Benjamin Shue dominated the throws, CBA put together a historic performance in the distances, and the Union Catholic girls produced one of the most amazing relay shows in NJ history at the Arcadia Invitational that concluded on Saturday night at Arcadia High School in California.
Shue, a junior at Bergen Catholic, came up with a clutch throw of 200-3 on his final attempt on Saturday to win the boys discus, and came back later to capture the shot put with a 63-9.25. In the discus, Shue was in second place behind McKay Madsen of Clovis North (Fresno, California), the leader after five rounds with a 197-5. But Shue leveled up and unloaded his winning throw of 200-3 on his sixth and final attempt. Madsen fouled on his last throw.
Shue just missed his PR's with his 63-9.25/200-3 double. Last spring he threw 64-0/200-10.
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UC GIRLS BLITZ THE RELAYS
On the track in the girls competition, the Union Catholic girls won two relays and threw down several all-time great performances.
On Friday, UC girls won the 4x200 in 1:37.75, No. 2 in state history, and captured the 4x800 in 8:53.48, No. 4 in NJ history. Then on Saturday, the Vikings placed fourth in the 4x100 in 46.38, No. 3 in state history, and ran 3:49.70 to finish fourth in the 4x400.
In the 4x200, UC's lineup consisted of freshman Sydney Chadwick, junior Taylor Aska, senior Leah Gould and junior Taylor Cox. The 1:37.75 by the Vikings is second in state history behind the 1:37.53 that UC ran with legendary Sydney McLaughlin leading off at the 2017 Union County Relays.
The lineup for UC in the 4x800 lineup was sophomore Jimmiea King (2:14.11), senior Peyton Hollis (2:10.88), freshman Sophia Thompson (2:18.38) and freshman Paige Sheppard (2;10.31)
In Saturday's 4x100, Aska, Cox, Gould, and Natalia Thompson combined on the 46.38. The only two NJ teams that have ever run faster are Montclair (45.50 at the 1998 Penn Relays) and Columbia (45.89 when it finished first at the 2010 New Balance Nationals).
Cox finished off her sensational meet by placing fourth in the 100 hurdles in 13.95.
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DISTANCE SHOW FOR THE AGES
What CBA did in the distance races was one of the greatest feats in NJ history. Full story on this is here
It all started in the 3200 heats on Friday night when senior Alex Kemp ran 9:06.72, senior Conor Clifford went 9:08.47, senior Jack Falkowski finished in 9:13.93, and sophomore Luke Hnatt clocked an 9:14.87. CBA followed that up by placing third in the seeded 6,400 relay in 17:53.95 as junior Ryan Schmitt (4:26.86), sophomore Wyatt Falkowski (4:32.96), senior Brady Barber (4:26.55) and freshman Gavin Schmitt (4:27.58) shared the baton.
On Saturday, Clifford ran 4:16.70 to finish seventh in the mile.
Then junior Joe Barrett finished off CBA's remarkable distance show under the lights on Saturday night with an epic state record-breaking 8:43.26 in the 3,200!!!!!
Barrett's historic run put an exclamation point on CBA's historic performance as th Colts put five runners run under 9:15 in the 3,200!!!! I can't find another team in NJ history to put five under 9:15 in the same season!!! How teams in U.S. history have done it? The list has to be very short!!! Note: CBA had four guys break 9:15 outdoors in 2013 (Jack Boyle, Blaise Ferro, Tom Rooney, and Mike McClemens).
The 8:43.26 by Barrett shattered the NJ 3,200 record of 8:46.04 that was set by the legendary Craig Forys of Colts Neck at the 2007 Henderson Invitational in West Chester, Pa. In case you're wondering, all-time great Joe Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North owns the NJ record for two-miles of 8:44.06, which he ran to win the 2010 New Balance National title.
Five runners on the same team breaking 9:15 in the 3,200 at the same meet!!!
Amazing!!!
MORE NJ HIGHLIGHTS
Union Catholic's Avery Atexide ran a PR of 48.52 to place second in the boys 400. UC's Jimmy Wischusen of Union Catholic placed seventh in the boys mile in 4:13.65. Albert Yodakis of CBA threw 52-5.50 in the shot put, UC finished eighth in the boys 4x400 in 3:23.49, and UC's Cayleigh Kaiser ran 10:56.02 in the girls 3,200.,