Individual Highlights
A host of elite performances sprouted from the North 2, Group 4 boys meet, starting with Columbia senior Terrel Williams, who further cemented his status as NJ#2 in the 55 hurdles with a winning time of 7.32. His time is just .01 off the state-leading effort clocked in December by Irvington's Dwight Henry.
North Hunterdon senior Gavin Richards was a double distance winner, he won the 1,600 in NJ#5 4:21.16, and took down the 800 (1:58.31) as well.
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Linden senior Zion Marshall forged a 3-way tie (with Al Shadee-Salaam of East Orange Campus and Ola Porbeni of South Brunswick) for NJ#10 in the 55-meter dash with a 6.54.
Watchung Hills senior Bradley Jelmert, the state leader and US#4 at 16-10, cleared 16-0.25.
In the North 2, Group 4 girls meet, Watchung Hills senior Laura Baeyens won the 3,200 in NJ#3 10:57.84, three ticks off her indoor personal best.
Westfield junior Katie Hamilton won her 1600m in 5:06.11, she's already NJ#8 with a converted mile time down to 4:59.12c from earlier in January. Franklin's 4x400 relay won in NJ#8 4:01.66.
Elizabeth senior Chaa-nah-yah Braithwaite tied West Orange's Andree Celestin for NJ#12 in the 55 hurdles when she won the North 2, Group 4 title in 8.36.
A couple of North 2, Group 4 girls who came up just shy of their own NJ Top 10 marks were Union junior Joy Enaohwo and Ridge junior Morgan Lyons. Enaohwo won the 55 dash in 7.20, which would be NJ#6 and just a few hairs off her NJ#3 time of 7.16. Lyons won the 800 in 2:17.92, 0.6 seconds off her NJ#8 time established at the Varsity Classic earlier this month.
NORTH 2 GROUP 4 BOYS - FULL RESULTS
*After an updated shot put result Ridge and Elizabeth are now TIED for the team title at 64 points a piece!
Elizabeth was led by senior Donsly Barthelus who won the high jump at 6-2. Scoring in two events were sophomore Greg McQueen (third, 55 dash, 6.65; fourth, 400, 51.25) and junior Antonio Roopchand (second, 400, 50.82; fourth, 55 dash, 6.68).
Also scoring for Elizabeth were senior Abdul Tucker, second, 55 hurdles (7.68); senior Jose Rebolledo, second, pole vault (12-6); senior Mackel Pierrilus, third, high jump (6-0); senior Travis Paul, fifth, pole vault (11-0); and senior Anthony Bueno, sixth, 800 (2:02.67). Elizabeth placed second in the 4x400 relay (3:27.40).
Sophomore Jackson Barna was a major impetus for Ridge, winning the 3,200 in 9:33.71 and placing third in the 1,600 (4:24.13). Ridge received a huge boost from sophomore its distance men, namely the 800 guys who finished 2-3-4: sophomore James Kisker (1:59.30) and juniors Luke Roberts (2:02.17) and Will Pinto (2:02.21). Roberts was also third in the 400 (50.97) and Pinto was fourth in the 1,600 (4:26.44).
Also scoring for Ridge were junior Jake Dobrowolski, third, 3,200 (9:43.44); and senior Alex Petric, third, pole vault (12-6). The mile relay team placed third (3:31.37).
NORTH 2 GROUP 4 GIRLS - FULL RESULTS
The typically well-rounded Ridge girls scored in eight of 10 events and won three of them -- thanks to senior Olivia Cicchetti and juniors Morgan Lyons and Jennifer Hodges -- to hold off Westfield, 69.5 to 57 for the sectional team title.
Lyons led the way for the Red Devils here, winning the 800 in 2:17.92, just a whisper from her NJ#8 time of 2:17.32. Lyons also placed third in the 400 (1:00.25). Cicchetti won the 400 in 59.92 and placed fourth in the 800 (2:20.76). And Hodges won the high jump at 5-0; she owns a 5-2 PR which she established last week.
Also scoring for Ridge were senior Manon Stephen, fourth, 3,200 (11:39.84) and fifth, 1,600 (5:12.41); sophomore Grace LaCapra, fifth, high jump (4-8) and sixth, 800 (2:24.59); senior Katelyn King, third, 3,200 (11:24.46); senior Tatum Peskin, sixth, 1,600 (5:17.94); and sophomore Maura Medenilla, sixth, high jump (4-6). Ridge placed second in the 4x400 relay (4:03.75).
NORTH 2 GROUP 1 BOYS - FULL RESULTS
The Verona boys, led by seniors Owen Fogarty and Isaac Skrivanic, scored two-thirds of their points in the field events to pave the way to a sectional title, 59-53.5 over runner-up Whippany Park.
Fogarty won the pole vault at 14-0 while junior Cole Martin was third (11-0), and Skrivanic won the shot put at 47-7.25. Senior Jake McConnachie (6-0) and junior Andrew Hunt (5-8) were second and third, respectively, in the high jump.
Also scoring for Verona were senior David Navarro, third in the 800 (2:11.67) and 1,600 (4:52.27); senior Aidan Murphy, third, 400 (53.24); and senior Sean Carney, sixth, 3,200 (10:47.48).
Top performers for Whippany Park were senior Jack Lee, who won the 55 dash in 6.69, and freshman Matthew Griffin, who won the 400 in 51.78. Scorers for WP were senior Uzi Langa, second, 3,200 (10:36.22); and senior James Carlson-Zyats, third, 55 hurdles (8.44). Whippany Park won the mile relay in 3:38.76.
NORTH 2 GROUP 1 GIRLS - FULL RESULTS
A gold medal effort in two events and a balanced effort across the board allowed the Whippany Park girls to claim the sectional team title, 76-63 over runner-up Verona.
Junior Savanna Marcantonio won the high jump at 5-0 and placed fifth in the shot put (24-11), and senior Sydney Carlson-Zyats won the 1,600 in 5:36.63. Other girls scoring in multiple events were senior Alexa Schauder, second, pole vault (9-6) and sixth, high jump (4-6); and senior Kate Mihalko, second, 55 dash (7.57) and fourth, 400 (1:04.63).
Whippany Park also received scoring from senior Anna Agresti, third, pole vault (8-0); freshman Kali Brown, third, high jump (4-10); senior Cara Grill, third, 55 hurdles (9.62); sophomore Kelly O'Grady, sixth, 400 (1:04.80); and junior Abby Kaplan, fifth, 55 hurdles (9.79). Whippany also won the relay in 4:22.22.
Standouts for second-place Verona were juniors Veronica Valera (5:35.77/12:00.97) and Bridget O'Donnell (5:37.92/12:01.78), who finished 1-2 in the 3,200 and 2-3 in the 1,600.