While lots of really bad jokes are being told and fake news is being spread on April Fools Day, NJ MileSplit brings you some hard to believe things from the world of NJ Track and Field that are no joke!!! These are things that really could happen during this outdoor season!
Remember, these aren't predictions. These are possibilities based on the enormous amount of talent in the state.
Ready or not, here we go!!!!
Here's a quick look at some of the best storylines to follow this outdoor season!!!
NATIONAL RECORDS COULD FALL
There is a realistic shot that NJ squads could break national records in the boys DMR and the girls 4x800.
On the boys side, Ridge and Union Catholic should make a run at the DMR national record of 9:49.78 that was set in 2001 by South Lakes of Reston, Va., which was anchored by the great Alan Webb.
Ridge, which will probably run the 4x800 instead of the DMR at the Penn Relays, broke the national indoor record in the DMR when Andrew McCabe, Patrick Doran, James Kisker, and Jackson Barna ran 9:53.40 to win the NB National title. Union Catholic, which will running the DMR at Penn, was second at NB Nationals in 9:55.12. By the way, the NJ record of 9:51.97, set by the Edward Cheserek anchored St. Benedict's Prep crew in 2011, should be toast!!
As for the girls 4x800, Union Catholic has the potential to make a run at the national 4x800 record of 8:43.12, which was set in 2008 by Roosevelt of Greenbelt, Md. UC ran 8:53.69 last month when it placed second at the New Balance Nationals. I know what you're thinking, 10 seconds is a huge amount of time to drop. You're right, but the foursome of Maameyaa Nyinah, Kaleigh Gunsiorowski, Asydiah Pray-Brown, and Peyton Hollis all have more in them. In case you're wondering, the NJ record of 8:45.37, set by Columbia when the Cougars finished first at the 2014 Penn Relays, is US No. 2 all-time.
SUB 4!!!!
It might seem crazy to believe this at first, but Marty Liquori's iconic state record of 3:59.8 in the mile, which has stood since 1967, could be challenged?!!! I'm not saying it will be broken (remember these aren't predictions), but with the deepest talent pool of milers in state history, a run at sub 4 can't be ruled out. This could be the best chance of it happening for a long, long time.
In case you were hibernating under a shot put circle this past winter, Marco Langon of Bridgewater-Raritan ran 4:04.60 for the mile indoors, Jackson Barna of Ridge split 4:03.71 for 1,600, and Shane Brosnan of Union Catholic went 4:04.62 on a DMR anchor. Add Collin Boler of Delbarton (4:09.86 for the mile indoors), and Kyle Rakitis of Kingsway (4:08.58 for 1,600 ;last spring), and this is shaping to be the greatest season ever in the 4-lapper.
THUNDER ROSA
Another record that could go down is the boys 2-mile mark of 8:44.06 set in 2010 by Joe Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North. Langon ran 8:48.28 to win the 3,200 at the Meet of Champions last month. And Barna was second to Langon in 8:51.94. If they get in the right race, Rosa's record could be history. 
DISTANCE DYNAMOS
Lilly Shapiro of Colts Neck, Camryn Wennersten of the Garden State Track Club, and Angelina Perez of Lakeland will take aim at the state records in the mile and two-mile.
The state mile record of 4:39.25 by Danielle Tauro of Southern, has stood since 2006. Shapiro has run 4:40.15 for 1,600m, and Wennersten has a mile PR of 4:43.83. So they are both well within striking distance.
Perez, barring injury, should obliterate the state 3,200m outdoor record of 9:59.34 set last year by Charlotte Bednar of Lawrenceville. Perez ran 9:56.96 last month when she placed third in the 2-mile at the NB Nationals.
JACKSON FIVE
There have only been five girls in NJ history go sub 53 in the 400, but Scotch Plains-Fanwood senior Julia Jackson has a great chance at becoming the sixth. Jackson is coming off an indoor season that saw her run a NJ No. 4 all-time 53.73. Can you name the five who have gone under 53? Don't even think about looking it up!!
HORIZONTAL HISTORY
There has never been a jumper in state history who has gone 25 feet in the LJ and 50 in the TJ. But Greg Foster of Lawrenceville is a rare talent who is more than capable of hitting those numbers. The Princeton University-bound star nearly pulled it off a few weeks ago when he swept the horizontal jumps at the Nike Indoor Nationals with marks of 24.5.50, No. 2 in NJ history, and a state record 49-9.25!
RARE TRIPLE
Only one boy (Reuben McCoy of Winlsow in 2004) has ever won three individual events at the Meet of Champions. Shamali Whittle of Hamilton North has the skills and the drive to become the second.
Whittle, the NB National 200m champ last month, won the 100 and 200 at the M of C last year, and the Georgia-bound stud is favored to sweep those races again this season. But he could also try to win the 110m hurdles. Last year, he ran 13.86 in the HH, just .02 behind state leader and defending M of C HH champion Chris Serrao of East Brunswick.