HHS senior also earns All-American honors; Wright, Peretti place in top 10
SOMERSET—Competing in his final meet for Hammonton High School, senior Austin Hudak placed second in the javelin throw at the Meet of Champions last weekend at Franklin High School.
Throwing against a strong cross wind, Hudak won silver with a mark of 184-feet, 11-inches.
“It was the hardest wind I’ve ever thrown in,” Hudak said.
Every throw went up in the air and the wind would just take it [to the] right,” he said.
Prior to throwing, Hudak took a few seconds to appreciate the moment and his career at Hammonton.
“Before my throw, I was thinking that this will be my last time competing in this uniform. I had an incredible season and every meet I just threw as well as I could,” Hudak said.
Hudak’s throw was second to Jackson Memorial’s Robert Paneque, who won with a mark of 189-feet, 9-inches.
Also competing at the Meet of Champions were Connor Wright and Emma Peretti.
Wright placed sixth in the long jump with a mark of 21-feet, 7.75 inches, and was 12th in the triple jump at 42-feet, 11.75-inches.
Peretti placed ninth overall in the shot put with a throw of 38-feet.
A day after the Meet of Champions, both Hudak and Wright competed at the New Balance outdoor track and field National Championships at the University of Pennsylvania.
At nationals, Hudak finished sixth in the javelin with a mark of 194-feet, 4-inches, a personal-best throw.
The sixth-place finish allowed Hudak to earn All-American honors.
Wright was 14th in the long jump (22-feet, 1.75-inches) and also competed in the triple jump, but did not record a mark in that event, fouling on each of his three attempts.
Also at nationals, Dom Alber ran in the Rising Stars 100-meter dash, posting a time of 11.46 seconds. C.J. Handy ran the freshman 100 meters in 12.02 seconds. Two Blue Devils, Christian Medina and Anthony Liakhnovich, competed in the freshman shot put. Liahknovich had a throw of 39-feet, 5-inches and Medina threw 38-feet, 6.75-inches.