What a weekend for New Jersey Alums as several NJ natives made their presence felt on the college level at conference championship meets across the country.
UCLA sophomore Alyssa Wilson (Donovan Catholic High) put on a spectacular throwing show at the Pac 12 Championships at the University of Arizona.
After placing second in both the hammer with a 222-4 and the shot put with a 55-9 1/4 on Sunday, Wilson won the first confernece title of her career when she unloaded the discus 186-9 to finihs first.
Wilson, who accounted for 26 of eighth-place UCLA's 55 points, was named the Female Athlete of the Meet. Her 26 points were the most points of any athlete at the meet, male or female.
Georgetown graduate student Josette Norris (Tenafly) used a killer kick with 200 to go as she surged to the lead and then hammered her away across the finish line to win the 1,500m in 4:34.54 at the BIG East Conference Championships on Saturday at Icahn Stadium in Randall's Island in New York
Norris also led off the winning 4x800 for the Hoyas, who placed fifth in the final standings. Lexi DelGizzo (Tenafly) placed sixth for the Hoyas in the 800 in 2:13.93
Chris Mirabelli of Rutgers (Holy Cross) regained the javelin title with a throw of 235-8 at the BIG Ten Championships at the University of Iowa. Mirabelli, a graduate student, won the javelin at the 2016 and '17 conference championships before missing the outdoor season last year with injuries.
More New Jersey Alumni Highlights
- Rutgers freshman A'Nan Bridgett (West Windsor-Plainsboro South) finished second in the long jump with a leap of 24-6 1/4.
- Rutgers freshman Reanda Richards (West Essex) won the women's BIG 10 400 hurdles in 57.69, edging Xahria Santiago of Maryland, second in 57.69.
- Richards is just the second Rutgers women's track & field athlete to claim a Big Ten title. Gabrielle Farquharson captured the 2016 outdoor 100m, 2016 indoor 200m, and 2015 indoor 200m titles. Farquharson was the first Big Ten Champion in any sport for Rutgers.
- Rutgers sophomore Courteney Campbell (South Brunswick) captured a silver medal in the high jump by clearing 5-8.
- Also at the BIG 10 Championships, Michigan's Taylor McLaughlin (Union Catholic) narrowly mised winning his third conference title in the 400 hurdles when he finished second in the 400 hurdles in 50.42, just behind the winner, Chris Douglas of Iowa (50.32).
- Also for Michigan, Andrew Liskowitz (Christian Brothers) placed third in the shot put with a throw of 65-4.
- Also at the BIG 10 meet, Penn State's Kiara Lester (Deptford) placed third in the 400 in 54.08, and Hazem Miawad (Old Bridge) split 46.3 on Maryland's third-place 4x400
- Freshman Ashley Preston (Delsea) won the pole vault by clearing a personal-best 13-2 1/4, No. 4 in Villanova history, to help the Wildcats win its sixth straight women's title and complete its second straight Big East Triple Crown.
- Also for Villanova, Trinity Hart (Scotch Plains-Fanwood) anchored the winning 4x100. Amari Onque-Shabazz (Union Catholic) placed fifth in the 800, Gloria Donou (East Brunswick) was third in the triple jump.
- Villanova also captured the men's Big East title as NJ's Amir Brock (Egg Harbor), Richie Bush (Paul VI), Chika Nwachukwu (Lawrence, N.J.), and Ryan Tompkins (Cols Neck) all scored valuable points for the Wildcats.
- Brock was fourth in the 400 and sixth in the 200. Bush placed fifth in the 400 and fourth in the 200, Nwachukwu finished third in the discus, and Tompkins place fourth in the high jump.
- Brooke Fazio (Ridge High School) and Maria Acosta (Paramus Catholic) finished 1-2 for Richmond at the ECAC Championships at Princeton University. Fazio finished first in 2:05.71 and Acosta was second in 2:07.17).
- Sara Gardner of Rider (Delaware Valley) won the ECAC 100 hurdles in 13.71.
- Curtis Thompson of Mississippi State (Florence) placed second in the javelin at the SEC meet with a throw of 255-6. Freshman Nick Mirabelli of Texas A&M (Rancocas Valley), the NJ high school state record holder in the javelin, was seventh with a 226-1, and sophomore Cade Antonucci of Clemson (Holy Spirit) was eighth with a 223-7.
- Cory Poole (East Orange Campus High) finished fourth in the 400 hurdles in 50.35, No. 12 in the nation, and split 46.56 on the fifth place 4x400 (3:05.08) to help the University of Florida place second to LSU at the SEC Championships at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas.
- The Monmouth men finished second to Navy at the IC4A Championships at Princeton University, its highest finish ever.
- One of the big stars for Navy was Sean Brennan (Union Catholic). Brennan won the shot put (55-8 1/2), was second in the hammer (205-1), and was third in the discus (156-11).
- For Monmouth, Darius Howe won the triple jump (49-9 3/4), and the 4x100 squad finished first in 40.30.
- Rider's Anthony Ragusa (Old Bridge) was second in the javelin with a throw of 212-0..