| This article includes the 2013 Spring Track and Field NJRunners' "NJTough Teams". My new title for the NJ.MileSplit end of season all-star teams. Each event used in the state meets will have an athlete chosen, as well as an overall category athlete. The top athletes will be voted on by the people for athlete of the season. That poll can be found at the bottom of the article. Voting will run through 11:59pm Thursday July 11th, 2013. Congratulations to each athlete chosen, be sure to show your support in the comment section! I also understand opposite opinions are always a possibility, if you would like to state your opinion please remember to be respectable. | |
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Congratulations to the schools represented in this feature:
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| SPRINTS | |
| 100m Dash |
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| Jabrill Peppers - Jr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 10:50 / Jabrill was causing some major excitement this state season as he made his way from Sectionals to MOCs. Without wind he leads NJ in the 100m at 10.51 that he ran at Groups, with wind he is second with a 10.50 ran at Big North League Championships. He finished his spring season undefeated in the event winning 7 times not including all the preliminary wins. Victories include: Meet of Champs (10.80), Groups (10:51), BergenCoMOC (10.61), Sectionals (10.53), Bergen Co Champs (10.59), Big North League (10.50), and the Ironman Invite (10.83). |
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| 200m Dash |
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| Jabrill Peppers - Jr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 21.13 / Jabrill also leads the state in the 200m and is in the top 40 of the country with his 21.13 best time that he ran winning gold at Meet of Champions this year. Jabrill was unbeaten in the 200m as well winning 5 times this year. |
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| 400m Dash |
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| Zyaire Clemes - Jr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 46.28 / Clemes leads the Garden State in the 400m and ranks #3 in the US with a time of 46.28 ran at NB Nationals where he placed 3rd. Before going to Nationals Clemes was undefeated winning gold 5 times at Meet of Champs (46.50), Groups (47.42), Sectionals (48.61), Mercer Co Champs (47.36), and Mercer Twilight (47.34). |
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| TOP SPRINTER | |
 Number 4 winning the 400m at Group Championships. - Photo / SJPixShooter for MileSplit |
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Zyaire Clemes MileSplit Profile |
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Zyaire Clemes, he ranks NJ#2 in the 200m at 21.29, NJ#1 and US#3 in the 400m at 46.28, and if you count the wind aided run at Groups he had he would lead the state with a time of 10.43. He won the 100m at Sectionals and Groups, also won the 200m at Groups, Sectionals, and Mercer Co Champs and placed second at MOCs. Won the 400m 5 times this season including Meet of Champs and took third at Nationals. He is a versatile sprinter who can be very competitive in each event in the category. That is why I've named Zyaire Clemes the Top Sprinter of the season on this NJTough team. It was extremely tough choosing between Zyaire and Jabrill Peppers mentioned above in the 100m and 200m events.
Here is Clemes competing at Nationals wearing the highlighter green shirt in lane 5. |
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| HURDLES | |
| 110m Hurdles |
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| Sydney Scruggs - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 13.84 with wind, and 14.15 without. / Scruggs leads NJ in the 110m Hurdles with a 14.15 not including wind and with a 13.84 including that windy day at Groups. He dropped some major time since last season and he managed to produce those quality times rather consistently his senior year. He had victories at MOCs (14.15), Groups (13.84), Sectionals (14.82), and placed second at the SEC Conference Champs with a 14.15. He went to nationals as well but falling short of the finals with a time of 14.50 placing 13th in prelims. |
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| 400m Hurdles |
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| Dylan Capwell - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 52.43 / A toooough decision, when I originally made my picks they were before Nationals and World Youth Trials but I've added them in as I've worked. Taylor McLaughlin had an amazing run at World Youth Trials hitting a NJ leading and US#5 time of 51.69, only a sophomore he's going to be leading NJ hurdling the next few years. However my original pick and still my athlete for this category Dylan Capwell of Hopatcong who is currently NJ#2 and US#8 with a 52.43 that he won the Meet of Champions with. He clocked that performance while racing head to head with McLaughlin, and he ended his senior season there, well after heading over to compete in the 800m placing third with a 1:51.66. Capwell finished his senior year with an undefeated 7-0 season in the 400m Hurdles winning MOCs (52.43), Groups (53.99), Sectionals (55.16), HSW Champs (53.27), NJAC Champs (53.83), Morris Hills Relays (54.95), and Wallkill Valley Ranger Relays (54.98). |
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| TOP HURDLER | |
 Capwell winning the 400m Hurdles at Group Champs. / Photo by SJPixShooter for MileSplit |
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Dylan Capwell MileSplit Profile |
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Dylan Capwell is my pick for top hurdler this season. He ranks well nationally, had an undefeated season at high competition meets with seven victories, who knows how much faster he would have ran if he had gone to another post season meet, and he has the head to head victories. This is one of those small school standouts who runs and beats the big school stars, good luck to him and his future post high school and at Monmouth University.
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| DISTANCE | |
| 800m Run |
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| Isaac Clark - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 1:49.27 Isaac Clark will always take that 800m race you may come across during a track meet's schedule and turn it into the main event. He just glides and hits his own race en route to victory. He leads NJ in the 800m and is ranked US#3 thanks to his second place New Balance Nationals performance of 1:49.27! Before taking second at Nationals Isaac was having an undefeated season in the 800m with 5 victories: Meet of Champs (1:50.12), Groups (1:52.63), Sectionals (1:55.52), Cape-Atlantic League Champs (1:50.27), and Atlantic Co Champs (1:52.89). He'll be attending South Plains College in the fall. |
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| 1600m Run |
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| Ben Malone - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 4:11.66 Since Malone's status as leading this category is based off of converted mile times, I'd first like to give a nod to the state leader of non-converted times and MOCs Champ in the 1600m Dan Riff of West Windsor Plainsboro South who has a 4:10.28, and without conversions would sit at US#30. Ben Malone didn't take part in the awesome spectacle that was the NJSIAA State Meet Tournament, but that didn't stop him from running amazing times. He is NJ#2 and US#6 with a converted 1600m time of 4:04.17 from the 4:05.59 mile time he ran at Penn Relays placing second. He took down one of the best distance runners in state history Edward Cheserek at Glenn D. Loucks Games winning with a meet record 4:09.73 in the mile. Consistently hitting under 4 minutes 10 seconds in the mile all season, Malone will be attending Villanova University next fall. |
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| 3200m Run |
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| Kyle Levermore - Jr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 8:55.41 / This junior took the state meets by storm. Levermore put his name on the map and took a highlighter to it. NJ#1 and US#17 thanks to his amazing race with Jack Boyle of CBA at the Meet of Champs in early June. They had a kick fest that looked like a fresh 200m sprint race leaving Levermore on top with a winning time of 8:55.41, a HUGE personal best. In the pure 3200m race he had an undefeated season with four victories: Gold at MOCs, Groups (9:18.72), Sectionals (9:23.53), and Bergen County Champs (9:09.39). Really excited to see this young man's senior year in the distance scene. |
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| TOP DISTANCE RUNNER | |
 Malone competing in the mile at the 2013 Penn Relays - Photo / PMPhotography for MileSplit |
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Ben Malone MileSplit Profile |
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He didn't race too often this season, but the quality of the performances and the range this runner has in events pushed him to the top. It took me the longest to choose this award between Isaac Clark and Malone. Clark had an amazing year individually and helping his team's 4x800m relay to amazing times. Malone didn't go after the 800m this season, but still pumped out a NJ#10 time of 1:52.80 at the Bergen Co Meet of Champs, he is NJ#2 and US#6 in the converted 1600m, ranks NJ#22 in the 400m with a 48.94. He set the state record in the 1500m run this season clocking in a 3:46.97 US#2 (which would convert to a 4:05.06 for the full mille!). So he picked and chose his races, went after the mile, and performed well all season. I wish, as I'm sure other track fans do as well, that he ran in the state meets so I could see him tear it up with the other fine performances we saw from the rest of NJ into early June but that's past now. Good luck to you Ben Malone at Villanova next fall, we'll be keeping tabs on your career.
Ben Malone competing in the record breaking 1500m |
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| THROWS | |
| Shot Put |
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| Braheme Days Jr. - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 70-8 (Came in 2012) Season Best of 68-6.5 / Braheme is so dominant in the shot put. Pride of the New Jersey heavy implement tossers. He leads NJ and is US#2 in the shot with his Nationals mark of 68-6.5 placing him as National Champion! He was part of an upset at Meet of Champions but he had plenty of victories this season including: Nationals, Groups (64-7.75), Sectionals (64-10), Penn Relays (67-8.25), Woodbury Relays (62-6), and Bridgeton Relays (61-4). He was recently named NJ's Gatorade T&F Athlete of the year and will be attending UCLA next fall. |
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| Discus |
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| James Plummer - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 197-0.52 / James Plummer of Egg Harbor squeaks by Braheme Days Jr for my discus choice on this season's NJTough Team roster. Ranks NJ#2 and #10 Nationally with a mark of 197-0.25 he threw at New Balance Nationals WHICH HE WON! Other victories for Plummer came at Groups (188-4), Sectionals (185-6), Cape-Atlantic League (184-5), Atlantic Co Champs (173-7), South Jersey Relays (169-10), Bridgeton Relays (164-0), and Buena Relays (181-11). He also ranks tied for 8th in the state for Shot Put with a 58-0 throw. Congratulations on your National Championship senior year and good luck at Clemson! |
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| Javelin |
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| Chris Mirabelli - Jr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 214-6 / The second ranked Javelin thrower in the state and second Nationally at a mark of 214-6, Chris Mirabelli of Holy Cross is the Javelin thrower for the NJTough squad. He won the Burlington County Div Meet (201-7), Burlington County Open (211-10), Sectionals (184-6), Groups (203-8), and took gold at Meet of Champions with a mark of 214-6! He then went on to compete at Nationals placing fourth with a 201-0 throw and at World Youth Trials with a 700g Jav he placed third with a 207-3 mark. A true javelin thrower, only comes out during spring and only throws discus a few times in his career when the team needs him for relays. |
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| TOP THROWER | |
 Days throwing at Penn Relays Photo / PMPhotography for MileSplit |
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Braheme Days Jr MileSplit Profile |
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Ranks NJ#1 US#2 in the shot put, and NJ#1 US#8 in the discus. Won the Meet of Champions discus with a 199-6 mark, took victories in the shot put at Nationals and Penn Relays with throws of 68-6.5 and 67-8.25. He also threw discus at Nationals taking seventh with a throw of 186-2. Attending UCLA this coming fall Braheme Days Jr is your obvious choice for top thrower on the NJTough Team. Be sure to watch the fantastic interview below with Braheme after he won his National Championship.
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| JUMPS | |
| High Jump |
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| David Njoku - Jr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 7-0 / David Njoku had one of the more amazing performances I watched at Groups when he cleared the meet record 7-0 bar. He went on to win gold at Meet of Champions with a 6-10 jump. Until he competed at Nationals, taking fifth with a 6-8.75 height, he was having an undefeated season in the high jump. Six victories in total, MOCs (6-10), Groups (7-0), Sectionals (6-0), Essex Co Champs (6-10), SEC Champs (6-0), and Kearny Relays (6-0). He leads New Jersey in the event and ranks tied for #7 Nationally. He also took bronze at Meet of Champs in the triple jump with a mark of 47-6.25. |
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| Long Jump |
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| Antwan Dickerson - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 23-6 / After a long close look between Antwan Dickerson and Mikhail Micheaux of Eastern Reg HS, Dickerson seemed to have the slight edge with consistency and though they pretty much split the head to head Dickerson won at the big stage at Meet of Champions in the long jump. Not to take away from Mikhail Micheaux's awesome state leading mark of 24-03.75 which he jumped winning Groups. Antwan Dickerson is ranked NJ#4, he won Meet of Champs (23-2.75), Sectionals (22-5.75), Carl Lewis Invite (23-6), Burlington Co Div (22-5.75), and Long Branch Relays (22-2). He took seventh at Penn Relays with a 22-10.75. Marked over 22-0 consistently all season. This guy is a well rounded jumper too, this year he also ranked NJ#8 in the Triple Jump at 47-3.25, and has a personal best of 6-6 in the High Jump! |
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| Triple Jump |
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| Dominique Irons - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
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Personal Best of 50-6.75 / This athlete hit the state record at Groups with a mark of 50-6.75. He had seven wins and one "loss" that came when he competed at Penn Relays jumping 46-5.5 and placing eighth. He didn't jump lower than 45-0 all season and will be heading to North Carolina A&T University next year. New Jersey Triple Jump for boys or girls is just amazing. |
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| Pole Vault |
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| Craig Hunter - Sr - MileSplit Profile | |
| NJ state leader in the Pole Vault at a fantastic height of 16-6, and tied for US#12 your top Pole Vaulter on the 2013 Spring NJTough Team is Craig Hunter of Robbinsville. He had three victories out of his six meets this season. The only times he didn't take gold were at high competition meets, he placed seventh at Nationals with a 15-8.25, took sixth at Penn Relays with a 14-9, and third at Arcadia Invitational with 16-0.75. The victories came at Mercer Twilight Invite (15-6), Mercer County Champs where he cleared 16-6, and he also won Sectionals at a height of 14-6. He will be attending UCONN next fall. | |
| TOP JUMPER | |
 Irons breaking the State Record in the Triple Jump at Groups Photo / Mae Kellert for MileSplit |
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Dominique Irons MileSplit Profile |
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| The top jumper on the NJTough Team is Dominique Irons who broke the state record in the Triple Jump at a mark of 50-6.75 this season! Seven wins including gold at Meet of Champions in the triple this spring. He ranks NJ#1 and US#6 in the Triple Jump, and even does work on the track ranked #3 in NJ for the 100m at a wind aided time of 10.65, tied for #12 not counting that time with an 11 second run at Meet of Champions where he placed second to compliment his gold in the triple on the same day. | |
| RELAYS | |
| 4x100m Relay |
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| TIMBER CREEK - MileSplit Profile | |
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Season Best of 41.50 / NJ leader in the 4x100m this season, time of 41.50 was set at the Meet of Champions. This group won their meet sections at Meet of Champs, Groups, Sectionals, Woodbury Relays, and the Moorestown Invite. The state meets roster and alternates for the team include: Kareem Ali, Adonis Jennings, Gregory Black, Jamaad Muse, Nakier Johnson, and Thomas Baker. They return everyone but Thomas Baker in that group, that's fantastic, they will only get faster next year! |
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| 4x400m Relay |
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| UNION CATHOLIC - MileSplit Profile | |
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Season Best of 3:11.45 / Union Catholic relay teams. You don't mess with Union Catholic Relay teams. NJ state leaders in the Shuttle Hurdles, 4x200m, and the 4x400m. Their 4x400m team has a season best of 3:11.45 which they ran at Nationals for an "oh so close" third place finish, that time also ranks them US#4. This squad took first at Meet of Champs with a 3:15.07 and didn't go over 3:18 throughout states. |
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| 4x800m Relay |
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| PLEASANTVILLE - MileSplit Profile | |
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Season Best of 7:40.71 / NJ#1 and US#3, they won Penn Relays with their best time of the season at 7:40.71! Their splits were Dagoberto Arias 1:58.17, Isaac Clark 1:49.57, Radcliffe Narinensingh 2:03.82, and Jacob Clark 1:49.17!! |
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| TOP RELAY TEAM | |
 Union Catholic Boys 4x400m at Nationals Photo / UCTrack Instagram |
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4x400m Relay MileSplit Profile |
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The top athletes will be voted on by the people for athlete of the season. Voting will run through 11:59pm Thursday July 11th, 2013. Some decisions were so close for the Top Athletes I decided to include two "Wild Cards" into the boys poll since I could see a decent amount of followers potentially voting for them.