The Great 8
The NJSIAA Group Championships at Egg Harbor will go down in history as one of the greatest ever in terms of the staggering number of record performances.
How awesome was it? Well, eight All-Group meet records were smashed over the two days.
Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic broke three of the All-Group records, and Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic broke two All-Group records in the girls Non-Public A competition.
On Friday, McLaughlin, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, ran a meet, state, U.S. high school and World Junior record of 54.03 in the 400 hurdles, the third fastest time in the world this year. A few hours later, she blasted an All-Group meet record of 51.88, just .01 off her state record. Then on Saturday, the Kentucky-bound McLaughlin took down the state and All-Groups record by winning the 200 in 22.96. Watch Her 400 meter hurdles run here >>
The UCLA-bound Alyssa Wilson, the national indoor and outdoor record holder in the shot put, broke the All-Groups meet record in the discus on Friday with a 176-6 and in the shot put on Saturday with a 54-4. Wilson is US #1 in the discus (state record 182-0) and the shot (national record 57-1 ¼). Her PR in the shot is 57-5 ½, the national indoor record.
Rey Rivera of Old Bridge cracked the 1:50 barrier in the 800 for the first time on Saturday when he went out in 53.1 on his way to an All-Groups record of 1:49.59, No. 6 in state history and No. 3 in the U.S. this season, to win the Group 4 two-lapper. The Georgetown-bound Rivera also dropped a 1:49.1 anchor split to bring Old Bridge across first in the 4x800 on Friday in 7:48.97.
Watch Rey Rivera's amazing sub-1:50 run here.
Triple-winner Cory Poole of East Orange broke the All-Groups record in the 400 hurdles on Friday when he won his third straight Group 4 title in 51.20, and he split 46.3 as the anchor on winning 4x400 that ran an All Groups record of 3:13.05, No. 6 in the U.S. this season. Egg Harbor was second in the Group 4 4x400 in a US #7 3:13.08, also under the old All-Groups record of 3:13.20 set by Winslow in 2003. The University of Florida-bound Poole also won the 110 hurdles in 13.85. Watch his 400 meter hurdle run here>>