James Bivins completed one of the greatest performances in meet history by picking up his fourth victory, the Manchester girls, behind triple-winner Jada Ellis, captured its first title, and Jackson Braddock's remarkable distance triple helped spark Southern to the boys title at Saturday's Ocean County Championships at Jackson Liberty High School.
The Rutgers-bound Bivins, a senior a Donovan Catholic, put together an electrifying performance on his way to becoming just the second boy in meet history to win four individual events.
On Friday's first day of competition, Bivins won the 100-meter dash in 10.99, No. 5 in the state this season, the 400 in 50.03, and the long jump with a leap of 22-11, No. 4 in the state this season.
Then on Saturday, Bivins finished off the quad by winning the 200m dash in 22.06, No. 3 in the state this season, to join Emanuel Mayers of Lakewood as the only boys in meet history to win four events at the same meet.
At the 2007 Ocean County Championships, Mayers, inducted into the Shore Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019, won the triple jump on Day One, and then captured both hurdles and the long jump on Day 2.
The Virginia-bound Braddock, who had a bout with COVID just two months ago, also produced a performance for the ages.
On Friday, Braddock won the 1,600 in an Ocean County record and NJ#8 all-time 4:06.25, and ran on the runner-up 4x800. On Saturday, he captured the 3,200m title in 9:22.03, and the 800m in a PR and NJ#4 1:53.69.
Led by Braddock, Southern outscored runner-up Toms River South 114-95, to win its first team title since 2009, and its third overall.
In the girls competition, Manchester, under first-year coach Chris Rash, finished third in the meet-concluding 4x400 relay in 4:16.45 to emerge with a thrilling victory in a great three-way battle, edging runner-up Toms River South, 80-78.33. Southern placed third with 75 points.
Ellis was her usual spectacular self, winning the 100m dash in 12.29, the 200 in 25.35, and running on the winning 4x100 (50.11). Manchester also picked up huge points with a 1-2 finish in the javelin. Senior Samantha Gravatt unloaded a school record and a NJ No. 2 throw of 130-9 to finish first, and Sheridan Martinez placed second with a throw of 109-11.
There were three other multiple individual winners in the meet, both from Toms River South.
Tyler Konopka, who is headed to Princeton University, won the boys shot put for Toms River South with a 58-5, and captured the discus (171-10). Konopka is the state leader in the discus with a 178-8, and is No. 2 in the state in the shot put with a 61-8.
On the girls side, Monmouth-bound Bryanna Wilson of Donovan Catholic unloaded a clutch throw on her final attempt to rally to win the discus (120-0), and she also captured the shot put (38-10.50).
TRS sophomore Lily Oliver won the 800m for TRS in 2:17.97, and finished first in the 1,600 in 5:09.99.