Despite a weather delay that delayed the competition for over 30 minutes, athletes and teams from North 2, Groups 2 & 3 still managed to put on a show.
Day 1 provided us with some incredible, nail-biting performances across a variety of events. As for the team standings, New Providence/Parsippany boys are tied in N2G2 while Parsippany Hills girls currently lead in that section. Somerville girls and Rahway boys currently lead in N2G3.
Here were your top 10 performances from Day 1 of the North 2, Group 2 & 3 meet.
Chatham’s Spoor ties N2G3 high jump meet record, earns three-peat
Chatham’s Elsa Spoor etched herself into the record books during Friday’s high jump event.
The senior put on her best performance of the season, clearing 5-8 to tie the N2G3 meet record set by Randolph’s Tanya Smolin, who cleared the mark in 1984 and 1985. Spoor cleared the bar on her second attempt, which marks the first time that she’s done it since done it at an NJSIAA meet. Spoor cleared 5-8 at an AAU meet over the summer.
“Honestly, she was very excited,” Chatham head coach Gianna Parlavecchio said. “She was the calmest I’ve ever seen her and very energetic. She didn’t even think about it. She just jumped over it like it was nothing.”
Spoor didn’t even realize that she had made history by accomplishing something that no other jumper has done in 38 years.
“She’s so humble,” Parlavecchio said. “She’s not all about herself. It’s just what she could do to help everybody.”
Rahway’s Lawson wins 800 in thrilling fashion, captures 3200
Rahway’s Micah Lawson’s start to the 800-meter dash didn’t necessarily go as planned.
“I got out a little slow, so I was behind the pack early on, but I didn’t panic,” Lawson said. “But I knew I had it in me to make a comeback.
But as the old saying goes, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Lawson made his push from third place to the front of the line in the final 300, passing Chatham’s Charles Henne in the final few meters to win the 800. Lawson clocked in at 1:54.25, with Henne right behind him at 1:54.33. His victory marks back-to-back N2G3 sectional titles in 800 for the Rutgers commit.
“It’s gonna mean a lot to putting up points for my team since we’re trying to win a [sectional] team title,” Lawson said. “A lot of the meets that we have going on right now and further into this season are gonna be about placement, but if I know that I compete hard, the [improvement] in my times will come.
Lawson also booked his ticket for groups with an impressive performance in the 3200, clocking in a 9:22.03 for his second gold medal of the day.
Somerville’s Scheier repeats as 800 champion, wins 3200
Somerville’s Maddie Scheier came into this year’s N2G3 meet with a legitimate shot at winning all three events, and she appears to be well on her way to doing so. The senior captured her second straight NG23 sectional crown in the 800 in a PR of 2:14.12, then handled business in the 3200, posting a time of 11:12.98 for a gold medal.
Scheier held a narrow lead against Mendham’s Anna Shaw in the first lap, but took a commanding lead heading into the final 100 meters of the race. The Miami commit split a 1:06.05 in the final lap.
“I knew there were some good girls in it,” Scheier said. “But I’m super confident in myself, especially in the 800. On the last lap, I always seem to find another gear.”
North Hunterdon’s Edwards repeats as N2G3 champion in 100
Like he’s done all season long, Kente Edwards delivered another spectacular performance in the 100 dash. After qualifying for prelims with a time of 10.71, the senior replicated that same time in the finals to claim gold, marking back-to-back sectional titles in the 100.
“It’s really just a showmanship of just my consistency in my hard work,” Edwards said about repeating as a sectional champion. “Anyone could come out here, run those good times when they’re younger, and then when they get older, you never hear about them again. Something I pride myself on is staying consistent and constantly improving myself.”
Parsippany’s Dean captures gold in 100, sliver in triple jump
Parsippany’s Amanda Dean continues to prove why she’s one of the best sophomore athletes in the state. Her terrific spring campaign continued on Friday, capturing gold in the 100 and silver in the triple jump in N2G2. After clocking in a 12.89 in the 100 prelims, Dean blazed a PR of 12.49 in the 100 finals to claim her second straight sectional title.
“I’m happy that I have people around me who are pushing me to do my best,” Dean said. I’m happy with my performance and I just hope I can keep these times up for the group meet next week, because today has me really excited for what I can do there.”
Dean also came away with a PR in the triple jump, outperforming her seed and capturing second in the event with a mark of 35-5.50.
West Morris’ Zeolla outduels Joel for pole vault title
The sophomore from West Morris turned in an impressive performance in the pole vault, outdueling top-seeded Ted Joel from Chatham to capture the N2G3 sectional title. On his first attempt, Zeolla cleared 14-0, clinching a sectional title after beating out Joel based on attempts. It’s the second time this season that Zeolla has cleared 14-0 or more, posting a mark of 14-0.5 at the NJAC Large Schools Meet.
Somerville’s Kolodziej captures discus title with N.J. Top 25 mark
Somerville’s Emily Kolodziej continues to stay hot with another N.J. Top 25 throw in the N2G3 discus throw. The junior tossed 121-8 to claim her first career sectional title, winning the competition by over 15 feet. It’s the third consecutive meet that Kolodziej has thrown 120 feet or more this season. She’ll have an opportunity to capture another sectional crown in the shot put tomorrow, where she holds the top seed (37-10).
Parsippany’s Reid repeats as sectional champ with big PR in long jump
Parsippany’s Brett Reid came into Friday’s long jump event as the top seed and left no doubt that he’s once again the best in N2G2. The senior uncorked a massive PR of 22-5 to capture his second straight sectional crown in the event. That mark bests his previous personal best of 21-10, and is the third-best mark in Group 2 this season.
Cranford’s Alvarez-Gomez blazes N.J. No. 12 in 400 hurdles
Cranford’s Isabella Alvarez-Gomez added another big accomplishment in what’s already been a terrific season for the sophomore hurdler. Alvarez-Gomez clocked in an N.J. No. 12 time of 1:04.32 in the 400 hurdles to capture the N2G3 sectional title. Alvarez-Gomez, who finished third in the 400 hurdles at sectionals last season, is also seeded fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.78).
Orange, North Hunterdon go down to the wire in 4x100
The N2G3 4x100 race featured a ton of speed that was on display, which culminated in a exciting finish in the final heat of the race. Orange, who was seeded second in the event, registered a PR of 43.52 to capture the N2G3 title, narrowly edging North Hunterdon (43.56). In the anchor leg, Orange’s Rajani Munroe was able to hold off a stiff challenge from North Hunterdon’s Kente Edwards to win the race. Khy Ron Hill, Kevin Jones, and Samuel Ankrah were also apart of the winning relay for Orange.
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Corey Annan covers boys track and field and may be reached at cannan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreyannan360
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