UC Sweeps County Titles Again!
This marks the sixth team sweep for UC in championship meets this school year. UC also captured both the boys and girls titles at the Union County and State Non-Public A Cross-Country Championships, the indoor State Non-Public A Championships, and at the outdoor Union County Relays, and Union County Conference Championships.
UC coach Mike McCabe was ecstatic after his girls won their seventh straight title, and his boys won for the second straight year.
“I’m proud of the focus, intensity and energy our team brought to the meet,” said McCabe. “I’m especially proud of our seniors who graduated on Wednesday morning and performed at a high level later in the day.”
In a meet filled with eye-popping performances, the victory by Wischusen in the greatest 3,200 race in Union County history was the most impressive of them all as the sophomore from stopped the clock at 9:07.99 to shatter the meet record by more than 12 seconds!!! This race was so fast that the top six runners all ran well under the meet record of 9:20.03 set in 2009 by Union Catholic’s DJ Thornton.
Wischusen, with Lucas Reguinho of Elizabeth pulling right up on his hip with 200 to go, refused to let Reguinho get by him as he unleashed a punishing kick around the curve, and then he powered his way down the final straight to finish off a 61.82 final 400 to seal the electrifying victory.
In a race that saw five of the top six finishers run under their school record, Reguinho, a junior was second in the PR parade in a school record 9:10.13, a massive 15 second PR!! Conor Daly of Westfield was third with PR of 9:10.71, Shane Brosnan of UC placed fourth with a PR of 9:13.71, Colin Riley of Dayton, the 1,600 winner on Tuesday, was fifth in a school record 9:16.38, and Micah Lawson ran 9:17.18 to finish sixth to smash Rahway’s school record. The times by the top six finishers are now ranked in the top 14 in the state! I told you it was fast!!!
The 9:07.99 by Wischusen, whose previous best was 9:43.65 when he was sixth in this race a year ago, makes him the seventh fastest sophomore in state history, and it places him No. 4 all-time in Union County history, and No. 4 in the state this season.
Wischusen ‘s victory coupled with wins from Myles Plummer in the 800, and Nick Givan in the 110 hurdles on the second and final day of the meet ignited the UC boys to a 118-85 triumph over runner-up Elizabeth for its second straight title.
The Virginia-bound Plummer got the redemption he was seeking when he made big surge over the final 50 meters to pass Gabriel Rodriguez to win the two-lapper for the second straight year in 1:53.46. Plummer, who finished his career with six individual titles (one in XC, three indoors and two outdoors), was edged in the 1,600 on Tuesday when he placed second in 4:15.20.
Givan, who is headed to Georgetown, completed the hurdles sweep for the second straight year when he won the 110 hurdles on Wednesday in a huge PR and NJ No. 4 time of 14.34. Givan, who won the 400 hurdles on Tuesday, and also placed second in the 400, and second in the 200 to score a total of 36 points!!
UC’s other victory came from freshman Noah Cooper, who soared an NJ No. 11 22-3.50 to win the long jump on Tuesday.
The Union Catholic girls picked up four more wins on Wednesday, finished 1-2-3 in the 800, and won a fast showdown in the 4×400 to runaway with its seventh straight title,164-93.50 over runner-up Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
Cox continued her red hot rookie season when the UC freshman blasted her way to a 13.84 victory in the 100 hurdles. Cox’s time is the fastest time in the state this season, just missed the meet record of 13.79 by the legendary Sydney McLaughlin, and is the second fastest time ever run by a freshman in state history. Only McLaughlin (13.34 as a freshman in 2014) has ever run faster as a freshman than Cox in state history. Cox also placed second in the 100 dash in 12.20
Cox also split 58.4 on second leg open a big gap on Scotch Plains in the 4×400 to help the Vikings win that race in 3:48.76, the third fastest time in the state this season. Scotch Plains, which has run a NJ No. 2 3:48.14 this season, was second in 3:51.18.
Hollis, a sophomore, who won the 1,600 in a meet record 4:53.15 on Tuesday, won two more golds on Wednesday. She led an amazing 1-2-3 finish in the 800 for UC with a PR and NJ No. 4 time of 2:10.66, and put an exclamation point on UC’s team title by anchoring the winning 4×400 with a 55.2 carry.
In the 800, UC’s Kaleigh Gunsiorowski, the defending champ, was second in a NJ No. 13 2:13.86, and Maameyaa Nyinah was third for UC in an NJ No. 16 2:14.21.
Nyinah also led off the 4×00 for UC with a 57.2 carry. Asydiah Pray-Brown, the 400 hurdle winner, ran a 57.1 third leg in the 4×400.
UC also dominated in the field events, winning four of the seven events.
Jada Mia Puryear, who is headed to Columbia, swept the shot put and discus for the second straight year when she won the discus on Wednesday with a throw of 136-0. Puryear won the shot put on Tuesday with a 40-9.50. Puryear finished her career with six Union County Championships (four outdoors and two indoors).
UC junior Alexandra Bonn, second in the triple jump on Tuesday, won the long jump on Wednesday with a NJ No. 3 leap of 18-3. Bonn fouled on her first two attempts, but after a safe jump to make the finals, she hit her 18-3 on her fourth jump.
UC’s other win in the field came from Dayton-bound Daniela Peralta, who cleared 10-0 to win the pole vault on Tuesday.
