Taylor Cox and Yashahya Brown added to New Jersey's remarkable win total by sweeping the high hurdle titles and the Westfield boys and Union Catholic girls broke state records to continue their remarkable run when the New Balance National Championships concluded on Sunday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
The victories by Cox and Brown gave New Jersey an astounding nine national champions in the 4-day meet!
Cox, a junior at Union Catholic, shattered the meet record when she won the girls 100-meter hurdles in a wind-legal 13.38, which is tied for the third fastest time in NJ history. Cox broke the meet record of 13.41 set last year by Camden Bentley of Ohio Speed.
The only two hurdlers in NJ history to run faster than Cox are Dawn Bowles of Neptune (13.30 in 1988) and Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic (13.34 in 2014).
That's not all.
Cox, one of the biggest stars of the meet, also ran the second leg on Union Catholic's 4x100 relay that finished second in 45.48, which broke the NJ record of 45.50 set by Montclair at the 1998 Penn Relays. The other three legs for UC were handled by freshman Sydney Chadwick, senior Leah Gould, and junior Taylor Aska.
UC also finished third in the girls 4x400 in 3:41.67, No. 5 in NJ history, as the Vikings completed a sensational weekend that saw the Catholic school from Scotch Plains win three national titles, break one national record, smash two state records, and rack up numerous All-American finishes.
In addition to Cox and the 4x100 and 4x400 squads, the Vikings smashed their own national record by a whopping seven seconds in the 4x800 as they won that race for the third straight year in 8:34.20, and finished first in the 4x200 in 1:38.28.
What the Vikings did over the weekend in Philly will go down as the greatest performance ever by a NJ squad at the national championships!!!
BROWN GETS HIS CROWN
BLUE DEVILS ROCK THE DMR
The Westfield boys, who won the 4x800 on Friday in a NJ No. 5 all-time and meet record 7:36.26, came back Sunday and leveled up again with another masterpiece, taking down the NJ DMR record with a third-place time of 9:50.11, the fifth fastest time in U.S. high school history!!!
Westfield's epic 9:50.11 broke the state record of 9:51.97 that was set by St. Benedict's Prep, anchored by Edward Cheserek, at the 2011 New Balance National Championships.
Westfield's split were for 3:02.41 for senior Alex Valencia, 47.96 for senior Emanuel Gayanillo, 1:52.96 for junior Daly, and 4:06.80 for senior Avery Keith. Valencia, Daly and Keith also ran on the victorious 4x800. What a weekend for the Blue Devils, who produced arguably the greatest distance relay double in NJ history.
Also in the DMR, Ridgewood finished sixth in 9:58.01 as junior Luke Pash dropped a sizzling 4:02.24 anchor!!!!
MORE NJ SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Senior Raynier Galvez of Passaic Tech finished third in the boys 800 in 1:49.37, No. 9 in NJ history.
Junior Clemmie Lilley of Rumson placed sixth in the girls 800 in a PR of 2:05.78, No. 7 in NJ history.
Winslow finished fourth in the girls 4x400 in 3:44.43, No. 13 in state history.
Sophomore Ma'Syiah Brawner of Winslow placed seventh in the girls long jump with a leap of 19-7.50, NJ No. 2 this season.
Toms River North finished fourth in the boys 4x400 in 3:14.67, just off their NJ No. 1 time of 3:14.61.
Senior Zoe Goldberg of Eastern finished fifth in the girls javelin with a 135-8.
Timber Creek finished sixth in the girls shuttle hurdles in 1:01.84.
Bergen Catholic ran 41.93 to finish eighth in the boys 4x100.