Several NJ No. 1 Performances At Ocean Breeze Elite Invite

Feb 26, 2023

With two weeks between the State Group Championships and the Meet of Champions, several NJ stars stayed sharp and turned in several NJ No. 1 performances at Saturday's Ocean Breeze Invitational on Staten Island.

NJ NO. 1 PERFORMANCES

Let's get this started with a look at the NJ No. 1 marks that were produced:

The Toms River North boys continued their red-hot season in the relays, adding their second state-leading time with a 1:28.87 to win the 4x200. TRN ran a NJ No. 1 in the 4x800 of 7:50.87 at the Millrose Games earlier this month.

Senior Mark Viggiano of Ocean Township, the state Group 2 800 champ, took over the state lead and ran a US No. 9 time in the four-lapper by winning that race with a big PR of 1:52.85, and he ran a leg on the runner-up 4x400 that finished second with a NJ No. 2 time of 3:22.53. Viggiano ran his previous PR of 1:55.01 to win the Monmouth County title last spring.

Sophomore Taylor Cox of Union Catholic lowered her NJ No. 1 time to 7.95 in the 55 hurdles en route to winning the 50 hurdles in 8.58. Cox's 7.95 is tied for US No. 5 this season. Cox's previous best was the 7.98 she ran to win the State Non-Public A title last week. Nyjae Shipley of Rahway was third in the hurdles NJ No. 4 8.18 through 55).

Alexandra Bonn, a senior at Union Catholic, got the big jump she's been waiting for when she won the triple jump with a NJ No. 1 mark of 39-1.25.

MORE BIG HIGHLIGHTS

Kaleigh Gunsiorowski of Union Catholic dropped a huge PR to win a loaded mile field with a NJ No. 2 time of 4:52.39. Gunsiorowski, who sliced more than seven seconds of her lifetime PR of 4:59.61 (which came last May), outdueled Lindsay Hausman of Kent Place (2nd in 4:54.03), Tilly O'Connor of St. Rose (4th in 4:55.76) and Leanna Johnston of Immaculate Heart (6th in 4:57.79).

Fabian Ramales Perez of Southern ran a massive PR to edge Paul Maguire of Don Bosco Prep in the boys 2-mile, 9:20.59 to 9:20.93.

Rumson sophomore Clemmie Lilley lowered her PR to 57.20 with her victory in the 400, which is NJ No. 4 this season. Junior Danielle DeEsso of North Hunterdon was second with a PR of 57.71.

Fabian Gonzalez of Southern won the boys shot put with a 57-4.25

Luke Schagelin of Morris Knolls, the State Group 3 champion in the 800, won the 300 in 35.73, and ran on the winning DMR (10:52.70).

Damani Brown of Rahway ran an NJ No. 3 time of 2:30.99 to win the boys 1,000 and smash the Rahway school record that had stood since 4-time winner Rob Motz set it in 1994.

Samuel Thomas of Northern Burlington ran a NJ No. 2 6.42 for 55 meters en route to placing second in the was second in the boys 60 dash.

Taylor Aska of Union Catholic ran an NJ No. 2 39.86 in the trials of the 300.

West Orange placed second in the girls 4x200 in 1:45.51, which is NJ No. 4.