Records Fall, Union Catholic Sweeps At Union County Championships

Written by Jim Lambert

Sparks were flying all over the track as Union County’s best flexed their firepower by taking down three meets records and producing multiple NJ No. 1 times with some of the fastest times in NJ history when the Union County Championships concluded with a bang on Wednesday at the Milt Campbell Track and Field Complex at Hub Stine Field in Plainfield.

In the team competition, it was all Union Catholic as the Vikings continued their dominance by once again steamrolling its way to another sweep of the titles. It’s the eighth straight title for the UC girls while the UC boys have now captured three in a row.

The second and final day of this meet was so electrifying that the fireworks started before any finals were even run, and two of the three records that were shattered on Wednesday were held by two of the greatest track and field athletes that the world has ever seen!!! I’m serious!!! Keep reading and you will see!

RED HOT HURDLES

I never thought I’d see the day when records held by the legendary duo of Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic and Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah of Scotch Plains-Fanwood would go down on the same day!!!

But that’s what happened.

In the first event of the day, sophomore sensation Taylor Cox of Union Catholic broke her second meet record by blasting a 13.56 to take down the meet record of 13.79 that McLaughlin set as a freshman in 2014. In case you didn’t already know, McLaughlin holds the world record in the 400 hurdles and is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Cox’s 13.56 is tied for No. 6 in NJ history and is the fastest time ever run by a sophomore in state history.

Cox, who ran a meet record and NJ No. 1 time of 11.80 in the 100 dash on Tuesday, went on to win her second straight 100 HH title when she ran 14.06 in the final.

GREATEST 3,200 IN UNION COUNTY HISTORY

There have several great battles in the 3,200 in Union County over the years, but nothing comes close to what Jimmy Wischusen of Union Catholic and Lucas Reguinho of Elizabeth did on Wednesday.

All the pre-race hype was about how the meet record of 9:07.99 that Wischusen set last year would be toast!

It sure was!!! Their was simply too much talent in the race for the record to hold up.

Wischusen, who won the 1,600 on Tuesday and captured the 3,200 at the Indoor Meet of Champions in March, and Reguinho really cranked it up after Wischusen ran 4:38.47 for the first 1,600. Wischusen continued to lead until the start of the bell lap when Reguinho jumped to the front.

But Wischusen, a junior, was unfazed by Reguinho’s bold move and slammed on the gas with 300 to go on his way to a 63.9 final 400, stopping the clock with a new meet record of 9:01.05!! That brought the final tally to four meets records shattered at the 2-day meet.

Reguinho was second in a school record 9:03.48, also well under the previous meet record. I can’t think of any county race in the state that’s ever produced two sub 9:04 times in the 3,200!!!

The times by Wischusen, who set the Union County record when he ran 8:56.41 for 2-miles at the New Balance Nationals last year, and the Louisville-bound Reguinho are the No. 2 and No. 3 times in the state this season. Reguinho’s 9:03.48 also makes him No. 3 all-time in Union County history.

This race was deep with talent.

Micah Lawson of Rahway, who won Meet of Champions titles in XC last fall and indoors in the 1,600, was third in 9:11.07, and Westfield junior Avery Keith was fourth in 9:17.82!

It’s hard to believe that 9:17.82 only gets you fourth, but that’s how loaded Union County is!! Any other year except last year and this year, sub 9:20 would have bene fastest enough to win this race.

BROOM JOB

The Union Catholic express kept its streak alive with another sweep.

In the girls competition, the Vikings won six events and rolled up 161 points to defeat a very strong Elizabeth squad by 67 points.

In addition to Cox’s two wins and Gunsiorowski’s victory in the 1,600 on Tuesday, Alexandra Bonn won the triple jump (38-10) and placed third in the long jump (17-10.50), Peyton Hollis, who was third in the 1,600, won the 800 for the second straight year in 2:12.01 to lead a 1-3-4 finish for the Vikings, Maameyaa Nyinah won the 400 on Tuesday in 56.71 and was third in the 800, and freshman Kiara Fleming was a surprise winner in the 400 hurdles with a huge PR of 1:05.80..

On the boys side, UC, led by double winners Wischusen and sophomore star Noah Cooper defeated runner-up Westfield, 115-87.

The day after winning his second straight long jump title on Tuesday with a 21-11.75, Cooper completed the horizontal sweep by flying out to a big PR of 44-4.50 to win the triple jump on Wednesday. UC also picked up a win from senior Javon McKay, who won the 100 in a PR of 10.96. McKay also placed third in the 200 on Wednesday with a 22.17.