Moronta, McGill, McNally, Princz, Lawrenceville star at NB

Jim Lambert


Results

Several athletes and teams from New Jersey produced eye-popping performances at the New Balance Games on Saturday at the 168th Street Armory in New York   

Emma McGill of Voorhees (mile) and Lauren Princz of Egg Harbor (55 dash) qualified for the Millrose Games by winning their races. Gabriel Moronta of Pleasantville dropped another red hot NJ#1 time with a victory in the 500. Bridget McNally of Pope John took over the NJ lead in the long jump. The Lawrenceville girls threw down a blazing US #2 time in the DMR. Pope John won the boys shuttles, Pascack Valley captured the boys SMR with a NJ#2 time, and Keven Kevelier of Collngswood won the triple jump with a NJ#2 performance.

McGill, a junior, ran a 34.99 last 200 to rally for a dramatic win in a NJ# 5 5:02.17 in the girls mile to earn a spot on the line for the Millrose Games on Feb. 8 at the NY Armory. McGill won by .009 over

Princz, also a junior, blazed a 7.18, just off her season best and NJ#2 7.17 to win the 55 dash to get an automatic invite to Millrose as well. 

Moronta, a senior, continued his sizzling season by winning the 500 in a US#5 1:04.89, which is NJ#3 all-time. Jakob Kunzer of Lawrenceville, NJ#1 in the 400 (49.67), was second to Moronta in a NJ#2/US#14 1:05.46.

Only Najee Glass of St. Peter's Prep (1:02.22 in 2012) and Cory Poole of East Orange (1:04.75) have run faster than Moronta in NJ history. 

Moronta is now NJ#1 at three distances!!! He's also NJ#1/US#4 in the 800 in 1:54.89, and NJ#1/US#3 in the 600 1:20.90. 

In the girls DMR, Lawrenceville ran a smoking fast US#2 12:09.77 to finish second behind Saratoga Springs of NY, which ran a meet record and US#1 time of 11:59.03. Lawrenceville's splits were 3:45.90 1,200 from Kiera Duff, 59.54 for 400 from Marcia Ojo, 2:27.34 for 800 from Laila Ritter, and sophomore All-American Charlotte Bednar blasted a a 4:56.57 anchor leg. 

McNally, a senior, took over the state lead in the long jump with a winning leap of 18-1 1/2, 1/4 of an inch  further than NJ#2 Bryanna Craig of Millville, who went 18-1 1/4 at the Marine Corps Classic last month.

On the boys side, Kevelier, who had six jumps over 45, captured the tripe jump with a NJ#2 45-9 3/4. Kevelier, a senior who is competing indoors for the first time this season, trails only Sebasteon Allen of East Orange (45-11) on the NJ list this season. Kevelier's outdoor PR of 47-5 1/4 came from his fifth-place finish at the Meet of Champions last June.  

The Pope John boys won the shuttle hurdles in 33.39, and Pascack Valley, which received a 1:57.95 anchor from Andrew Martinez, won the boys sprint medley in a NJ#2 3:38.41.