There were so many amazing performances produced over the weekend at the State Group Championships around the state.
A state record was broken by Angelina Perez of Lakeland in the Group 2 3,200 (9:53.29), Julia Jackson of Scotch Plains (53.61 in the 400), and Fitzroy Ledgister of St. Peter's Prep (10.39 in the 100) shattered the overall All Groups records, and there were several Group meet records that also fell.
But there was something else that happened that probably most of you don't know about. Something historic! Something that has never happened before!
It took place in the boys 1,600-meter race at the NJSIAA Non-Public A State Championships at Middletown North High School, and it slipped under just about everyone's radar. It was truly epic!!!
This race had the makings of an all-time great showdown, and it became an instant four-lap classic!!!
Five runners broke 4:13 in the same race for the first time in the history of the Group Championships! Three runners from the same team ran under 4:11 for the first time in state history!! Twin brothers both ran under 4:13, and a total of eight guys broke 4:20.
I told you this race was smoking hot!!!
Boys Non-Public A 1600m Top-8 Finishers - Full Results
| 1 | Collin Boler | 11 | Delbarton School | 4:09.60 | ||
| 2 | Jimmy Wischusen | 10 | Union Catholic Reg. HS | 4:09.87 | ||
| 3 | Shane Brosnan | 12 | Union Catholic Reg. HS | 4:10.14 | ||
| 4 | Myles Plummer | 12 | Union Catholic Reg. HS | 4:10.69 | ||
| 5 | Brian Boler | 11 | Delbarton School | 4:12.04 | ||
| 6 | Billy Clewell | 12 | Camden Catholic HS | 4:16.76 | ||
| 7 | Jack Falkowski | 10 | Christian Brothers Academy | 4:18.53 | ||
| 8 | Nicholas Sullivan | 11 | Christian Brothers Academy | 4:19.67 | ||
Junior Collin Boler of Delbarton, who closed in 2:02 and change and 58 point, won a dramatic sprint to the finish to get the victory, stopping the clock at 4:09.60, just off the Non-Public A meet record of 4:09.53 set by Mike Mazzaccaro of CBA in 2010. Then came the Union Catholic triumvirate of sophomore Jimmy Wischusen, second in 4:09.87, senior Shane Brosnan, third in 4:10.14, and senior Myles Plummer, fourth in 4:10.14. Delbarton junior Brian Boler, Collin's twin, was fifth in 4:12.04!
How awesome is that!!! A set of twins and three teammates hammering it out!
There's more!!
Not only did Wischusen, whose 4:09.87 is No. 3 in state history among sophomores, Brosnan and Plummer become the first teammates to run under 4:11 in the same race, they are the first trio of teammates to ever run under 4:11 in the 1,600/mile in the same season in NJ history!!
How cool would it be to see UC take a shot at the state 4xmile record of 17:12.2, which has stood since Essex Catholic ran that in 1967. Maybe they will try to hunt that down at New Balance Nationals next week?
Back to the sub 4:10's.
Boler and Wischusen weren't the only runners to go under 4:10 this weekend.
Kyle Rakitis of Kingsway, who won the 1,600 at the Meet of Champions last June, also dipped under by winning the State Group 4 race for the second straight year in 4:09.12. Rakitis closed in 2:02.24/58.38.
So, with Boler, Wischusen, and Rakitis cracking 4:10, there are now six runners in the state who have gone sub 4:10 this season! That matches the most ever in state history for one outdoor season. Six guys also went under 4:10 in the spring of 2012.
But if you include the 4:07.22 that Brosnan ran for the mile this past indoor season, then there are currently seven runners in NJ who have PR's under 4:10, and that's the most ever in one school year when the two seasons are combined. With a few runners banging on that sub 4:10 door, there is a good chance that number will increase next weekend at the Meet of Champions and the National Championships.
Here's the list of NJ runners who have gone under 4:10 in the 1600m/mile (converted) this school year from the NJ MileSplit rankings.
NJ Boys Indoor 2022
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:03.18 c | 2022 | ||
| 2 | 4:05.50 c | 2022 | ||
| 3 | 4:05.79 c | 2022 | ||
| 4 | 4:08.41 c | 2023 |
NJ Boys Outdoor 2022
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:04.48 c | 2022 | ||
| 2 | 4:05.57 c | 2022 | ||
| 3 | 4:09.12 | 2022 | ||
| 4 | 4:09.34 | 2022 | ||
| 5 | 4:09.60 | 2023 | ||
| 6 | 4:09.87 | 2024 |