Get ur NJ outdoor track and field on!!!
The first starting gun of the season has been fired, and we are off and running into the first big weekend of the season.
So we put on our magic genie hats (I really did wear one while doing this) and gazed into our crystal ball to predict the future.
Here's what we see.
CHASING HURDLING HISTORY
Junior Taylor Cox of Union Catholic and senior Yashahya Brown of Washington are both coming off state record-breaking indoor seasons, and could make a run at the state records in the high hurdles this season.
Cox, who ran a state record 8.11 to win the girls 60m hurdles at the New Balance National Championships last month in Boston, ran a state sophomore record of 13.52 last year in the 100m hurdles. That's faster than the NJ Junior Class record of 13.61 set in 1996 by Plainfield's Charmaine Walker.
Cox's target now is the state record of 13.33 set by Dawn Bowles of Neptune in 1988, who also ran a wind-aided 13.11 in '88. We feel Cox will get under 13.33!!!
As for Brown, he has to make a pretty big drop to challenge the boys state record in the 110's, but that's what he did indoors when he set the state record in the 55 hurdles with a 7.06!
Brown ran 13.82 last spring and the boys 110h state record is 12.9 (converted to 13.14), which was set by the legendary Renaldo "Skeets'' Nehemiah of Scotch Plains-Fanwood in 1977. Brown is a much better technically than he was a year ago, and we feel he has the talent and drive to at least scare Nehemiah's converted 13.14.
FLYING SAUCERS
Look out for Layla Giordano of Old Tappan and Benjamin Shue of Bergen Catholic! Both have the potential to break the state records in the discus!!!
Giordano exploded in the circle last June when the University of Princeton-bound star threw 159-7 to win the Meet of Champions, and the next day sent the saucer 170-4, which is No. 3 in NJ history, to win the New Balance National title in Philadelphia. Now Giordano has her sights set on the NJ record of 182-0, set by Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic in 2017, based on the way she's progressed, we like Giordano's chances to become
In the boys discus, Shue is coming off a season highlighted by a massive NJ all-time No. 8 throw of 200-10, which broke the state sophomore record of 197-3 set in 2010 by Olympian Sam Mattis of East Brunswick.
Shue, who opened his season with a 195-3 this past Monday, now has both the State Freshman (198-5) and Sophomore records. Now he's chasing the State Junior Class record (207-2 by Mattis in 2011), and the state record of 218-4 that Mattis set in 2012.
Can Shue, the overwhelming favorite to win his first Meet of Champions title, surpass the great Mattis?
Stay tuned!!
NATIONAL RECORD WATCH
We've mentioned state records that may fall, how about a national record that's on shaky ground and could go down!
Last year, the Union Catholic girls nearly took down the 4x800 national record of 8:43.12, set by Eleanor Roosevelt at the 2008 Penn Relays, as the Vikings ran a US No. 2 all-time and NJ record 8:44.98 to finish first at the Penn Relays.
UC, which has won the last two 4x800 titles at the New Balance National Outdoor Championships, has two of their four legs back, sophomore Jimmiea King and Duke-bound Peyton Hollis, who anchored the wins at Penn and NB Nationals. Talented freshmen Paige Sheppard and Sophia Thompson have joined the Vikings lineup, which has the potential to break their own state record and the national record. Some quick math shows if you take all their open PR's, it adds up to 8:41.75 for UC's foursome.
DMR MADNESS
While the boys DMR state record is probably out of reach (9:51.97 by the Edward Cheserek anchored St. Benedict's Prep squad in 2011), this race promises to create lots fireworks.
Only six teams in NJ history have ever broken 10:00 in the boys DMR, but multiple teams have the potential to get under that magic number this spring.
Westfield leads the pack after running 10:01.92 to place second at the New Balance National Indoor Championships last month. Note: The Blue Devils, contenders to win either the 4x800 or DMR at the Penn Relays, will run the DMR at Franklin Field. Unfortunately, teams aren't permitted to run both.
CBA (10:09.82 indoors), Ridge (10:10.20 indoors), and Ridgewood (10:16.28 indoors) are the next fastest on paper. But when you add up the PR's for Union Catholic with stud Jimmy Wischusen on the anchor, they could also make a run at 10.
FIREWORKS IN THE SPRINTS
Malachi James vs. Ajani Dwyer!!!
After the way they blew up the track indoors, watching these two cook in the 100 and 200 this season is can't miss track!!
James, a senior at Burlington City, and Dwyer, a senior at Washington, ran the two fastest times in state history in the 55m this winter.
Dwyer, who missed the indoor Meet of Champions with an injury, shattered the state record in the 55 dash by running 6.18. James, who won the 55 and 200 at the Meet of Champions last month, went 6.22. The former state record was 6.26.
Can Dwyer and James become the fastest in state history in the 100 and/or 200?
Those records will be tough to break (10.35 by Jamar Ervin of Camden in 2001 and 20.93 by Danny Johnson of Rahway in 2001), but with the talent and passion that Dwyer and James posses, you can't rule it out. Don't blink or you might miss history being made!!
RED HOT BATONS
There a very strong chance that the Union Catholic girls will break both the 4x100 and 4x200 state records.
The 4x100 of 45.50 has stood since 1998 when Montclair's Mikele and Lisa Barrber, Chantel Coppedge and Aleah Williams ran that time at the Penn Relays. Union Catholic opened its season in Arcadia by running a NJ No. 3 all-time 46.38!
And the Vikings also dropped a NJ No. 2 all-time 1:37.75 in the 4x200 at Arcadia, just off the state record of 1:37.53 that UC ran with legendary Sydney McLaughlin leading off at the 2017 Union County Relays.
h
FLAIR IN THE AIR
Alanna Woolfolk of Clayton has captured four Meet of Champions titles in the high jump in her career (2 indoors and 2 outdoors), and while defending that title this spring is obviously a huge goal, her biggest target is to get over the bar at 5-10 or higher!!!
The Rutgers-bound Woolfolk has made 5-8 at seven different meets in her career times, and has come close to getting over 5-10 a few times.
The feeling is that Woolfolk will finally get the 5-10 she's been seeking this season to become the first NJ girl to clear that height since Tiffany Bautista of Paramus Catholic cleared 5-10 to win the HJ at the 2018 Meet of Champions.
TRIPLE THREAT
While breaking a state record in any of the jumping events is a huge challenge, Liam Paneque of Demarest is capable of doing something that only one other athlete in NJ history has ever done before.
Darius Pemberton, a 1993 graduate of Hackensack, is the only athlete in NJ history who has ever cleared at least 6-8 in the high jump, and soared over 23 feet in the long jump and over 47 feet in the triple jump (special thanks to legendary Bergen County reporter Paul Schwartz for that stat)!! Pemberton, one of the state's greatest all-time athletes, made 6-11 and jumped 24-11 and 49-9. How awesome is that!!!
As a sophomore last spring, Paneque had PR's of 6-6, 23-2, and 46-11.50, so it seems like just a matter of time before he joins the legendary Pemberton in the prestigious over 6-8/23+/47+ club.
Damarion Potts of South Brunswick and Perry Christie of Union Catholic have come the closest in recent years. Potts, who graduated last year, went 6-10.25, 23-9, and 46-11. Christie, a 2016 grad, went 6-6, 23-4, and 47-10
CLASS RECORDS
There are several girls who have a realistic chance to break state class records.
Freshmen Paige Sheppard of Union Catholic has the talent to level up and break the State Freshmen Class records in the 800 (2:07.18 by Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu of Trenton in 2017) and 1,600 (4:45.57 by Claudia DiSomma of Sparta in 2010. Sheppard's PR's are 2:07.97 and 4:48.00.
Sofia Swindell of Lawrenceville, who ran a state indoor 200m record of 23.97 last month and has run 23.85 already this season, is chasing the State Junior Class record of 23.53 set by double Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic in 2016. Also in the 200, Rhia Randolph of Union Catholic, who ran 23.99 indoors, has a shot to take down the State Freshman record of 23.60 in the 200, which was set by Olympian English Gardner of Eastern in 2007.
OTHER NEWS
Another storyline that's developed is all the new sites for the state meets.
There will be four new venues this season.
For the first time ever, the Meet of Champions will be held in South Jersey at Pennsauken High's magnificent facility, which was built in 2021. Stockton University (Non-Public A and B), Livingston (North Jersey, Section 1-Groups 1-4), and Warren Hills (North Jersey, Sec. 2 Groups 2-3) are also first time sites.