Wow! There were 15 meets this weekend and there were some startingly good results in addition to the obvious ones such as Mr. Cheserek's triple at the Essex County Relays and Joe Rosa's 5000 at Mercer Twilight.
Here we go:
May 7
Mercer Twilight Invitational (Robbinsville)
Boys:
- Zamir Thomas (Snyder) overcame the cold and rain to record a 21.73 - 21.95 victory over Ayoub Kamara of Nottingham. Thomas also ran on the Snyder winning 4x100 and 800 sprint medley winners.
- In the tough conditions junior Jermain Collier (Trenton Central) hurdled 14.46 (# 4 NJ) and 54.16 for wins in the 110 and 400 hurdles. Collier of course won the Penn 400 hurdles last weeked with a NJ list leading 53.11(US #2).
- The big race was Joe Rosa's 14:13.68 5000 which was virtually a solo effort. Rosas clicked off a succession of 68-points to win by 39 seconds in the fastest 5000 in a high school-only field this season in the US. The mark is the second fastest ever run by a New Jersey high school athlete. Rosa was named male Athlete of the Meet.
Girls:
- Miranda Mackey (Hopewell Valley) timed 24.93 in the 200 for a New Jersey #1 and ran a leg on the second place 800 sprint medley.
- Dina Iacone of Washington Township took first the rarely run (in New Jersey) 3000 in a state leading 9:58.80 (equivalent to a 10:43.0 3200).
- Olivia Baker of Columbia won the female Athlete of the Meet award for her winning 56.91 victory in the 400 (NJ #1) as well as her leg on the winning 800 sprint medley (1:49.04 - NJ #1).
Long Branch Relays (Long Branch)
Boys:
- Miles Shuler-Foster of the host school anchored the Division 1 4x100 and 4x200 winners (43.74 and 1:31.36 respectively) and ran a leg on the winning 4x400.
- Eric Optiz (Phillipsburg) recorded the #2 New Jersey throw in the shot put to lead the event at 62-2.75. Optiz also threw 161-0 in the discus and 152-7 in the javelin, the best marks of the day.
- Rumson-Fair Haven won the team title in Division 1 with 93.3 points to 83 for Long Branch. In Division 2, Pennsauken was the winer 126 - 92 over Freehold Boro.
Girls:
- Rumson-Fair Haven won the Division 1 4x400, 4x800 and sprint medleys while Long Branch took the 4x100 and 4x200.
- In Division 2 Neptune won the 4x100, 4x400 and sprint medley. Ajee Wilson anchored the later two events.
- Rumson-Fair Haven edged Manasquan in the Division 1 team race, 74 - 69. Howell took the Division 2 team title 89 - 74 over Trenton Central.
County Seat Invitational (Ramsey)
Boys:
- Jose Veras won the A division 800 (1:58.1), 110 hurdles (14.9) 400 hurdles (53.9) and high jump (6-4).
- Greg Hazell (Don Bosco) increased his New Jersey list leading triple jump to 47-1 and also took seconds in the high jump and 1110 hurdles.
- Don Bosco dominated the sprints and jumps to score 138 points, 48 more than second place Dickinson.
- St Joe's (Montvale) John Sanford won the 200 in 22.7 and the 400 in 48.9 to help his team to a tie for the team title with Cliffiside Park. Cliffisde Park scored their points on strong showings in the 1600 and 3200 (both won by Sherif Ali) and Anthony Tripodi's wins in the 110 hurdles (15.1) and 400 hurdles (56.8).
Girls:
- The girls combined division was a romp for Holy Angels as they scored 150 points to 36 for second place Wayne Valley.
May 6 - 7
Puma Henderson Track and Field Invitational (West Chester Henderson High School, West Chester, PA)
Boys:
- Kevin Byrne (Red Bank Catholic) journeyed to this well run annual event to face off with the host school's Luke Lefebure in the 800. Byrne came away with a New Jersey list leader at 1:53.94, good for second place in a high quality field that saw nineteen runners break 2:00, with six under 1:56.
- Colts Neck's Mike O'Dowd made that same trip but had to return the next night as electrical storms forced the postponement of the 3200 on Friday. Had to be worth the second trip - Mike finished second in 9:15.35, good for #3 on the New Jersey list.
Rowan University Girls High School Open (Glassboro)
Girls (only):
- Bryanna Williams of Timber Creek won the 100 for second on the New Jersey list at 12.46. Briann Crofton (Delsea ) was second and fifth on the state list. Crofton also won the 400 in a state list leading (at the time) 56.93.
- Villanova-bound Megan Venables (Highland Regional) returned to action after a layoff due to injury and proved that she is well on the road to peak fitness with a 17:27.49 win in the 5000.
- Winslow Township tripled in the sprint relays running 48.35, 1:42.40 and 4:00.17 for wins in all three. The 4x100 and 4x200 marks are NJ #3 and 2 respectively.
- Lenape's 1:49.62 in the 800 sprint medley is the fastest time in New Jersey this year while Freehold Township's 4:06.88 in the 1600 medley now leads that event.
- Delsea's Janiece Rose won the shot put with a heave of 46-4, second in the state.
- Melissa Lake of Cherokee took over the second spot on the season list in the state with her 139-8 winner in the javelin.
Morris County Relays (Morris Knolls High School, Rockaway)
Boys:
- Derrick Washington (Morris Hills) hurdled 53.75 to lead his team to the win in the 3x400 hurdles. Washington's previous PR was 57.13 and his 53.75 is second in New Jersey only to Jermaine Collier's 53.11 at Penn and is #3 US! Kyle Holder of Randolph had the second fastest time at 55.89.
- Mountain Lakes relayed 10:25.24 to take the distance medley. Lakes also won the 4x800 and took second in the 4x1600 with virtually the same team members in all three.
- Randolph ran a fine 18:20.00 to win the 4x1600.
- Delbarton's Dean Sullivan heaved the javelin a NJ #2 194-10 leading his team to the win in that event.
- Michael Fritz of Whippany Park got a NJ #4 with the best long jump of the day - 22-3.
- The most notable mark was Nick Vena's PR and US #1 73-3 in the shot. When you're Nick Vena, it isn't easy to grab a PR and this one improves his New Jersey state record in that event. Vena also had the best discus toss of the day at 175-9 a New Jersey #4.
- Morris Hills capitalized on wins in the 4x100, 4x200, shuttle hurdles, 3x400, pole vault and long jump relays (61-7.25) to win the team title with 94 points, 37 better than runner-up Randolph.
Girls:
- Randolph girls won the 4x1600 in 21:07.70, a New Jersey list leader and US #9.
- Randolph's Joelle Amaral anchored that 4x1600 win in 4:59, split 2:12.6 for 800 meters on the winning sprint medley and 2:16 on the first place 4x800. Samanatha Jones led off the 4x1600, ran the anchor leg on the third place distance medley, led off the winning 4x800 and...was also a member on the third place javelin relay team!
- Randolph outdistanced runner-up Mt Olive by 31 points for the team title.
May 6
Essex County Relays (Livingston)
Boys:
- Millburn ran a state leading 18:02.72 in the 4x1600 with Blake Udland anchoring in a strong 4:12.9. That effort proved to be just fast enough to hold off St Benedict's Edward Cheserek who was running the first third of his surrealistic day, anchoring in 4:05.8. St Benedict's time is New Jersey #2.
- Columbia won the 4x800 in 8:01.24 but Cheserek was again the story of the race with his 1:52 anchor split.
- St Benedict's really laid one down with their 3:27.58 sprint medley win that featured Cheserek running 1:50.2 on anchor. The time is a US and NJ #1.
- Jeramy Elkaim of Livingston moved his team past St Benedict's for the win in the distance medley with his excellent 4:12.7 anchor.
- Totally overshadowed by Cheserek's heroics was the St Benedict's 3x400 hurdle team of Kalonji Foster (55.41), Naija Omari (56.93) and Darien Edwards (57.29) who had the three fastest times of the meet. They totaled an excellent 2:49.63. St Benedict's also won the suttle hurdle relay.
- West Orange swept the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays in 42.78 (NJ #3), 1:29.06 (also NJ #3) and 3:21.24 (NJ #2).
- Seton Hall edged St Benedict's for the team title, 72 - 70. The Hall won only one event - the javelin relay - but that was the one they needed to hold off St Benedict's. Thier superior depth proved to be the difference as Seton Hall scored in 12 of 16 events.
Girls:
- Mt St Dominic's won the 4x1600 in 21:18.67, second in the state this season. They were also second in the distance medley.
- Columbia capitalized on 8 wins on the track - shuttle hurdles (NJ #1 1:02.22), 3x400 hurdles, 4x100, 4x200 (NJ #5), 4x400, 4x800 (NJ # 2 9:19.11), sprint and distance medleys and good placements in the field events to score 92 points to 66 for host Livingston. And they did it without star Kayann Richards who is still suffering with ITB issues. Brittany Padmore ran on four of those relays and frosh Olivia Baker on three.
Ocean County Relays (Southern Regional, Manahawkin)
Boys:
- Jackson Memorial's Faysal Forbes, Andrew Babin and Johntel Thomas combined to go 62-10.75 for the win in the long jump relay.
- Southern Regional boys win the 4x1600 in 18:17.94, #6 New Jersey. The team members were Jarred Iacovelli, Mike Evans, Eric Dragonetti and Brandon Skeie.
- Jackson Memorial boys won the team title 91 - 54.5 with Southern Regional in second place.
Girls:
- The shuttle hurdle race produced the third and fourth fastest marks in New Jersey this season as Central won in 1:04.86 and Jackson Memorial was second in 1:05.06.
- Katherine Frye of Point Pleasant Boro jumped 18-5.25 for the winning long jump relay team. The mark is NJ #2. Frye also ran legs of Point Boro's 3rd place 4x100 and 4x200 relays and their second place distance medley.
- Central Regional girls took the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 and shuttle hurdle relays but Jackson Memorial prevailed for the team title 104 - 86 over Central.
NJIC LeagueMeet - Colonial A and B (Overpeck County Park, Palisades Park)
Boys:
- In A, Pascack Hills took the measure of Garfield 178 - 122. In B, Elmwood Park edged Manchester Regional 126 - 119.2.
Girls:
- The A division result was the opposite of the boys as Garfield beat Pascack Hills 172 - 129. Pompton Lakes won the B division battle 160 - 10 for Hawthorne.
May 5
Iron Man Invitational (Mahwah)
Boys:
- Three Bergen County runners went under 56.0 in the 400 hurdles with Mark Jones (Hackensack) winning in 55.37. Brandon Gregory (Old Tappan) and InSoo Wang (Ridgewood) followed in 55.64 and 55.76 respectively both top 15 times in the New Jersey.
- Don Bosco won the seldom run (in New Jersey) 800 sprint medley in a US #8 1:32.91.
- Selwyn Maxwell of Don Bosco won the 110 hurdles in 14.38, second in the state, with Matt Beausoleil (Ridgewood) second in 14.73 (#9 New Jersey).
- Two Old Tapan runners, Brandon Gregory and Devin Fuller, broke 50.00 in the 400 for first and second places (49.38 and 49.80). Both are juniors.
- Continuing their fine sprinting, Don Bosco recorded the second fastest time in New Jersey in winning the 4x200 in 1:28.99.
- They can jump too! Greg Hazell leaps a NJ #1 in the triple jump with his 46-11 winner. In second was Teaneck's Sean Wimbush at 46-3.5 (NJ #3).
- Stephen Mozia (Hackensack) had a fine 57-6/180-2 shot discus double, both for wins.
- In the javelin, 2010 National Champion Kaleb Zuidema of Midland Park continued his comeback from reconstrucive knee surgery backing up his 214-7 from the NJIC meet a few days earleir with a 213-0 winner.
Girls:
- Iana Amsterdam of Newark Tech won the 100 with a NJ #1 12.40. Teammate Gifty Amankawh won the 100 hurdles (15.16) good for the fifth best time in New Jersey this season.
NJIC League Championships Meadowlands - A and B (Overpeck Park, Palisades Park)
Boys:
- Lyndhurst's Patrick Rono won as he pleased in the A division timing 2:02.1, 4:38.5, 9:59.7 for wins in the 800/1600/3200 and contributed a 51.4 leg to the winning 4x400 relay.
- In B, Wood-Ridge's John Porteous had wins in the 110 and 400 hurdles and the long jump with marks of 15.2, 57.3 and 21-10.75. He also took a second in the triple jump at 44-5.
- Kevin Condal (Hasbrouck Heights) tripled in the B division in 11.3, 23.7 and 50.0 and ran a leg on the winning 4x400.
- Also in B, Patrick Cole of Heights wonthe shot and discus with throws of 55-10.25 and 171-5, the later a New Jersey # 6 mark.
- Lyndhurst amassed 273 points to Ridgefield's 106.5 for the team win in the A division. In the B division, Hasbrouck Heights' margin of victory was even larger as they won 270 - 73 for Wood-Ridge.
Girls:
- In the B division, Brielle Sutter (Saddle Brook) took a second in the 100, won the 200 and 400 (25.5 and 58.8 respectively) and a third in the long jump.
- In the A team race, Lyndhurst won over North Arlington 181 - 97. Hasbrouck Heights won B 239 - 120 for Saddle Brook.
SJTCA Open (Buena) (May 5 and 7)
Boys (only):
- Timber Creek's Damiere Byrd edged Fabian Santiago of Oakcrest 10.61 - 10.67 in the 100. Santiago came back to take the 200 in 21.99. Byrd's time is the fastest in New Jersey this season and Santiago's 200 is #4 in the state. Byrd also won the long jump at 22-1.75.
- Darryl Bush (Woodbury) recorded the fastest 400 in New Jersey this year at 47.89 as the first five finishers went sub-50. Bush's previous PR was 49.26 from the group meet last May. Nice PR! Bush's mark is also US #25.
- Ben Potts of Haddonfield outdueled Tivo Rivera of Kingsway in the 800 1:53.95 to 1:55.03. At the time the 1:53.95 was the fastest time in New Jersey this season.
- Another New Jersey best was recorded in the prelims of the 100 hurdles by Issac Williams of Willingboro at 14:37. Williams came back and won the final in 14.38.
- Marcus Phillips of Cherry Hill East won the 400 hurdles in an excellent 54.92 - #5 New Jersey and #15 US. Two other hurdlers - Donnie House of Timber Creek and Marcus WIlliams of Delsea were sub-56.0 at 55.21 and 55.32 respectively, both top 10 times in the state.
- Braheeme Days (Bridgeton) became the second shot putter in the state over 60 feet this season with his 61-7.25 winner and threw 178-10 for first in the discus. By the way, folks, he's a SOPH!
- The Oakcrest team of Charles Dean Williams, Reginald Morton, Darnell Charles and Fabian Santiago came within 0.07 of their New Jersey #1 4x100 time run at Penn, winning the Division II race in 42.10.
- Shuttle hurdles were a hot event as Willingboro won the Division I event with their New Jersey #2 1:01.03 and Oakcrest took the Division II race at 1:01.19, NJ #3. Seneca was NJ #5 behind Oakcrest at 1:01.55.
- Braheeme Days of Bridgeton again has the top shot and discus marks in the relay section of the meet (which was run two days after the individual section) at 58-7.5 and 187-0, the later mark second on the New Jersey seasonal list.
Terrific meet that didn't get enough attention and had a boatload US and state ranking performances!
May 5 - 6
Union County Relays (Westfield)
Boys:
- Jeph Olali (Union) had a big meet going 55.21 to lead all runnners in the 400 hurldes and anchoring the winning 4x100 (43.22) and 4x200 (1:30.16 - #8 in New Jersey this season).
- Westfield won the distance medley in a fine 10:28.58.
- Mark Jones of Summit recorded a 23-3.25 long jump the best mark in the state this year to go along with his 6-8 which also leads New Jersey this spring season.
- Rahway blasted a 3:19.51, tops in New Jersey, for the win over Union's fine 3:22.33.
- Union Catholic won the 4x800 in 7:58.14 with Alan Eke anchoring in 1:53.6. UC also won the 3x400H, sprint medley, long and triple jump relays and discus relay to capture the team title with 93 points.
- A huge controversey erupted when Westfield was disqualifed because one of their runners ran an extra lap (that's one on me; usually you get DQed for running one lap less than you should). The DQ didn't affecrt the team title but who can blame Westfield for wanting that win? They contend that an official told their 3rd runner not to get on the track because the second man had another lap to run. What's the 3rd leg supposed to do, push the official out of the way? Westfield ran the race solo today (5/9) and won the event. The Cranford coach is ticked off, contending that his team was the best on the track during the race.
Girls:
- Summit girls had an excellent meet in the medleys and distance relays, winning the sprint and distance medleys, 4x800 and 4x1600.
- Scotch Plains took the team title they narrowly missed last year, 93 - 79 over Cranford.
May 3 - 4
Middlesex County Relays (South Brunswick)
Boys:
- East Brunswick recorded a New Jersey leader in winning the 4x200 at 1:28.62 and also won the 4x100 in 42.75 and 4x400 in 3:24.85.
- Sam Mattis (East Brunswick) had a fine 57-5/191-4 shot/discus follow up to his monster 201-2 discus throw at Penn last weekend.
- Piscataway took the 4x1600 in a New Jersey #9 with Tim Ball returning to action on anchor after his mandatory 30-day sit-out for tranferring from Bishop Ahr.
- Edison continued their strong performances with wins in the shuttle hurdle relay (1:00.84) and 3x400 hurdles (2:55.08). Christian Boateng (Old Bridge) had the best time of the meet in the later event with his 55.58.
- Old Bridge won only one event - the shot put relay - but they walked away with the big prize, the team championship, based on strong placing performances in virtually every event.
Girls:
- South Brunswick's Amber Brown, Chloe Hall and Danielle Padovano had the top three throws in the discus taking the event with a combined total of 334-11, outdistancing second place by more than 85 feet. The same trio also won the shot put relay and Hall joins Kiya Strickland and Alyssa McFarlane to win the javelin relay by 55 feet.
- Melirah Searcy's win in the 400 hurdles (1:03.69) is a New Jersey list leader for the Edison senior.
- South Bruswick doubled runner-up Piscataway's point total 122 - 61 for the team title.
May 3
Somerset County Championships (Hillsborough)
Boys:
- Jake Ruskan had a fine 4:19.30/9:32.07 double for Bridgewater.
- Brandon Mehnert (Somerville) rips a 55.51 in the 400H, a New Jersey #12.
- William Davis-Joels of Montgomery won the 100 (11.55), long jump (22-4) and triple jump (44-3) and took a 4th in the 200 to score 32 points but Montgomery still fell far short of Franklin's 159.75 which won the team title.
Girls:
- Mary Clare Sobon doubled in the shot and discus, the later in a New Jersey #2 134-1 as Franklin grabbed the girls' team title 113 - 87 over Hillsborough.
- Fiona Paladino of Montgomery hurdled 15:30 (NJ #8) and high jumped 5-8 (equal to US #18 and NJ#2) both for wins and placed third in the 100.
- Dana Giordano doubled in the 1600 and 3200 with Hillsborough's Julianna Miller in second in both events.
NJIC League Championships - Patroit A and B (Overpeck Park, Palisades Park)
Boys:
- Steven Roth of Cresskill tripled in the the A division 100/200/400 with marks of 11.1, 22.7 and 50.7 on a windy day.
- Javelin National Champion Kaleb Zuidema (Midland Park) continued his comeback from reconstructive knee surgery, throwing a US and NJ leading 214-7.
- Cresskill won the A division 159 - 124 over New Milford. Emerson won the B division by 12 points. Midland park was second.
Girls:
- New Milford's Khadijah Cox tripled in the A division, winning the 100 in 12.3, 200 in 25.7 and 400 in 1:00 and taking a fourth in the long jump.
- Cresskill triumphed over New Milford in the A division 181 - 152. In B, Park Ridge took the team title 214.33 - 127.66 over Emerson.