Josh Huisman and Jessica Oji gave New Jersey a sweep in the shot put circle to highlight Day 3 action for the Garden State at the New Balance National Championships on Saturday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
The boys shot put was another great NJ duel between Huisman, a senior a St. Rose, and Benjamin Shue, a junior at Bergen Catholic.
The University of Michigan-bound Huisman came out on top again with a throw of 66-8.75 to edge Shue, second with a 66-3. Huisman also defeated Shue in the shot put when they went 1-2 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions this past Wednesday. That gave Huisman 4 M of C titles in his career in the shot put (2 indoors and 2 outdoors). Shue, the state leader in the shot put with a 69-2, had a great meet. On Friday, he unloaded a 200-6 on his final attempt to rally to win the discus.
Oji, a junior at Livingston, put the finishing touches on a remarkable comeback season when she won the girls shot put with a throw of 50-2 and placed third in the discus with a 155-11. Oji, who missed most of the outdoor season last year with a torn ACL, finished the season undefeated in the shot put and surpassed 50 feet in four meets, including a PR and NJ No. 3 all-time 51-10 at the Essex County Championships.
MORE NJ HIGHLIGHTS
Several NJ athletes earned All-American honors and there were a number of athletes/teams that advanced to the finals.
Senior Layla Giordano of Old Tappan, the defending champion in the discus, placed second in that event with a mark of 158-6 and also placed sixth in the shot put with a 46-8.
Peyton Shute of Woodbury ran 4:04.92 to place 9th in the mile, the fourth fastest time in NJ history. Only Marty Liquori of Essex Catholic, 3:59.8 in 1967, Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep, 4:03.29 in 2013, and Robby Andrews of Manalapan, 4:03.49 in 2009, have run faster than Shute in high school.
Sophomore Sianni Wynn of Pennsauken ran 11.49 to finish second in the girls 100. Ajani Dwyer of Washington Township placed third in the boys 100 in 10.38. Dwyer ran a wind-legal 10.32 in the semifinals on Friday, the second fastest wind-legal time in NJ history. Malachi James of Burlington City ran a state wind-legal record of 10.28 at the Meet of Champions last Wednesday.
Jaden Marchan of Leonia, second in the 400 hurdles with a PR of 52.11 on Friday, finished third in the 400 in 46.58. Jordanie Johnson of East Orange was fourth in 46.89.
In the girls triple jump, Sophia Curtis of Ocean City (40-8.25) was sixth, and Ma'Syiah Brawner of Winslow (40-6.25) placed eighth, and Rece Englehart of Moorestown placed eighth in the boys triple jump with a 47-10.
Dahlia Beasley of Washington Township finished eighth in the girls 400 in 54.83.
Taylor Cox of Union Catholic, the New Balance National Indoor champ in the 60m hurdles indoors, ran a PR of 13.49 to advance to Sunday's 100 hurdles final, and Yashaha Brown of Washington (13.72) advanced to Sunday's boys 100 hurdle final.
The Union Catholic girls (46.89) and Bergen Catholic boys (41.81) qualified for Sunday's 4x100 finals.