Meet the 2024 All-Shore Girls Track & Field Team

Winning a gold medal at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions is the pinnacle honor in New Jersey high school track and cross country.

Emma Zawatski ended her career at Freehold Township with five of them.

The fifth one came this spring in the 1600 meters, and after finishing second at the indoor MOC, it may have been Zawatski’s sweetest of them all. That wasn’t the only major accomplishment for the senior. She placed fourth in the mile at the Penn Relays, lowering the Monmouth County record in the event to 4:44.60, and was the only Shore Conference girl to win three individual events at the sectional level.

In a season with several strong candidates – the Shore Conference produced the state’s top runner in all three girls distance events – Zawatski’s combination of big-meet wins and record-breaking earn her the distinction of All-Shore Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Here are the complete 2024 All-Shore honors for the sport.

FIRST TEAM ALL-SHORE

REESE REYNOLDS MALONE

School : Rumson-Fair Haven

Year : Sophomore

Events : Sprints, distances

Highlights : Excelled in the 100 (12.15), 200 (24.79), 400 (56.48) and 800 (2:10.61). Scored in all four events to lead the Bulldogs to the Group 2 title. Won the 100 and 800 at the Shore Conference meet. At the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, finished second in the 800 and anchored the fifth-place 4x400.

OLIVIA NICKELSEN

School : Toms River North

Year : Senior

Events : Sprints, distances

Highlights : Stunning range included the 100 (12.31), 200 (26.26), 400 (57.30), 800 (2:11.40) and 1600 (5:09). Won the 100 and 800 at the Ocean County meet and the 400 at the Shore Conference meet. Group 4 champion in the 800 and finished third in that event at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

NATALIE O’CONNOR

School : Colts Neck

Year : Junior

Events : Sprints, distances

Highlights : Competed in the 200 (26.09), 400 (58.25), 800 (2:12.62) and 1600 (5:10). Won the 400 and 800 at the Central Group 3 meet to lead the Cougars to the team title. Finished fourth in the 800 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

CLEMMIE LILLEY

School : Rumson-Fair Haven

Year : Junior

Events : Sprints, distances

Highlights : Turned in one of the finest seasons ever by a Shore Conference runner, clocking 2:05.78 in the 800, 4:51.17 in the 1600, 55.38 in the 400 and 25.48 in the 200. At the Group 2 championship, won the 400 and 800 and anchored the winning 4x400 as the Bulldogs captured the team title. Finished sixth in the 800 at the New Balance Nationals.

EMMA ZAWATSKI

School : Freehold Township

Year : Senior

Events : Distances

Highlights : Capped a remarkable career with times of 4:44.60 in the mile, 10:24.45 in the 3200 and 2:11.31 in the 800. Won all three distance races at the Central Group 4 meet. Placed first in the 1600 and second in the 800 in state Group 4. Won the 1600 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. Will continue running at the University of Colorado.

ROSEMARY SHAY

School : Middletown South

Year : Senior

Events : Distances

Highlights : Was elite in the 3200 (10:32), 1600 (4:48.54) and 800 (2:11.40). Won the NJSIAA Meet of Champions and state Group 3 in the 3200. At the Monmouth County meet, struck gold in both the 800 and 1600. Will suit up for Villanova University in the fall.

ALEXANDRIA SCOTT

School : St. John Vianney

Year : Senior

Events : Hurdles, sprints

Highlights : Posted the Shore Conference’s top times in the 400 hurdles (1:00.45) and 100 hurdles (14.97). Also clocked 12.49 in the 100, 25.45 in the 200 and 57.72 in the open 400. Finished second in the 400 hurdles at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. Won both hurdles races and the 200 at the Shore Conference meet. Is headed to UMass for track.

IZZY RODRIGUEZ

School : Rumson-Fair Haven

Year : Junior

Events : Hurdles, sprints, distances

Highlights : Excelled in the 400 hurdles (1:03.50), open 400 (57.55), 800 (2:09.95) and 1600 (5:09). At the state Group 2 meet, placed third in in the 400 hurdles, fourth in the 800 and ran on the winning 4x400 and 4x800 to help the Bulldogs capture the team title. Finished fourth in the 800 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

ALEXA DINARDO

School : Holmdel

Year : Senior

Events : Jumps

Highlights : Posted top marks of 17-11 in the long jump and 36-10¼ in the triple jump. Won both jumps at the Monmouth County meet, won the long jump at the Shore Conference meet and won the triple jump at Central Jersey Group 2.

SARA TRINCHILLO

School : Holmdel

Year : Senior

Events : Jumps

Highlights : Recorded top marks of 18-2 in the long jump, 36-3¾ in the triple jump and 15.53 in the 100 hurdles. Placed third or higher in all three events in Central Group 2 and finished second in both horizontal jumps at the Monmouth County meet.

BELLA PALMIOTTO

School : Manchester

Year : Senior

Events : Jumps

Highlights : Competed at a high level in the triple jump (38-5¼), long jump (17-4½) and high jump (5-0). Won both horizontal jumps at the Ocean County meet. In the triple jump, struck gold in state Group 2 and finished sixth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

SAMANTHA CUSHING

School : Southern

Year : Junior

Events : Jumps

Highlights : Cleared a top height of 10-6 in the pole vault. Won the vault at the Shore Conference and Ocean County meets and placed third in South Group 4.

JULIA SANTOS

School : Toms River South

Year : Junior

Events : Throws

Highlights : Put the shot 44-10 and hurled the discus 136-0, both tops among Shore Conference throwers this spring. Won both events at the Ocean County meet and the discus at the Shore Conference meet. Placed fourth in the shot put at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

EVE SEGAL

School : Ocean Township

Year : Senior

Events : Throws

Highlights : Put the shot 44-5 and hurled the discus 133-9. Won both events at the state Group 2 championship and the Monmouth County meet. Placed first in the shot and second in the discus at both the Shore Conference and Central Group 2 meets.

RILEY BRAZIER

School : Toms River North

Year : Junior

Events : Throws, jumps, hurdles

Highlights : Heaved the javelin 139-7, winning the event at the Shore Conference and Ocean County meets before placing second in state Group 4 and third at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. Also posted top marks of 35-7 in the triple jump, 16-5 in the long jump and 15.62 in the 100 hurdles.

SECOND TEAM ALL-SHORE

Sprints: Abigail Hanemann, Point Pleasant Borough, junior

Sprints : Arihanna Kelly, Neptune, freshman

Sprints: Anna Petersen, Red Bank, sophomore

Distances: Cali Buxbaum, Wall, sophomore

Distances: Sadie Honig, Manalapan, junior

Distances : Jessica Abbott, Toms River North, sophomore

Hurdles : Fiona Olsen, St. Rose, junior

Hurdles: Amaya Afflick, Barnegat, freshman

Jumps: Jayla Wilson, Red Bank, senior

Jumps: Caitlyn Chandler, Brick Township, junior

Jumps: Kendall Howe, Toms River South, junior

Jumps : Priscilla Michel, Ranney, senior

Throws: Kennedy Miller, Red Bank Catholic, junior

Throws: Maddie Hussey, Middletown South, senior

Throws: Sophia Laudi, Holmdel, senior

COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR

Rumson-Fair Haven ran the table – an exceedingly rare feat for a Group 2 program. The Bulldogs took home the team trophies from the Monmouth County, Shore Conference, Central Group 2 and state Group 2 meets. Bob Keogh (sprints and hurdles), Tim McLoone (distances), Tara Barnett (jumps) and Ken Young (vault) have a good thing going.

TOP 5 TEAMS

1. Rumson-Fair Haven

2. Holmdel

3. Point Pleasant Borough

4. Southern

5. Colts Neck

All-Shore Track & Field appears in the Asbury Park Press print edition Sunday, June 23.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Meet the 2024 All-Shore Girls Track & Field Team