uniondale senior, always running somewhere, wins county title By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Ross Wallace, a quiet newcomer to Uniondale High School, has become one of the community’s most talked-about athletes after powering his way to a county cross-country title and snapping a decades-long drought for the Knights. The 17-year-old senior claimed victory at the Nassau Class I cross-country championship on Nov. 1 at LIU Post, finishing the 5-kilometer race in 15 minutes, 35.5 seconds. He crossed the finish line more than 30 seconds ahead of Aidan Urquiola, of Long Beach.
Wallace’s finish didn’t just mark a personal best — it marked Uniondale’s first county title in cross-country in nearly 30 years, his coach, Christopher Stephenson, said. “I was definitely out of breath — that was a very serious run for me, just trying to hang on,” Wallace said, laughing as he recalled it. “I was excited, but not surprised,” Stephenson said. “He was the first county champion I’ve coached in eight years, and Uniondale hasn’t had one in a very long time. What he’s doing is special.” After winning the county title, Wallace moved on to the
qualifier for the state championships on Nov. 8 — where he placed 22nd with a time of 15:47. “I was happy, because I knew I made it on my own work,” he said, “not luck this time.” Wallace credited the consistency of his training. He routinely logs 50 miles per week, with long runs of 10 to 14 miles. Running is where he clears his head, explores new places — and, with headphones on, he says, he “speeds up just because the music gets good.” “I just run a lot,” he added. “Running is my hobby. I like to sightsee whenever I’m running around. “Don’t get me wrong — it would take the breath out of
me at first, but after a while I definitely got used to it.” Until recently, Wallace didn’t want to keep running on a college track or cross-country team, focusing on a future in computer science, but now he is seriously considering it. “My plan for my life is drastically changed,” he said. He moved to Uniondale over the summer, another stop in a
series of relocations resulting from his father’s service in the U.S. Army. Every time the family has uprooted, roughly every other year, Wallace has laced up his running shoes in their new home and headed out, using long runs to map out his new neighborhood and to feel grounded. He’s has lived in Detroit, CoNTINUed oN paGe 10