Winslow pulled off an impressive team sweep, the Haddonfield and Rumson girls returned to the winner's circle, and Sianni Wynn, Cade Zeolla, and Hannah Byrd-Leitner produced eye-popping performances at the NJSIAA Groups 2-3 Championships on Saturday at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
WINSLOW BUSTS OUT THE BROOMS
The Winslow girls made history by racking up a Group 3 record 74 points on their way to a state record-tying 10th state group championship. Winslow is now tied with Columbia and Union Catholic for the most girls' titles in NJ indoor history.
Several athletes scored huge points for the Winslow girls.
Jasmine Jackson won the 55 hurdles in 8.14, Ma'Syiah Brawner soared to victory in the high jump with a leap of 5-5. In the shot put, Brook-lynn Roberts delivered a clutch performance to clinch first place with a big throw 43-5. The Winslow girls' 4x400 of Olivia Okaro, Amariah Arango, Adaiah Arango, and Cinniya Robinson ran 3:57.57 to finish first.
The Winslow boys, meanwhile, secured their first title since 2004, and their fifth overall.
Senior Jayden Poteat led the charge for Winslow, winning the 400 in 50.09, placing second in the 55 dash in 6.53, and running the winning 4x400 relay that stopped the clock at 3:25.46. Senior Dominic Bassey also had a huge day for Winslow, placing second in the 800 and fifth in the 400, and running on the winning relay. Prince Owusu-Twum and KaRon Ali, ran the other 2 legs on the victorious 4x400.
ALL SHE DOES IS WYNN
Sianni Wynn, Pennsauken's electrifying sizzling sprinter, took down a pair of records.
The junior, who set the state records in the 60 and 200 dashes earlier this season, broke her own record in the Group 3 400 in 56.06. she came back later to burn 6.84 seconds to win in the 55 dash, smashing a 41-year-old meet record.
The Haddonfield boys piled up 50 points in the distance races to knock off defending champion and runner-up Demarest, 56-41, to capture their first title since 2019 and their 12th championship overall, the fifth most in state history.
Junior Aaron Keith (PR of 1:56.54) won the 800, junior Luke Andresen won the 1,600 with a PR of 4:17.56, and junior Peter Simpson led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 3,200 for the Dawgs with a winning time of 9:29.65.
The Rumson-Fair Haven girls won their first state title since 2019 and their third overall with a 48-42 victory over runner-up Willingboro.
Senior Clemmie Lilley, first in the 800 and second in the 400, and junior Reese Reynolds Malone, first in the 400 and second in the 800, led the charge for Rumson.
There was a lot of excitement in the pole vault this weekend! In the girls' Group 2 competition, Moorestown's Hannah Byrd-Leitner cleared an NJ No. 4 all-time and meet record 13-0!!
Byrd-Leitner, who cleared an overall PR of 13-2 when she won the Meet of Champions title last June, is closing in on the state indoor record of 13-5 that was set by Danielle O'Reilly of Shawnee at the 2004 Varsity Classic.
The boys Group 3 pole vault was just as riveting as Cade Zeolla of West Morris Central smashed the meet record by clearing a PR of 16-0!!! That ties him for No. 7 in NJ indoor history!!!
Zeolla's clearance of 16-0 gives New Jersey two 16-0 vaulters this season, the first time in state history that's ever happened! Owen Keating of Pompton of Lakes made 16-6 last month, which is No. 4 in NJ indoor history. The state indoor record is 17-0 set in 1980 by Bill Lange of Bridgewater-Raritan at the Dartmouth Relays.
TRIPLE WINNER
Senior Nester Wea of Willingboro was simply spectacular in the girls' Group 2 competition, winning the 400 in 56.32, the 55m dash in 7.14, the 400, and the 55 hurdles in 8.33!!!!
GORDON'S RED HOT DISTANCE DOUBLE
Northern Burlington senior Liliah Gordon, who is headed to Penn State, ruled the Group 3 distances, winning the 1,600 with a meet record in 4:53.69, and the 3,200 in 10:37.86. Her 4:53.69 broke the meet record of 4:54.96 set by Kylene Cochrane of West Morris in 2014.