The Union Catholic boys and Villa Walsh girls got the NJSIAA Relay Championships rolling on Wednesday night with impressive victories in the Non-Public B competition at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
Union Catholic, which dropped down from Non-Public A this season, won four events and placed fourth or better in all nine events on the way to a 76-57 victory over defending champion St. Rose. It's the third state relay championship for the Vikings, which won the Non-Public B title in 2013, and the Non-Public A championship in 2014.
On the girls side, Villa Walsh edged Montclair Kimberley, 51-48, to capture its fourth state relay title and first title since winning a third championship in a row in 2016.
In the boys competition, Union Catholic won the shuttle hurdles in 32.41, the 4x200 in 1:34.04, the sprint medley in 3:45.14, and the pole vault. The Vikings also placed second in the distance medley, second in the 4x800, second in the 4x400, second in the high jump, and fourth in the shot put.
For UC, Noah Cooper anchored the shuttles in 7.8, and led off the 4x200 with a 23.5. Marcus McCoy went 8.0 in the shuttles, and 23.5 in the 4x200, and Al-Qamar Rojas anchored the 4x200 with a 23.1, and led off the shuttles with a 7.8. Sean Wilson anchored the winning SMR for UC with a 2:02. In the pole vault, Matthew Schutz cleared a personal best matching 11-6, and Aidan Reidy made 11-0. Those were the two best vaulting performances of the meet.
St. Rose stayed in the contention by picking up wins in the DMR (10:55.52), the 4x400 (3:41.74), the 4x800 (8:31.37), and the shot put. Junior Josh Huisman of St. Rose, the state leader in the shot with a 60-3.75, threw a meet best 57-8.
The only event that Union Catholic or St. Rose didn't win was the high jump, which was captured by Newark Academy.
In the girls competition, Villa Walsh won the SMR in 4:35.47, the DMR in 13:30.69, and the high jump. Sophomore Amalia Hronider and junior Jesse Kramer each cleared 4-6 in the HJ for Villa Walsh. Montclair Kimberley won the 4x800 in 11:05.59, 4x400 in 4:30.99.
The other events winners were St. Rose in the shuttles (40.43), Ranney in the 4x200 (1:54.53), and St. Dominic Academy in the shot put.
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