Ten Things to Watch at the Meet of Champions


DISTANCE DUEL

Only three boys have ever won two M of C 3,200 outdoor titles and only three sophomores have ever won the eight lap race.

One of those things figures to change as defending champ Matt Grossman of Millburn clashes with super sophomore Devin Hart of Point Pleasant Boro. The Princeton-bound Grossman has the state's top time this season of 9:02.04, and the undefeated Hart is coming off a Group 2 meet record 9:07.4.

Murad Campbell of Overbrook (three straight from 1997-99), Mike Keogh of Essex Catholic (1969-70), and Craig Forys of Colts Neck (2006-07) are the only repeat winners of this race.

Campbell (1997), Tyler Udland of Millburn (2008), and Jim Rosa of West Windsor North (2009) are the only sophomores to win the 3,200.

HAT TRICK

No girls team has ever won 3 straight 4x400 titles at the M of C, but Union Catholic is favored to become the first.

UC is US #2 with its 3:38.92, but it's unknown if Olympian Sydney McLaughlin will run this race. With McLaughlin, no team can touch UC. Without her the Vikings still have enough firepower to pull off the win, but it will obviously be much tougher.


WEST'S DOUBLE QUEST

Jordan West of Rahway, the defending discus champ, will seek to become the first boy to sweep the discus and shot put since Nick Vena of Morristown did it in 2009.

The University of Tennessee-bound West, who has also won 2 M of C titles indoors in the shot, unloaded a NJ #1 203-6 to break the Group 2 meet record last week, and has a shot put PR of 65-1 1/4. 

BOMBS AWAY

Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic, the greatest shot putter in US high school history, can make lots of history in the circle.

The UCLA-bound star, is bidding for her 5th outdoor M of C title, which would be a girls state record for a thrower. She's also aiming for the meet records in the shot and discus, and her own national outdoor record of 57-1 1/4.

Wilson, who won the discus the last 2 years and the shot last year, is US #1 and the state record holder in the discus 182-0 and shot with her 57-1 1/4. The meet record in the shot is 55-3 1/2 by Wilson last year, and the meet discus record is 161-1. Wilson's PR in the shot is 57-5 1/2, which is the US national high school indoor record. 


LAST LAP FOR THE LEGEND

All eyes and stopwatches will be on the legendary Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic when she competes in her final high school meet in New Jersey.

The Kentucky-bound McLaughlin, a 2016 Olympian, will most likely go down as the greatest female high school athlete in US history. 

What will she do in farewell race in NJ?

She will go for her fourth straight 400 hurdle title, and then run either the 200 or 400. She could also run the 4x400?

McLaughlin smashed her own World Junior record and US high school record in the 400 hurdles last week with a 54.03, and already owns the state records in the 200 (22.96) and 400 (51.87). If she defends her 400 title, she could become the 5th girl in US history to go under 51.00. 

If McLaughlin wins 2 individual races she will tie Olivia Baker of Columbia for the most individual M of C titles (indoors and outdoors combined) ever won with 11. McLaughlin won 4 indoors and currently has 5 outdoor individual M of C titles.

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