New Jersey once again made its presence felt in a big way on the national stage with several eye-popping performances at both the New Balance National Championships and the Nike National Championships.
It's a shame there isn't just one national championship meet like there once was so that true national champions can be crowned, but that's a story for another day.
Here's recap/rundown of just how awesome New Jersey's best performed against the top athletes in the country in Boston and New York.
When the dust settled, New Jersey athletes and teams came away with quite a haul - collecting seven national titles (4 girls and 2 boys), six NJ records (5 boys and 1 girls) and a bunch of All-American finishes and huge PR's!!!
THE CHAMPS
The Jersey national champs that were crowned were Taylor Cox of Union Catholic, Reagan Moore of Union Catholic, the Union Catholic girls DMR, Peter Donini of Delbarton, Malik Mohammed of West Side, Anthony Liakhnovich of Hammonton, and Jessica Oji of Livingston.
COX REPEATS
Taylor Cox continued her dominance in the hurdles at the New Balance National Indoor Championships in Boston.
Cox, a senior at Union Catholic, added to her legendary resume by winning the girls 60-meter hurdles for the second straight year in 8.19 to giver her three national titles in her amazing career! The University of Georgia-bound Cox, who set the meet record last year with an 8.11 and is the NJ state record holder with an 8.10, also won the 100 hurdles at the New Balance National Outdoor Championships last June.
BIG SHOTS
The Garden State owned the circle, winning three of the four titles and five All-Americans (top six earn AA) in the shot put in the two meets combined.
Jessica Oji of Livingston needed just one throw to complete one of the greatest seasons in New Jersey history at Nike Nationals
The University of Pennsylvania-bound Oji finished her season undefeated vs. high school competition when she launched the ball 49-8.50 on her first attempt to win her second national title. Oji also won the shot put at the New Balance Outdoor National Championships last June at Franklin Field.
Oji, who came into the meet with a US No. 2 all-time mark of 57-4.50 and had thrown over 50 feet in 10 meets this season, didn't have her best day as she fouled on her last five attempts, but her 49-8.50 was good enough to hold off Lauren Kirby of Miramar, Florida, who placed second with a 48-10.25.
Anthony Liakhnovich delivered one of the most stunning victories of the meet when he unloaded a massive personal best and one of the biggest bombs in NJ history to break the meet record and win the boys shot put at the New Balance meet.
The senior at Hammonton launched the 12-pound ball 66-3.75 on his second attempt, which placed him No. 7 in NJ indoor history. Liakhnovich's huge throw is nearly a four feet PR. His previous best came at the Meet of Champions earlier this month at Ocean Breeze when he finished second with a 62-6.75.
Liakhnovich's titanic blast broke the previous meet record of 65-11 set by Dillon Morlock of Ohio in 2024.
The victory by Liakhnovich avenged his loss at the NJ Meet of Champions earlier this month to senior Peter Donini of Delbarton, who was with a big bomb of his own - 65-9!!! Donini went beyond 64-6 on all his of his attempts. Senior Joe Seib of St. Rose finished 9th with a throw of 60-5.75.
Donini, a day after his runner-up finish at New Balance, completed an amazing two days in the circle when the University of Michigan-bound star unloaded a PR of 65-10.25 on this final attempt to rally for the dramatic win and earn is second All-American finish in 2 days!!
Donini was in third place before his monster clutch bomb vaulted him past Ashton Hearn of Tennessee for the victory. Hearn was second with a 64-10.50. Benjamin Shue of Bergen Catholic finished sixth with a 63-11 and Sean Wilton of Princeton was 8th with a 60-6.75.
Shue, competing in his first meet this season after completing his wrestling campaign, is the 9th thrower from the Garden State to go beyond 60 feet this season, the most in NJ indoor history!
Donini, who won the NJ Meet of Champions title two weeks ago, had a series of 62-8, 64-3.75, foul, foul, foul, 65-10.25.
The 65-10.25 by Donini places him No. 7 on NJ's all-time indoor list and it avenged his loss on Friday at the New Balance Nationals when he was second with a throw of 65-9, a PR at the time. Donini finished as the runner-up behind Anthony Liakhnovich of Hammonton, who won in Boston with a 66-3.75, No. 6 all-time in NJ history. Liakhnovich had an off day on Saturday, placing 21st with a 56-2.75.
MOORE LEADS THE GREAT EIGHTS
Reagan Moore's big kick came through once again in dramatic fashion when the super sophomore at Oak Knoll blasted her way to a big comeback victory in the girls 800 at the Nike Nationals.
Moore, in 10th place after a 1:03.18 first 400, moved up to fourth place at the bell before she exploded to the lead with an electrifying closing 200 of 29.68 to secure the national title, stopping the clock at 2:05.05!!!!
The splits for Moore were 30.41, 1:03.18 (32.76), 1:35.36 (32.18 ) and then the ridiculous sub 30 bell lap!!!
Moore's winning time of 2:05.05, was just off her PR and NJ No. 3 all-time 2:04.90 than she ran earlier this month when she also used her wicked wheels to come from behind on the final lap to win the NJ Meet of Champions.
Junior Natalie Dumas of Eastern, who was seventh in the 400 in 54.85 at the New Balance Nationals on Saturday in Boston, finished fifth overall in 2:07.68, which is No. 9 in NJ indoor history. Dumas won the third of the four heats. Imagine how much faster she may have gone if she in the seeded heat!!!
The depth in the half mile in NJ this season was mind-blowing.
Five of the 10 fastest half milers in NJ history ran their PR's this season. And four of them are underclassmen!!!
At the New Balance Nationals, Rumson senior Clemmie Lilley, who was second to Moore at the Meet of Champions, finished fourth in 2:05.64, which is No. 4 in NJ indoor history, sophomore Paige Sheppard of Union Catholic was eighth in 2:07.93 (she ran a NJ No. 6 all-time 2:06.90 last month), and junior Reese Reynolds Malone of Rumson was ninth in 2:07.97, No. 10 in NJ history.
How awesome is that!!!!
HERE'S NJ'S ALL-TIME UPDATED INDOOR LIST IN THE GIRLS 800
2:06.0-Joetta Clark, Columbia, 1980
2:06.90-Paige Sheppard, Union Catholic, 2025
2:07.24-Victoria Vanriele, Governor Livingston, 2019
2:07.97-Reese Reynolds Malone, Rumson, 2025
DMR MASTERPIECE
The Union Catholic girls ran the fastest DMR in New Jersey indoor history when they scored an electrifying victory in the distance medley relay at the New Balance National Indoor Championships!
The underclassmen foursome of sophomore Sophia Thompson, freshman Maya Wyche, junior Jimmiea King and sophomore Paige Sheppard combined to throw down an 11:38.03 to smash the NJ record of 11:41.12 that Southern Regional ran to win the Nike Indoor National title in 2009. UC's 11:38.03 is also No. 13 in U.S. high school indoor history.
The splits for the Vikings were 3:31.74 by Thompson on the 1,200 leg, 56.55 for Wyche for the 400 carry, 2:16.10 for King on the 800 leg, and Sheppard, who took the baton in third place,, finished off the historic victory with a 4:53.62 anchor carry.
2.68 seconds ahead of IMG, who placed second in 11:40.71. Penn Charter was third in 11:41.58. Manalapan was 10th in 12:03.45
FLAIR IN THE AIR
How about what Malik Mohammed did!!!
The sophomore at West Side in Newark, who played basketball this winter, cleared a state sophomore record 6-10.75, the top mark in the NJ this season, in his only meet of the season to win the high jump at Nike Nationals!!!
Mohammed came into the meet with a lifetime best of 6-2.75, so he improved his PR by 8 inches!!!!! Who does that! How awesome is that!!!
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TRN'S SIZZLING SPRINT DOUBLE
The Toms River North boys blew up the track in Boston, taking down a pair of state records.
The quartet of sophomore Jael Hester and senior Nasir Jackson, who handled the 200 legs, and Mamadi Diawara (47.20 for 400) and senior Taysaun Wilson (1:54.14 on the 800 anchor) combined to take down the NJ record of 3:25.88 that St. Benedict's Prep ran to win at the 2012 New Balance Nationals at the Armory in New York. That St. Benedict's Prep squad was led by Edward Cheserek, who split 1:50.5. on the anchor carry.
TRN, whose 3:25.68 places them No. 8 all-time in U.S. indoor history, edged Winslow for second place in a great NJ duel. Winslow placed third in 3:26.14, which is No. 3 in NJ history and No. 13 in U.S. indoor history!!! Hackensack ran 3:38.59, No. 9 in NJ history, to place eighth.
Bullis won the race in a meet record 3:23.41. Bullis set the national record of 3:22.50 at the Virginia Showcase in January.
Two days later, TRN's foursome of seniors Mordecai Ford, Camryn Thomas, Taysaun Wilson and Mamadi Diawara became the fastest NJ 4x400 team in indoor history by throwing down a 3:14.35 to finish second behind Bullis, who burned a national record of 3:09.44!! Olympian Quincy Wilson split 45.94 on the anchor for Bullis. The previous national record of 3:11.87 was set by Bullis when it finished first at this meet last year.
Toms River North's 3:14.35 broke the NJ indoor record of 3:14.53 that Seton Hall Prep ran to finish first at 2023 the New Balance National Championships and gave the powerhouse program from Ocean County its second national record of the weekend!! The 4x400 record by TRN also raised the final total to six NJ records broken in Boston this weekend!!!!
The 4x400 splits for TRN were 49.02 for Ford, 47.84 for Thomas, 49.00 for Wilson, and 48.48 for Diawara.
Diawara and Wilson also ran on TRN's sprint medley that ran a NJ record 3:25.68 to place second on Friday!
WYNN BREAKS HER OWN RECORD
Sianni Wynn finished off one of the greatest high school indoor seasons by a female sprinter in New Jersey history the same way she finished off many of her races this winter-with a record breaking performance!!
MORE RECORD BREAKERS
CBA's distance crew produced a double for the ages by earning All-American honors with two different teams in the 4xmile race!!!
CBA's A team of senior Alex Mastroly, (4:21.6) senior Ryan Schmitt (4:13.5), senior Joe Barrett (4:12.6) and junior Luke Hnatt (4:18.9) finished second in a NJ record 17:06.61, which is No. 5 in U.S. indoor history! CBA's B squad of sophomore Gavin Schmitt (4:22.6), junior Sean Galvin (4:18.1), senior Thomas Field (4:23.5) and junior Wyatt Falkowski (4:17.9) ran 17:22.18 to finish fifth, which is No. 5 in NJ history!!! The top six finishers in each event earn All-American. The race was won by the Oregon Distance Project in a US No. 3 all-time 16:59.08.
CBA's 17:06.61 broke the NJ record of 17:07.17 that CBA ran to win the 2014 New Balance National Championship, and their eight man average in the 4xmile was 4:18!!!!
To have two foursomes run 17:06.61 and 17:22.18 and average 4:18 per guy is just mind-blowing!
Speaking of mind-blowing, how about what the Bergen Catholic sprinters did in the 4x200!!!
The quartet of senior Andrew Boakye, sophomore Bryan Porter, freshmen twins Adrian Woodward and Amiir Woodward lit up the track by blasting a NJ record 1:26.31 to finish third. The 1:26.31 by the Crusaders is No. 10 in U.S. history!!
The Crusaders, who came into the race with a season best time of 1:27.43, took more than a half of a second off the NJ record of 1:26.90 by Camden at the 2004 Eastern States Championships at the NY Armory.
Archbishop Carroll of Washington, D.C. won the race in 1:24.99 to break the national record of 1:25.15 that they ran at the Millrose Games last month at the NY Armory. MVP League ran 1:26.17 to get second, No. 8 in U.S. history.
The performances by CBA and Bergen Catholic are the third and fourth NJ records broken at the New Balance Nationals this weekend. On Friday, the Union Catholic girls won the DMR in a NJ record 11:38.03 and the Toms River North boys placed second in the sprint medley relay in a NJ record 3:25.28.
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CRAMER COOKS
Cole Cramer of Southern Regional obliterated the NJ record and nearly won the race, stopping the clock at 6.62 to place second. Kyler Brown of Oklahoma won the race in 6.61. Cramer's previous 60m PR was 6.75 from when he placed third at this meet last year.
The 6.62 by the University of Tennessee-bound Cramer is tied for No. 8 in U.S. indoor high school history and it shattered the NJ record of 6.70 that was shared by Damiere Byrd of Timber Creek and the late Mario Heslop of Franklin. Byrd ran his 6.70 when he placed first at the 2011 Brooks PR Invitational a the Dempsey Center in Seattle, and Heslop dropped his 6.70 when he finished first at the 2019 New Balance National Championships in New York.
I don't see any en route times through 55 meters, but Cramer's 6.62 converts to 6.17 for 55 meters!! The NJ state record for 55 meters is 6.18, set by Ajani Dwyer of Washington Township at the Millrose Games last year
MORE NJ HIGHLIGHTS
In the boys 2-mile, CBA's Joe Barrett ran 8:57.02 to finish 10th and teammate Luke Hnatt ran 8:59.41 to place 14th.
In the girls 4x400, Union Catholic, which came into the race with a NJ No. 2 all-time 3:41.19 that it ran at the Millrose Games last month, finished third in 3:43.38. Winslow was fourth in 3:44.74, which is NJ No. 4 all-time, and Rumson, with Lilley anchoring in 54.96 and Malone splitting 55.38, was seventh in 3:49.30. Rumson ran 3:49.18 at the Meet of Champions, which is No. 6 in NJ history.
Bullis broke the national record with its winning time in the 4x40 of 3:35.54, breaking the mark of 3:37.63 that Montverde set at the 2024 Virginia Showcase.
Jevon Ledgister of St. Peters Prep won the Freshman Division in the boys 60m dash on Saturday by running a NJ freshmen record 6.80!!!
Senior Julia Santos of Toms River South placed third in the girls shot put with a 45-7 to earn All-American honors.
Allison Lee of West Windsor Plainsboro-North ran 17:13.00 to finish 11th in the girls 5,000, and Clay Stevens, a junior at Manalapan, finished 15th in the boys 5K in 15:19.76.
Evan Beaugris of Somerville leaped 22-3.50 to finish 17th in the boys long jump.