The Hunterdon Central boys and Pope John girls, both second to North Hunterdon last year, each returned to the winner's circle for the first time since 2019, and Damian Scouloukas, Madison Griffin, Sean Line, Kente Edwards, Danielle DiEsso and Chris Ross all produced eye-popping performances at the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex County Championships on Monday in Vernon.
In the boys competition, Scouloukas, one of the state's biggest stars, once again displayed his remarkable talent to spark Hunterdon Central to a 102.50-79.50 victory over runner-up North Hunterdon
The Rhode Island-bound Scouloukas smashed the meet records in both the long jump with a leap of 23-5, and the triple jump with a 45-11.50, which are both NJ No. 2 this season. Scouloukas, who won the pole vault and triple jump at the Indoor Meet of Champions in March, also finished third in the 110-hurdles with a PR of 15.58! What an athlete!!!!
Hunterdon Central also received a big day from junior Noah Smith, who led a 1-3-5 finish for the Red Devils in the 1,600 with a winning time of 4:23.30 and placed second in the 3,200. Hunterdon Central also picked up big points in the pole vault from senior Scott Anderson, who led a 1-2 finish for his team by clearing 13-6.
NORTH HUNTERDON AND POPE JOHN SWEEP MVP'S
Edwards, who is headed to Lafayette to play football, and DiEsso led the charge for North Hunterdon's runner-up finishes with a sizzling sprint doubles en route to being named the the Most Valuable Performers of the meet in the track events. It's the second straight year that Edwards earned an MVP award at this meet.
Edwards, a senior who set the meet record in the 100 last year with a 10.72, won the boys 100 for the third straight year in 10.75, and added the meet record in the 200 to his resume by running a PR of 22.07. The former record of 22.11 was set in 2012 by Dylan Hurley.
DiEsso, a junior, was named the girls MVP on the track after capturing the girls 400 for the second straight year in 57.22 and came back to capture the 200 in 25.46, which are both personal best times. Last year, DiEsso won the 100 and 400 at the HWS Championships.
Both field event MVP's came from Pope John as senior Sean Line and Madison Griffin were double winners.
Line, headed to Harvard to play football, won the boys shot put with a 48-3 and the discus with a 141-3. Griffin, who will throw at Virginia Commonwealth next year, captured the discus with a throw of 124-5 and the javelin with a 125-9 to lead the Pope John girls to a 99-96.50 win over North Hunterdon. Pope John also captured the NJAC Large School Championships last week!
Krista Dengler was the catalyst for Pope John on the track. The senior won the 400 hurdles in 1:04.88, finished second in the 100 hurdles in 15.97, and was sixth in the 200 in 27.01.
ROSS BREAKS OLDEST SUSSEX COUNTY RECORD
Chris Ross, a senior at Wallkill Valley, soared 22-10.75 to break the 46-year-old Sussex County record in the boys long jump, the longest standing record in the county! The 22-10.75, which placed Ross second behind the meet record of 23-5 by Scouloukas, broke the Sussex County record of 22-9 that was set in 1977 by Kurt Stebbins of Sparta, and is NJ No. 3 this season.
BIG SHOT
Nilaja Wiltshire, a senior at Phillipsburg, smashed the meet record in the girls shot put with a huge PR of 41-7, which is No. 4 in the state this season!! Wiltshire, whose previous best was 40-6.50, broke the meet record of 38-9 that was set by Oluwatomilayo Akintunde of Wallkill Valley in 2021.
GOING THE DISTANCE