The Rahway boys equaled the state record with their ninth title, the Mendham girls captured its fifth title, and the North Hunterdon girls and West Morris boys each won for the first time at Saturday's North Jersey, Section 2 Groups 2-3 Championships at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
Rahway, led the dynamic duo of Micah Lawson and Damani Brown, withstood a strong challenge from Chatham to win the boys Group 2 title and give the Indians its ninth sectional championships, which ties it with Willingboro for the boys state record. Willingboro captured its ninth title by winning the South Jersey, Group 1 title last week.
Since the indoor state sectionals began in 2008, Rahway has won seven titles in North Jersey, Section 2 in 2009, '10, 11, '12, '13, '14, '22, and two in Central Jersey (2017 and '18).
Juniors Lawson and Brown led the charge for Rahway, who defeated runner-up Chatham, 63-52.
Lawson scored 20 points by winning the 1,600 in 4:29.96 and placing first in the 800 in 2:02.08, and he also ran on the runner-up 4x400. Brown scored 16 points by placing second in both the 800 in 2:02.14, and the 1,600 in 4:30.63. He also ran a leg on the runner-up 4x400.
AUGUSTINE-LED DISTANCE ATTACK SPURS MENDHAM
In the girls Group 2 competition, Mendham steamrolled the competition to capture its first title since 2015 and its first in Group 2. Mendham's previous four championships came in North Jersey, Sec. 2 Group 3 in 2010, '13, '14, and '15.
Mendham piled up 60 out of a possible 72 points in the distance races on the way to a 95-38 over runner-up Snyder.
Seniors Ava Augustine and Grace Vives went 1-2 in the 800 and 1,600 for Mendham with Augustine winning both races. Madison Orlins (11:35.93) led a 1-2 finish for Mendham in the 3,200, and she also placed third in the 1,600 to complete a 1-2-3 sweep in that event.
Sophomore Anna Shaw and senior Melissa Aymil also came through for Mendham with victories. Shaw placed first in the 400 (1:01.57), and Aymil won the shot put with a throw of 37-10.40.
The Group 3 competition featured victories by first-time champions North Hunterdon on the girls and West Morris boys.
On the girls side, North Hunterdon scored in eight of the 10 events to defeat defending champion Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 71-64.
The Lions were led by Sophia Reich, Paige Boyce, Lindsey Danson, Danielle DiEsso, Shelby Yager, Alexa LaSasso, and Cassidy Roop.
Reich won the 1,600 (5:11.31) and was second in the 800. Boyce placed second in the 1,600 (5:11.84) and sixth in the 800. Danson led a key 1-3-4 finish in the pole vault by clearing 8-6 to win. DiEsso was third in both the vault and the 55 dash. Yager picked up fifth place finishes in the dash and high jump. LaSasso was fifth in the 400 and the 800, and Roop finished fourth in the 3,200. North Hunterdon also placed second in the 4x400 in 4:06.91.
CHEN AND ROWLAND SPARK WEST MORRIS
In the boys Group 3 competition, seniors Brandon Chen and Andrew Rowland were each double winners to combine for 40 points to fuel the West Morris boys to a 56-51 victory over Voorhees.
Chen won the 1,600 in 4:31.99 and the 3,200 in 9:28.33, and Rowland captured the 55 dash in 6.71 and the 400 in 52.78. West Morris picked up its other 16 points from freshman Cade Zeolla, second in the pole vault (12-0), and a senior Sean Davies, second-place in the high jump (5-10).