Union Catholic Smashes 4 Records At Union County Relays

May 02, 2024

It didn't take long for Union Catholic to flex their ridiculous firepower on day one of the 80th Union County Relays on Thursday at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield.

The UC boys and girls combined to smash four meet records, three by the girls and one by the boys, and won all 8 races on the track as both squads took the lead in the team standings.

UC, seeking to extend its meet record to 9 straight titles, has a 53-28 lead over Westfield. Cranford and Union are tied for third with 20 points. In the boys team standings, UC, chasing its third straight title, has 59 points, Westfield has 45, and Elizabeth 39.

The second and final day of competition is scheduled to begin on Friday at 4 p.m.

In the girls competition, UC broke the meet records in the DMR with an 11:57.10, the 4x100 with a county record and NJ. No. 3 all-time 46.06, and the SMR with a time of 3:58.12. All three of those wining times are NJ No. 1 this season.

The Vikings just missed going four for four on its record smashing rampage when they ran 3:13.10 in the 400 hurdles, No. 2 in meet history. The meet record of 3:11.2 was set in Plainfield in 2006.

In the DMR, Paige Sheppard (3:33.8), Sadie Thompson (63.0), Emmy O'Hearn (2:19.8), and Sophia Thompson (4:59.5) shared the baton. Sydney Chadwick, Leah Gould, Natalia Thompson, and Taylor Aska teamed up to win the 4x100 in 46.06, which broke the overall Union County record of 46.07 that UC ran on this track last month at the Blue Devil Classic. In the SMR, Isabella Murray (24.8), Sinclair Powell (25.8), Jimmiea King (56.4) and Peyton Hollis (2:10.3) combined on the victory as UC ran the No. 7 time in state history. In the 400 hurdles, Chadwick ran a meet best time of 1:03.47.

On the boys side, UC ran a NJ 2 time of 42.02 to break the meet record of 42.07 set in 2009 by Plainfield. Avery Atexide, Marcus McCoy, Al-Qamar Rojas, and Dylan Williams teamed up for the win as UC edged Elizabeth, second in 42.28, No. 6 in meet history and No. 3 in the state this season.

UC also won the DMR in 10:24.24, the 400 hurdles, and the SMR. In the DMR, Alex Saldana led off in 2:12.1 and Jimmy Wischusen anchored in 4:18.0 for UC. The SMR lineup consisted of Dylan Williams (22.1), Garth Naar (22.7), Avery Atexide (48.0), and Keandre Kelly (1:55.5). The UC boys nearly broke the meet record in the 400 hurdles as Rojas, McCoy and Justice Hicks teamed up to win in 2:47.96, just off the meet record of 2:47.95 set in 2012 by Union Catholic

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Senior Emanuel Gayanilo of Westfield ran the top time of the meet in the boys 400 hurdles with a 53.55, shaving nearly a full second off his previous PR, and Westfield won both the discus and the javelin. In the javelin, Westfield's Jeremy Cruz (159-8) and Lincoln Meyers (155-5) had the top 2 throws of the meet,.

Caleb Duvelson of Union had the top discus mark of the day with a 149-1.

Sophomore star Roodkerry Barthelemy soared a meet best and personal best 22-7 to lead Elizabeth to the boys long jump title. The second best jump of the meet was was by senior Christian Moroses, who leaped 22-6 to break Cranford's 52-year-old school record! The former record of 22-3 was set in 1972 by Kevin Webb. Congrats, Christian!

Congrats!

Anthony Flowers of Brearley cleared a meet-best and personal best of 6-4 in the high jump and Hillside won the event with a combined 17-5.

In the girls field events, Meghan Kreinberg of Dayton threw 37-8.25 in the shot, the best of the competition, and Union fiished first in the event.

New Providence's Ilana Kornacki made 10-0 to lead her team to victory. Sarah Sicoli of Scotch Plains-Fanwood also cleared 10-0.

Natalia Thompson's meet-best leap of 17-9.25 led UC to the win in the girls long jump.

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