A Great Eight Is Shaping Up At Saturday's Blue Devil Classic



If you're looking to catch a super fast girls 800, then this Saturday's 33rd Blue Devil Classic at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield is the place to be.

Sparks should be flying in this two-lapper, which has the kind of star power that could produce several big PR's!!

Here's a look at some of the big guns who are committed to racing so far.

Emma Zawatski of Freehold Township, Kelsey Niglio of Cherokee, Jenai Berry of Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Lindsay Hausman of Kent Place, Sonia Olson of Westfield, Jimmiea King of Union Catholic, and Megan Niglio of Cherokee.

Kelsey Niglio, fourth at the Indoor Meet of Champions last month, has run the fastest time in the field with the 2:11.80 she ran to place second at the Group 4 meet last spring. Zawatski, who has won Meet of Champions in each of the last three running seasons (1,600 outdoors, XC, and 1,600 indoors, ran 2:13.12 this past indoors. The Rutgers-bound Berry has a PR of 2:13.43, which she ran to place fourth in group 4 last June. King, a freshman, ran 2:16.70 this past indoors, and Olson has a PR of 2:17.65.

As for the Duke-bound Hausman, who like Zawatski specializes in the 1,600 and 3,200, is running her first half mile in two years. You have to figure that coming off her NJ No. 10:30.69 at the Cherokee Night Race, Hausman will drop a lot of time off her 2:18.66 PR from her sophomore year.   

Just how fast will this race be?

Well, there will be a rabbit aiming to take the field through 400 in the 63-65 range. If that happens, a sub 2:10 is certainly in play.

Hey, if your reading this and want to join this potential PR parade or if any coaches want to enter their teams in the always exciting and highly competitive Blue Devil Classic, all you have to do is reach out to Co-Meet-director Joe Berardi at jberardi@westfieldnjk12.org. Registration, which closes on April 20 at 11 p.m, can be done on NJ MileSplit