Check out some of the biggest highlights from the North Jersey, Section 2 Groups 2-3 Championships in Randolph.
BOYS GROUP 3
Team Champion: Randolph outscored North Hunterdon, 93-76, to win its first title since 2015 and its seventh overall.
Stars of the meet:
Randolph's march to the team title was sparked by the versatile Frank Zarro. The senior won the 400 hurdles in 55.15, placed second in the long jump (21-9.25), fifth in the triple jump, and he split 49.49 as the anchor on the winning 4x400. Randolph also picked up a win in the shot put from Nicholas Scanzera (46-8).
Joseph Oduro of South Plainfield, who is headed to Brown, soared 48-6 in the triple jump on Friday to smash the NJ. Sec. 2 Group 3 meet record, repeat as champion, and improve his NJ No. 1 mark. He came back in Saturday to capture the long jump with a 22-6.
Oduro, who broke the TJ meet record of 46-4.50 that was set in 2017 by Ayomide Oyewole of Colonia, had a previous best in the TJ of 47-4.50, which he hit to win the GMC title last month. Oduro now has the Middlesex County record of 50-2.50 by Eric Bethea of Piscataway in 2015 in his sights.
Junior Kente Edwards of North Hunterdon dominated the short sprints by winning the 100m in 10.76, the fastest Group 3 time of all the sectionals, and the 200 in 21.25.
Micah Lawson, a junior at Rahway, ran the fastest Group 3 time of all the sectionals when he won the 800 in 1:56.06. Lawson also ran 4:22.60 to place second in the 1,600.
BOYS GROUP 2
Team Champion: Parsippany edged Passaic Valley, 84-77, to win its third straight title and 7th overall.
Stars of the meet:
Joziah Johnson led the charge for Parsippany. The junior swept the hurdles with winning times of 56.66 in the 400h and 15.72 in the 110's, and he also placed fifth in the 200, and ran on the winning 4x400. Parsippany also received victories from Sheldon Agyemang in the triple jump, and Brett Reid in the long jump. Reid also ran on the victorious 4x400.
Senior Adam Angelone of Madison finished first in the 1,600 (4:28.31) and the 3,200 (9:23.79.)
GIRLS GROUP 3
Team Champion: North Hunterdon piled up 128 points to runaway with a 48 point win over Mendham for its first title since 2018 and its 8th title overall.
Stars of the meet:
Alexa LaSasso was simply spectacular for North Hunterdon!
The senior led the Lions to the team title by collecting three gold medals and placing second in another event to account for 38 points. LaSasso won the 800 in 2:15.93, the fastest Group 3 time in all the sectionals combined, finished first in the 400 in 57.97, ran on the winning 4x400, and placed second in the 400 hurdles in 1:07.74.
North Hunterdon also received victories from senior Sophia Reich in the 1,600 (5:03.46) and sophomore Lindsey Danson in the pole vault (9-6).
Faith Bethea extended her NJ No. 1 mark and broke the NJ Sectional record (all Groups combined) with a 40-7 in the triple jump, and won the 100 hurdles in 14.96, just off her PR of 14.91. Bethea's 40-7 in the TJ broke the sectional record of 40-6 set in 2016 by Jordan Jordyn Fields of Columbia, and bettered her PR of 40-5.50, which she leaped to finish first at the Penn Relays.
Rising star Nyla Felton, a freshman at North Plainfield, lit up the track by winning the 100 with a personal best 12.49 and the 200 in 25.48. She also placed second in the long jump with a 17-1, a PR by one foot!
Senior Melissa Aymil of Mendham won the shot put (36-8.50) and the discus with a huge PR of 123-2, the best throw in Group 3 in al the sectionals combined.
GIRLS GROUP 2
Team Champion: New Providence outpointed Lyndhurst, 104-77 to win its first championship since 2018 and its 15th title overall.
Stars of the meet:
There were lots of stars for New Providence!
Leading the way for the Pioneers were a pair of freshmen distance runners, Madeleine Merrick and Miranda Bournique. Merrick won the 1,600 and was third in the 800, and Bournique placeed secnd in the 800, second in the 3,200, and sixth in the 1,600. Seniors Sabrina Boyle and Kalina Kornacki also came up big for New Providence. Boyle led a 1-2-3 finish for the Pioneers by clearing a personal best 10-0 to finish first, and Kornacki placed second in the discus and fifth in the javelin.
Sophomore Ella Tucker of Madison pulled off the sprint triple! She won the 100 in 12.67, the 200 in 26.17, and the 400 in 1:00.13.
Freshman Juliana Behringer of Hanover Park had a great meet in the throws. She won the discus, placed second in the shot put, and she finished fourth in the javelin.