Boys Group Championship Preview: What to Watch For


Group 4

2019 Group 4 Leaders - Sectional Merge Leaders

This is by far the most star-studded and loaded meet with nine NJ#1 performances coming from Group 4 and two national champions are in the field.

The biggest headliner is North Carolina A&T-bound Mario Heslop of Franklin, the national indoor champ in the 200.

Heslop is NJ#1 in the 100, 200, and 400, and is favored to win all three for the second straight year.

But there's no question that Heslop's 100m race on Friday will attract the most attention as all eyes will be on Heslop and the wind gauge as he tries to take down the state record of 10.35, set in 2000 by Jamar Ervin of Camden, who ran that time as a freshman at the Meet of Champions.

Heslop, the indoor state record holder in the 200 and the co-state record holder in the 55 dash, ran 10.33 at the CJ meet last week, but there was no wind gauge, so the time can't be considered for record purposes. Heslop's 10.33 is the No. 3 all-conditions performance in state history. Only Danny Johnson of Rahway (wind-aided 10.30 in 2001), and Joe Dawkins of Hackensack (NWI 10.31 in 1995) have gone faster.      

There will be a wind gauge at both state Group meet sites, and at the Meet of Champions. 

Heslop also leads the state this season in the 200m (21.29) and the 400 (47.34).  

The other national champ who will be back in action is Luis Peralta of Passaic, the New Balance National 800 champ last spring with a PR of 149-10. The Oregon-bound Peralta could make a run at the All Groups record of 1:49.59 set in 2017 by Rey Rivera of Old Bridge.   

In addition to Heslop, the other NJ#1 performers in this meet are Orion Joyner of Kingsway in the triple jump (48-1 ½), Ramy Berberena of North Brunswick in the 400m hurdles (52.83), Bradley Jelmert of Watchung Hills, who cleared a NJ #5 all-time 16-1 ½ last week, Nils Wildberg of Princeton in the long jump (23-8), Paul Brennan of Princeton in the discus (186-11), and the Elizabeth 4x400 squad (3:17.14).

Jelmert, a junior, has raised the bar the last two weeks and is now within range of the All Groups record of 16-2 3/4 set in 2004 by Adam Sarafian of Ocean Township. 

A great rematch is on tap in the 400m hurdles between Berberena and Felix Lawrence of Freehold Township. Lawrence won the CJ race, 54.06 to 54.29.    

One of the best match-ups of the day is in the discus circle where NJ#1 and NJ#2 throwers, Brennan and Kyle Lipscomb of Linden (181-2) will square off. Lipscomb has also thrown a NJ#2 58-10 1/2 in the shot put. 

In the team competition, Elizabeth, the NJ. Sec. 2 and Union County champ, is favored to win its first state title since sharing the Group 4 championship with Millville in 1998 and its third overall. Elizabeth also won in 1988. 

Elizabeth is led by sprinter Gabriel Nash (10.65-100m/21.73 200m/48.03 400m), and a great 1-2 shot put  punch of Tajhir Tate (NJ#7 at 57-1) and Mujeeb Ali (NJ#10 at 56-4 1/2).