Seton Hall Prep And The Montclair Girls Win Essex Titles


Results 

Seton Hall Prep completed the triple crown, the Montclair girls repeated as champions, and Peyton Hollis and Gianna Mangili starred at the Essex County Track and Field Championships on Wednesday night at Ocean Breeze on Staten Island.  

In the boys competition, Seton Hall Prep, who won titles at the Super Essex Conference and Essex County Relay Championships earlier this season, added the final jewel in the triple crown by winning the boys title.

Seton Hall Prep, led by double-winner Xavier Donaldson, used a balanced attack and captured first-place in five events en route to the championship. 

Donaldson, a junior, won the 200-meter dash in a NJ No. 3 22.13 and led a 1-3 finish for Seton Hall Prep in the 400 with a winning time of 50.33. Nicholas DeVita was third in 51.05. 

The other victories for the Pirates came from DeVita in the 800 (1:59.75), Reece Watkins in the high jump (6-0), and the NJ No. 1 ranked 4x400, which crossed first in 3:31.17. Seton Hall Prep's 4x400, which has run a NJ No. 1 3:24.51, consisted of Kenneth Webb, Sean Bragdon, Michael Thompson, and Ryan Matulonis.

Matulonis also placed second in the 55m hurdles in 7.91, and Seton Hall Prep picked up a third from Darren Burton in the HJ (5-10), a fourth from Kyalo Mutuku in the shot put (42-2), and fifth from Conor Schmit (4:52.50), a fourth from Webb in the 800, and a sixth from Bragdon in the 800, and a sixth from Anthony Armanious in the shot put.

LAWSON LEADS MOUNTIES, HOLLIS AND MANGILI STAR 

On the girls side, sprint star Kiya Lawson was the catalyst for Montclair's march to the championship, Columbia star Hollis was a double-winner, and Mt. St. Dominic's Mangili equaled the state's fastest time this season in the 55 dash.  

Lawson, a senior, won the 200m dash in 25.27, placed second in the 400 in 58.93, and placed third in the 55 dash in 7.29 to rack up 24 points for the Mounties. 

The rest of Montclair's points came in the distance races. 

Avery McAdams placed third in the 1,600 (5:30.96), Madeline Duncan finished fourth in the 3,200 (12:35.89), Annabelle Svenson was fifth in the 3,200 (13:02.76), and Maya Kim placed fifth in the 800 (2:30.06).  

The only double winner among the girls was Hollis, a sophomore, who won the 400 in 58.44 and the 800 in 2:20.80. Hollis, one of the biggest stars in the state, is ranked No. 1 in NJ in the 1,000 this season with a 2:57.29. 

Mangili, a senior, lit up the track in the 55m dash when she crossed the line first in a school record 7.19, which ties her for the state lead with Christiana Nwachuku of Kent Place.