Full Results | Videos | Photos by Pat Montferrat
In a meet filled with remarkable performances, North Hunterdon swept the team titles, and Ray Sellaro of North Hunterdon and Alexa Westley of Warren Hills ran two of the fastest times in course history at Thursday's Skyland Conference Championships at Natirar Park in Gladstone.
In the girls race, Westley, who won the 3,200 at the outdoor Meet of Champions as a sophomore last spring, finished first in 17:54, No. 3 in course history, and NJ #1 North Hunterdon won its third straight title in a battle of state powers, 49-68 over NJ #3 Ridge. NJ #8 Voorhees was third with 103.
Westley's 17:54 came within five seconds of the course record of17:49 set in 2012 by Marissa Ruskan of Bridgewater-Raritan.
The North Hunterdon girls went 2-3-8-15-21 and averaged 19:17. Ridge, the 2-time defending Meet of Champions winner, went 9-11-14-16-18 and averaged 19:35.
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In one of the fastest boys races in course history, Sellaro stopped the clock at 15:39, the second fastest time in course, as he edged Chris Romero of Voorhees, second in 15:43, which makes him the third fastest runner in course history. Defending champion Justin Cornetta of Hunterdon Central, who recently returned to racing after an injury, was third in 16:01.
The only runner to cover the 3.1-mile course faster than Sellaro and Romero is Liam Mullett of Pingry, who ran a course record 15:30 in 2013. Mullett also ran 15:42 when he won in 2012.
Sellaro's victory led a strong performance by NJ #5 North Hunterdon as the Lions won its first title since 2012 by outscoring unranked Hunterdon Central, 54-87. NJ #9 Voorhees, which won the previous three titles, was third with 93.
North Hunterdon went 1-11-12-13-17 and averaged 16:31. Hunterdon Central went 3-7-15-16-46 and averaged 16:46.