The Toms River North boys slammed an exclamation point on one of the greatest seasons in New Jersey history by blowing up the track with several electrifying performances at the New Balance National Championships that concluded on Sunday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Of all the loaded teams from all over the country that competed, there weren't many squads that left as much smoke on the oval as Toms River North did!!!
In one of the greatest performances in meet history by a NJ team, Toms River North racked up 3 national titles, broke a meet record, shattered three Shore Conference records, and nearly a broke a state record in a fourth event!!!
And they did it all with just five guys!!!!!
It all started on Friday when senior Camryn Thomas NJ got things rolling when he won the 400 intermediate hurdles in 51.66, which broke his own Shore Conference record of 51.99 that he ran to win the Meet of Champions title on June 4 at Pennsauken.
Later that day, Toms River North lit up the track by winning the sprint medley relay in 3:23.33, which is No. 6 in NJ history and broke the Shore Conference record of 3:25.69 that Toms River North ran when it placed third last year at NB Nationals.
Senior
Mordecai Ford (21.7)
and sophomore Jael Hester (21.5) handled the 200 legs for Toms River North, senior Mamadi Diawara dropped a 46.7 the 400, and senior Taysaun Wilson, the runner-up in the 800 at the Meet of Champions,
finished it off with a 1:52.73 anchor carry.
Then on Sunday, Toms River North, after further review, won the shuttle hurdles after for the second straight year after winning an appeal!!
It looked at first as if TRN had lost the race and its national record when the Ann Arbor Youth Track Club of Michigan (Belleville High School) crossed the line first in 55.68, well under TRN's national record of 55.93 that it ran at the East Brunswick Sprint Series in May.
But after a lengthy appeals process, meets officials disqualified Ann Arbor for multiple false starts, resulting in a disqualification. So Toms River North was elevated from second to first with a meet record time of 56.10, the second fastest time ever run in U.S. history behind their national record time
TRN's winning lineup in the shuttles consisted of Thomas (13.9), Hester (13.8), Ford (14.5), and Diawara (13.7).
Toms River North returned to the track later on Sunday for the 4x400 as they aimed for a fourth national title and the state record.
They narrowly missed with another epic performance as all four runners dropped PR's to power TRN to a runner-up in 3:10.31, No. 2 in NJ history and it places them No. 25 in U.S. history!! The powerhouse Bullis School of Maryland, with Olympian Quincy Wilson anchoring, won the race in a meet record 3:08.28.
The splits for TRN in the 4x400 were 48.5 for Ford, 47.5 for Thomas, 47.99 for Wilson and 46.24 for Diawara!!
The only NJ team to run faster than Toms River North in the 4x400 is Camden, who ran 3:09.91 to finish first at the 2001 adidas National Championships in Raleigh, N.C.
And don't forget that it was just 5 guys who did all that!!
Thomas, Ford, Hester, Diawara and Wilson will always be remembered as TRN's FAB 5!!!!!!
What they did this weekend, this season, and over their careers is truly special!!!
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Here's a look at the biggest highlights of the season for this Toms River North squad, who will go down as one of the very best we have ever seen come through New Jersey!!
3 New Balance National titles!!!!
Ran the two fastest shuttle hurdle times in U.S. history - 55.93 at the East Brunswick Sprint Series and a meet record 56.10 to win the NB National title.
National Champion in the sprint medley relay in a Shore Conference record 3:23.33, No. 6 in NJ history
Camryn Thomas wins NB National title in the 400 hurdles in Shore Conference record 51.66.
Runner-up in the 4x400 at New Balance Nationals in the 4x400 in 3:10.31, No. 2 in NJ history ad No. 25 in U.S. history.
Ran Shore Conference record 41.63 in the 4x100 at the Penn Relays
Ran Shore Conference Record 1:26.45 in the 4x200 at the Ocean County Relays
Won the State Group 4 Championship for the first time ever to finish the season undefeated!
