Smoking fast 4x100 relays, a clutch jump by Liam Paneque, record breaking performances by Nester Wea and Hannah Byrd-Leitner and a sizzling win by Ryan Jennings were among the big highlights on the opening day of the NJSIAA Group 2-3 Championships on Friday at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield.
The biggest bomb of the meet was dropped by the Burlington Township boys, who burned one of the fastest times in state history when they threw down a 41.30 to smash the Group 3 meet record in the 4x100. The 41.30 is tied for No. 7 in NJ history!!!
The foursome of junior Solomon Wesley, junior Gemaus Sackie, senior Yeator Tappia, and junior Quayd Hendryx took down the Group 3 meet record of 41.71 set in 2017 by Deptford, and sliced exactly one full second off their school record of 42.30 that they ran earlier this season. Hendryx also won the 100 dash with a PR of 10.71.
One of the biggest reasons for the huge drop in time for Burlington Township was the addition of Wesley in the lineup. Wesley was running on the 4x100 squad for the first time this season after dealing with a sore hamstring.
After their jaw-dropping victory, the entire Burlington Township 4x100 squad predicted that the state record of 40.92 set in 2003 by Winslow is going down at the Meet of Champions this Wednesday at Pennsauken. That should be one heckuva showdown between Burlington Township, St. Peter's Prep and Bergen Catholic!!! Look out!!!!!!
Another squad that torched the track in the 4x100 was the West Morris girls, who shattered the Group 2 record and the Morris County record by blasting a 47.82!! Freshman Emma Liberato, sophomore Georgia Hostler, sophomore Kelly Kaasmann, and sophomore Alanna Parkes combined to break the Group 2 record of 48.28 set by Haddonfield last year and smash the Morris County record of 48.44 set by Mendham in 2014. West Morris has reset the school record in the 4x100 four times this season.
There were also a couple school records broken in the Group 2 boys 4x100 as Allentown ran a school record 42.33 to finish first, breaking its school record of 42.47 that they ran at the Penn Relays last month, and Haddon Heights finished second in 42.86 to break its school record of 42.88 that was set in 2011.
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
There aren't any track and field athletes who come through more in the clutch than Liam Paneque of Demarest.
Paneque, one of the best all-round performers in state history, once again showed why he's an all-time great with a dramatic win in the Group 2 long jump.
Paneque, who has won four Meet of Champions titles in his career in the horizontal jumps, was leading the long jump with a 23-6 heading into the final round of jumps. But Somerville junior Evan Beaugris exploded for 23-7 on his final attempt. Paneque responded with a 23-8.75 on his final jump to repeat as champ. Paneque, who is headed to the University of Virginia, also placed second in the high jump on Friday by making 6-6. He will be back in action on Saturday in the hurdles and the triple jump.
MORE RECORDS
Wea of Willingboro, who came into the season having never broken 12.00 in the 100, blasted a Group 2 record 11.62 to finish first in 100. Wea, a senior, broke the record of 11.75 set in 2014 by Bria Saunders of Parsippany. Wea has a chance to win 3 more events on Saturday, the 400, the 200 and the 100 hurdles.
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Byrd-Leitner of Moorestown broke her own Group 3 meet record in the pole vault when she cleared 12-8. Byrd-Leitner, who is headed to the University of Virginia, took 3 good tries at 13-0, but couldn't quite get get over the bar. Byrd-Leitner, who came up with clutch clearance at 11-6 on her final attempt, will be favored to win her second straight pole vault title at the Meet of Champions on Wednesday. She won last year by clearing 13-2, which is No. 3 in state outdoor history.
JENNINGS LEAVE LOTS OF SMOKE ON THE TRACK
The Arkansas-bound Jennings of Timber Creek blasted the second fastest time in Group 3 history in the girls 100 dash with her winning time of 11.45. The only sprinter who has gone faster at this meet is the state record holder and Jennings's former teammate, Naylah Jones, who ran a state record 11.23 last year!!!
GOING THE DISTANCE
Starkey, a freshman at Ocean Township, ran 10:31.24. to win the girls Group 2 title. Starkey also won the State Group 2 titles in XC last fall and indoors in the 3,200.
The Penn State-bound Gordon of Northern Burlington, who won the 3,200 at the indoor Meet of Champions this past March, ran 10:35.67. Gordon has now won 8 State Group titles in her remarkable career, 3 in XC, 3 indoors, and 2 outdoors!!!
On the boys side, Simpson, a junior at Haddonfield ran a PR of 9:14.76 to win Group 2 and Littlehales, a junior at Delsea won the Group 3 race in 9:12.23!!!
HALF-LAP CHAMPS
Watt, a junior at Bernards, went out super fast with a 25.2 first 200 to grab control of the boys Group 2 race on his way to a wire-to-wire win in 1:52.72, just off his PR of 1:52.66. Celkupa of Colts Neck ran 1:55.47 to win the boys Group 3 title. Cannon, a sophomore a Ramapo, won the Group 3 800 in 2:10.37.
3-PEAT
The Stanford-bound Lilley won her third straight Group 2 800 title by running 2:09.94 to lead a 1-2-5 finish for Rumson, who is off to a great start as the Bulldogs attempt to win their second straight team title.
The Group 2 race was called back after 60 meters because of a malfunction with the clock, which was still having problems after the race was restarted. The clock was about 15 seconds behind the actual time in the race, so when Lilley crossed the line in around 1:55 showing, she said with a laugh, "I just broke the world record.''
MORE HIGHLIGHTS
Senior Anthony Liakhnovich of Hammonton, who won the shot put at the New Balance National Indoor Championships in March, won the Group 3 shot put with a throw of 61-8.75. Liakhnovich only took two throws before he stopped throwing due to a tight hamstring. His 61-8.75 came on his first throw and he fouled on his second throw, which is out around the 65 foot mark.
Sophomore Malik Mohammed of West Side, who owns a PR of 6-10, cleared 6-8 to win the boys Group 3 high jump.