Several meet and state records will be under siege and plenty of smoke will be left on the track when the state's clash at what promises to be one of the most memorable Meet of Champions ever on Sunday at Ocean Breeze.
Last year, four meet records were smashed in the boys competition!! There is a chance that many more will to go down when the smoke clears.
It's time to dive into the top boys storylines, which features some dynamic duels in the field and some sizzling showdowns on the track.
HISTORIC BATTLE OVER THE BAR
For the first time in NJ indoor history there are two athletes who have cleared 16-0 in the pole vault in the same season, which makes this a can't miss event!!
Senior Owen Keating of Pompton Lakes has cleared at least 16-0 at four meets this season, highlighted by the 16-6 he made in January, which is No. 4 in NJ indoor history.
Senior Cade Zeolla of West Morris Central smashed the Group 3 meet record by clearing a PR of 16-0 last week, which ties him for No. 7 in NJ indoor history!!!
So with Keating and Zeolla battling over the bar, the meet record of 16-0.25 set in 2020 by Bradley Jelmert of Watchung Hills appears to be on the verge of going down.
And maybe the state indoor record of 17-0, set in 1980 by Bill Lange of Bridgewater-Raritan at the Dartmouth Relays, could be challenged??!
JOHNSON READY TO COOK
Senior Jordaine Johnson of East Orange has his eye on much more than just winning his first Meet of Champions titles, he's aiming for some history as well.
The University of Florida-bound Johnson, who ran a NJ record 33.01 in the 300m at the Millrose Games last month, is favored to win both the 200m and 400m and is also planning on running on the 4x400m relay. Johnson has run 21.03 for 200m and 47.07 for 400m this season, so the meet records of 21.28 and 47.35 could both go up in smoke.
Johnson is also within striking distance of the state record in the 200m of 20.90 set in 2019 by the late great Mario Heslop.
PASH AND BARRETT WON'T SQUARE OFF
For everyone hoping to see future Tar Heel teammates Joe Barrett of CBA and Luke Pash of Ridgewood clash in the 1600m, it won't happen.
Barrett will be running the 1600m (he didn't qualify in the 3200m since he didn't run that race at the Non-Public A meet) and Pash, the State Group 4 champ in the 1600m and 3200m, is locked in on defending his 3200m title. Pash won the 1600m at the outdoor M of C last year in 4:04.49!
In the 1600m, the Barrett, who has won the last two XC Meet of Champions titles, is favored to win his first M of C title on the track. Barrett is the top seed after running 4:13.54 to win the Non-Public A title last week. The next fastest runner in the race is junior Kennan Byers of Randolph, who ran 4:14.96 in January and is seeking to bounce back after a fifth place in Group 4.
Look out for senior Hunter Celkupa of Colts Neck (4:15.48) and junior Matt Littlehales of Delsea (4:15.50), who went 1-2 in the State Group 3 race last week.
In the 3200m, Pash is one of four runners in this race who has gone under 9:20 this season, running a very comfortable 9:17.64 to win the Group 4 title. There are three runners who have run faster than Pash this season, Luke Hnatt of CBA (9:12.50), Ryan Schmitt of CBA (9:14.70), and Jay Adimala of Colts Neck (9:17.43), Pash owns a PR of 8:59.77 that he ran to win last year and is the best closer in the race.
SEVEN FOOTERS??
There hasn't been a 7-0 high jumper in NJ since current Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell of Bridgeton cleared 7-0 at the 2016 Cape Atlantic League Championships, and there hasn't been a NJ athlete to go over 7-0 indoors since Mark Jones of Summit made 7-1.25 to win the 2011 New Balance National Championship.
But that drought could come to end when seniors David Brown of Edison and Jayden DeLeon of Highland Reg battle over the bar. DeLeon cleared a NJ No. 1 height of 6-10.25 to win the South Jersey, Group 3 title last month, and Brown made 6-10 for the second time this season to win the state Group 4 title last week.
DeLeon and Brown could challenge the meet record of 7-1 set by the great Mike Morrison of Willingboro in 2022. If DeLeon and Brown each make 7-0 it would be the first time in state indoor history that two athletes cleared that height in the same season. It's only happened only once in state outdoor history when Millville teammates Robert Jordan (7-3.25) and Raffael Craig (7-0) did it in 1999.
SPARKS WILL FLY IN THE 55 DASH
There are three sprinters in the 55m dash who have gone under 6.40 this season!!!
Senior Cole Cramer of Southern Regional, who won the 100m and 200m at the State Group 4 meet last spring, is the state leader with the 6.32 he ran to win the State Group 4 title. Cramer is one of just five sprinters in NJ history to run under 6.30 with the 6.29 he clocked to place second at the Meet of Champions last year.
Right behind Cramer is senior Graham Houghton of Pingry (6.35 at the State Prep Championships), and junior Daniel Tobia of Hillsborough is next with a 6.36. Tobia ran 6.45 to finish second to Cramer in Group 4.
How low will these guys go? Can Cramer and Houghton and Tobia push each other close to the meet record of 6.22, which was set last year by Malachi James of Burlington City?
STATE RECORD RELAY ALERT
Another race where a state record could go down is the 4x400m where defending champ Toms River North will be locked and loaded to go after the NJ record of 3:14.53 that Seton Hall Prep set when they won the 2023 New Balance National Championship.
TRN just missed Seton Hall's record when they ran a NJ No. 2 all-time 3:14.91 at the Millrose Games last month at th NY Armory.
The meet record of 3:15.83 that Pennsauken ran in 2023 is obviously in shaky ground.
The only team in the state other than TRN to dip under 3:20 this season is Winslow with the 3:16.45 it ran at the International Showcase at Ocean Breeze in January.
SAND BATTLE
Defending champ Liam Paneque of Demarest isn't the top seed in the long jump, but he is the pick to win based on his remarkable resume.
There are five competitors separated by less then four inches when comparing their season best performances, Nnaemeka Amechina NJ of Central Regional (23-1.75), Paneque (23-0), Evan Beaugris of Somerville (23-0), Noah Cooper of Union Catholic (22.11.25) and Andrew Jeremiah Boakye of Bergen Catholic (22-10.50)
But Paneque soared 25-2, No. 4 in NJ outdoor history, when he won the M of C last spring and has a knack for producing his best on the biggest stage, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him to break the meet record of 23-5.50 set in 2020 by Floyd Whitaker of Highland Regional.
BIG SHOTS
Check this out!!!
There are eight throwers who have thrown over 60 feet in the shot put this season who will square off in the circle!!! That has to make this arguably the deepest shot put competition in meet history!!
Who will be crowned the King of the Ring!
Who knows???
Delsea's Jonathan Harris is the state leader with a 65-6, but he was upset by Capp DeShelpo of West Morris at the State Group 3 meet last week.
Peter Donini of Delbarton won the Non-Public A title with a NJ No. 3 throw of 64-2.50, defeating Marcus Blasucci of CBA, who is No. 2 with a 64-2.25.
The other throwers who have gone beyond 60 this season are Anthony Liakhnovich of Hammonton (61-1), Sean Wilton of Princeton (61-0.50), Albert Yodakis of CBA (60-6), Joe Seib of St. Rose (60-5.25) and DeShelpo (60-4).
BLUE DEVIL 800 DOMINANCE
No team has won more 800m titles at the Meet of Champions than Westfield, who have captured the 4-lap race four times, Andy Hubsch in 1975, Matt Elmuccio in 1996 and '97 and Charlie Stock in 2022.
Ryan Daly has a strong chance to add his name to the Blue Devils' great half-mile tradition.
Daly, a senior, checks in with a NJ No. 4 time this season of 1:54.13. But he's coming off a dramatic victory over Taysaun Wilson of Toms River North and Michael Card of Howell at the State Group 4 meet. Daly won the wild finish in 1:55.20. Wilson was second in 1:55.26 and Card was third in 1:55.37.
Wilson is NJ No. 2 with a 1:53.81 and Card is NJ No. 3 at 1:53.87. Pash, the state leader at 1:53.23, didn't run the 800m at the Group 4 meet, so he didn't qualify for this race. As noted earlier, Pash is defending his 3200m title.