2014 Outdoor NJ Tough State Team - BOYS

 

Peoples Choice Athlete of the Season Voting

Voting Ends Wednesday July 23rd 11:59pm. 

SPRINTS

100 Meter Dash

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Michigan 

Season Best - 10.55 (Not Wind Aided) / Personal Best (10.51)

Well the Paramus Catholic star and University of Michigan commit posted an undefeated season including his second straight Meet of Champions gold finish in the 100m. Jabrill Peppers had some heavy competition come MOCs time but he stood up to the challenge and clocked the state leading time of 10.55, at that point in the season it ranked US#31. The MOCs finish marked his 12th straight win in the event, going back all the way to May 2nd 2013. He had major championship wins at the Big North, Bergen County meets, and won his way through states.

200 Meter Dash

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Michigan 

Season Best - 21.13 / Personal Best - 21.13

Oh did I mention Jabrill was undefeated in the 100m this season? Well he was in the 200m as well. In fact his winning streak goes back even further than the 100m did. Peppers hasn't lost in the 200m since May 10th 2012! His MOCs win marked his 13th straight gold winning half lap. When he won this event at MOCs he also completed a two year streak for sweeping the 100m and 200m! He is currently NJ#1 and US#33 in the event. At the time that he ran his 21.13 he was ranked US#19. 

400 Meter Dash

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Houston

Season Best - 47.07 / Personal Best 46.67

Another senior who takes a position on this roster despite some fierce competition as the meets became more important.  Jamaad Muse, a University of Houston bound Timber Creek HS star, went an undefeated 5-0 in the 400m dash this outdoor season.  Muse won the 400m dash at the outdoor Meet of Champions this year with a time of 47.07, he placed 2nd last year as a junior. At the time of the meet he led the state and was US#18.

DISTANCE

800 Meter Run

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to Villanova University

Season Best - 1:48.52 / Personal Best - 1:48.52

Ishmael Muhammad made a mad dash during his State season finale in the 800m running a 1:48.52 to cap off an undefeated season. That time still has this great athlete ranked US#2 in the MileSpit database.  He would later go onto Nationals where he placed 7th with a time of 1:50.47. (Article on his race).

1600 Meter Run

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Oregon 

Season Best - 4:13.37 / Personal Best - 4:13.37

In a masterful 1600m run Kyle Levermore shows once again that he is a gamer and comes out ontop with a personal best 4:13.98. This was posted against a really talented field of distance runners including Bill Dolan who had run 4:12.08 the week previous at Groups. On the season Levermore went 4-0 in the 1600m all four wins coming at championship meets. 

3200 Meter Run

Athlete Profile - Sophomore

Season Best - 9:08.02 / Personal Best - 9:08.02

The future of Christian Brothers distance running wins his second individual Meet of Champions title, during indoor the win was a big statement in the sense that it put the young sophomore on the map. This outdoor win was important because he showed it wasn't a one time deal. Ferro can race and gets it done when the pressure is on, he won the 2014 outdoor Meet of Champions with his first visit to the sub 9:10 territory taking first place with a time of 9:08.02. 

HURDLES

110 Meter Hurdles

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of North Carolina 

Season Best - 14.17 / Personal Best - 14.17

We're looking at a very talented hurdler here, Obafemi Animashaun has had success in both the 110m and 400m hurdles during his career. This time we focus on his 2014 outdoor season in the 110m hurdles. He won four of five race with his fastest time of the season coming through at the Meet of Champions when he took gold with a 14.20 final and 14.19 prelim. That day he also took third in the 400m hurdles with a 53.62. After state season Obafemi continued his season running a 14.17 personal best at New Balance Nationals placing 13th. 

400 Meter Hurdles

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to Eastern Michigan University

Season Best - 52.09 / Personal Best - 52.09

Seven wins and one fifth place finish that came from Penn Relays in the 400m this outdoor season! He ended his state season career with a huge gold medal win at 52.09 at the Meet of Champions! That was a pure personal best and a great way for the state leader to end the year. That personal best run now ranks US#6 but at the time it was #2 in the country. 

THROWS

Shot Put

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to Rutgers University

Season Best - 62-9 / Personal Best - 62-9

Ten meets with eight wins this season! And then a seventh place finish at outdoor nationals. Jason finished his senior year with six straight marks over 60 feet. One of the most important marks coming at the Meet of Champions where he took gold among talented challengers and dust storms with a 61-7.25. The previous week at Groups Championships Jason marked his personal best of 62-9 to place second. 

Discus

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Maryland

Season Best - 179-4 / Personal Best - 179-11

Nick Pulli had a great season in both the shot put and discus, eight wins in the shot and nine in the discus. In fact Nick Pulli posted an undefeated season in the discus throw along with 4 meets over 170! The Maryland commit finished his high school career with a win at the Meet of Champions with a nice throw of 174-5. His season best came from the Woodbury Relays at 179-4 and is set at NJ#1. 

Javelin

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Mississippi State University

Season Best - 224-10 / Personal Best - 224-10

What a season Curtis Thompson has had! Seven wins including MOCs and USATF Junior National Championships. Curtis consistently marked over 200 feet all season in the event and the best story yet.. on the last throw of his high school state meet career... he broke the New Jersey state record in the Javelin with a throw of 224-10!!  

JUMPS

High Jump

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Miami 

Season Best - 7-01 / Personal Best - 7-01

The Miami commit David Njoku had an undefeated season in the high jump this season with seven straight wins including the Meet of Champions and a national championship! David goes to another level come state season, he hopped on the map in 2013 with  his first 7-0 clearance. This year he did it again at the same meet with his first 7-1 clearance! And then followed up with his second straight Meet of Champions gold at 7-0. Read more about his National Championship here

Long Jump

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Houston

Season Best - 24-3 / Personal Best - 24-3.75

Mikhail had 6 individual wins this season including a Sectional title and Meet of Champions title. He also got hot at the right time marked four straight meets through state season with jumps over 23 feet. The Eastern Regional senior will be heading to the University of Houston next fall. 

Triple Jump

Athlete Profile - Junior  

Season Best - 50-01.5 / Personal Best - 50-01.5

An undefeated season with five straight wins. Won his first Meet of Champions title this season with a 49-11.75, a few days after hitting a career best at 50-1.5. And the best yet.. he is coming back next year! That's right, we have a chance to see even farther marks from the Sayreville star come next spring.

Pole Vault

Athlete Profile - Senior - Heading to University of Colorado

Season Best - 16-00 / Personal Best - 16-00

Do you know what it is like to vault almost a foot and a half personal best in the pole vault to win the Meet of Champions? Neither do I, but Andrew Ghizzone does! After rolling through two straight 14-6 second place finishes at Sectionals and Groups Andrew took his vaulting to the next level with a 16-0 personal best vault!! He had five wins this season and is totally deserving of this positio on the NJ Tough Team. 

RELAYS

4x100 Meter Relay

Season Best - 41.45 at the Meet of Champions

 

4x400 Meter Relay

Season Best - 3:13.05 at New Balance Nationals

 

4x800 Meter Relay

Season Best - 7:42.95 at the Meet of Champions