Watch the Girls Pod B 55m Hurdles Final.
Complete Results, Videos, and Photos
Some of the top times in the state this season and lots of personal bests were turned in this past weekend when the Shore Track Coaches Associations Qualifying Series kicked off with six pod meets at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
The winner of each event in each pod automatically qualified for the Championship Meet on March 27- regardless of time. Additionally six wildcards from each event from all the pods combined will also qualify for the championship meet. Ties will not be broken.
The pod meets for the distance races (800m, 1600m, 3200m) will take place this Saturday and Sunday at the Bennett Center and will also be live streamed on NJ MileSplit.
BOYS HIGHLIGHTS
| 55m | 6.53 | 2021 | STCA Pod E 1st S | |
| 400m | 52.67 | 2021 | STCA Pod D 1st | |
| 55mH | 7.90 | 2021 | STCA Pod E 1st S |
James Bivins of Donovan Catholic and Kenny Warner of Toms River North each threw down NJ No. 2 times to lead the action.
The Rutgers-bound Bivins blasted a NJ No. 2 6.63 to win the Pod E boys 55m dash, just behind the state leading 6.62 run by Shamali Whittle of Hamilton North.
Warner, a senior, blasted a PR of and NJ No. 2 7.90 in the prelims of the boys Pod E 55m hurdles, and captured the final in 8.07. Warner's previous PR of 7.92 came when he placed third at the Ocean County Championships. Only Whittle (7.74) has run faster than Warner in the 55m hurdles this season.
Watch the Boys 55m Hurdle Pod E Finals
UPenn-bound Aaron Stillitano of Middletown South won the boys 55m dash in Pod A in a NJ No. 4 6.60. Stillitano owns a PR of 6.53, which he ran to win the Monmouth County title last year.
Senior Jason Asare, who is headed to the University of Chicago, ran 52.67 to lead a 1-2-3 finish for Christian Brothers Academy when he won the 400m in Pod D. That was the top time of all the Pods and No. 9 in the state this season. The 52.67 is just off Asare's PR of 52.28 that he ran at the Hispanic Games last year.
Freehold Township senior Aiden Szymanski ran a pair of PR's in the 55m hurdles in Pod A. Szymanski, who came into the season with a PR of 8.33, ran 8.25 in the prelims and then lowered his PR all the way down to a NJ No. 5 8.07 to win the final.
GIRLS HIGHLIGHTS
The dynamic duo of of Middletown North's Hailey Guerrieri and Olivia Kelty delivered an impressive 1-2 finish in the 55m hurdles in Pod B as both ran personal best times. Guerrieri finished first with a PR of 8.82, No.6 in the state this season. Guerrieri, who didn't break 9.00 before this season, ran a PR of 8.94 in the semifinal round before dropping down in the final. Kelty ran a PR and NJ No. 8 8.94 to place second. I can't wait to see what Middletown North runs in the shuttle hurdles with those two hammers.
Watch the Pod F Girls 55m Hurdles Final
Raisa Thunig, a senior at Toms River East, matched Guerrieri for the fastest time of all the pods and the No. 6 time in the state, in the 55m hurdles when she ran a PR of 8.84 in prelims in the F Pod. She won the final in 9.02. Thunig's previous PR of 9.02 came at the varsity classic last year.
Middletown North senior Rett Schnoor captured the 55m dash in Pod B 55m dash in 7.47. She ran a PR of 7.34 in a Polar Bear meet last week.
RBC senior Tess Darnell captured the Pod B 400m in 1:00.18, the fastest of all the pods combined and No. 9 in the state this season. The Columbia-bound Darnell has a PR of 57.41, which she ran to place fifth at the Eastern States Championships last year.