Ridgewood swept the Group 4 titles, and the Kinnelon boys and Hasbrouck Heights girls captured the Group 1 titles at Sunday's NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1 Championships at the Bennett Center on Sunday in Toms River.
BROOM JOB
The Ridgewood boys and girls each extended their sectional records to eight championships in convincing fashion.
On the girls side, Ridgewood blitzed the competition by scoring in every event on the way to its fourth straight title, 93-37 over second-place Montclair. Ridgewood's eight sectional titles ties it with Bernards for the third most in state history. Only Ridge (10) and Haddonfield (nine) have won more.
Ridgewood's remarkable performance was was led by senior Lucia Rabolli, who was the catalyst for a Ridgewood distance crew that rang up 50 points.
Rabolli led a 1-3 finish in the 800 for Ridgewood with a winning time of 2:17.73. Her sister, Cellina was third in 2:24.23. Rabolli also led a 1-3-5 finish in the 1,600 for Ridgewood by placing third in 5:06.46. Ridgewood also went 2 3-5 in the 3,200. AnnaMarie Tretola, who was third in the 1600, placed second in the 3,200.
Ridgewood also picked up a victory from Talia Hutchinson in the pole vault (10-0), and a first-place finish from its 4x400 squad (4:08.06).
In the boys Group 4 competition, Ridgewood outpointed East Orange Campus, 62-49, for its eighth title, which is tied with Rahway for the second most boys titles in state history. Only Willingboro, which has captured nine championships, has captured more.
Red Kossick, Sean Fortunato, Luke Gnospelius led the charge for Ridgewood.
Kossick won the hurdles in 8.14 (8.07 in the trials), Fortunato finished second in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600, and Gnospelius won the pole vault by clearing 13-0. Ridgewood also received a runner-up finish from Matt Aono in the vault, and a fourth place from Mick Barbi in the 800.
AHART SPARKS KINNELON
Jack Ahart was a double winner in Group 1 , and Brandon McKeon came up with huge personal best victory to fuel the Kinnelon boys to their first title, 54-48 over runner-up Glen Rock.
Ahart, a junior, won the 55 dash in 6.69, and he captured the 400 with a personal best of 52.26. McKeon, a senior, soared over the bar at 6-2 to lead a 1-3-4 finish for Kinnelon in the high jump. Kinnelon also placed second in the 4x400, a received a third-place from senior Andrew Garcia in the 3,200.
FIELD EVENTS FUEL HASBROUCK HEIGHTS
The Hasbrouck Heights field event athletes came up huge to ignite the Aviators to a 68-59 victory over Mountain Lakes for its second sectional championships. Hasbrouck Heights won its other title in 2015.
Hasbrouck Heights, led by Odaliana Gomez, Gaea DePass, and Emma Cunningham, racked up 40 of its 68 points in the field events.
Gomez led a 12-4 finish for Hasbrouck Heights in the shot put with a personal best throw of 34-8. DePass cleared 5-0 to place second in the high jump, and Cunningham made 7-0 to secure third-place in the pole vault.
Also for Hasbrouck Heights, the versatile Brooke Freschi picked up a fourth-place in the high jump, and a fifth in the hurdles. Isabella Drezek finished fourth in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600, Dea Jera finished fifth in the 55 dash and the 400, and Megan Napolitano placed fourth in the hurdles.