Vikings Sweep County Relay Titles
Union Catholic pulled off another remarkable team sweep with multiple eye-popping and record-smashing performances at the 80th annual Union County Relays, which concluded on Friday at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield
The team titles were never in doubt.
In the girls competition, UC, which took its foot off the gas for most of the races on Friday, easily extended their record streak to nine titles in a row with a
105-63 over runner-up Westfield. UC smashed four meet records and won nine events on its way to the championship. UC’s nine titles are the second most in meet history behind the 10 won by Plainfield.
On the boys side, UC broke two meet records, won 8 events, and ran several hot times en route to its third straight championship, 113-85 over runner-up Elizabeth. The UC boys have now won 10 county relay titles, all since 2011. That’s the third most in meet history behind Elizabeth (22) and Plainfield (11).
While everyone knows about the the great distance squad the UC boys have, their sprinters and jumpers all leveled up with sizzling performances.
After breaking a meet record in the 4×100 with a NJ No. 2 time of 42.02 on Thursday, UC became the first team in the state to crack 1:28 this season in the 4×200 by running 1:27.57, the second fastest time in meet history behind Plainfield’s 1:26.5 in 1988. UC’s lineup consisted of Dylan Williams (21.9), Avery Atexide (21.6), Marcus McCoy (22.3) and Al-Qamar Rojas (21.5). That same foursome combined to win the 4×100.
In the triple jump, the trio of senior Kevin Philistin, junior Noah Cooper and junior Ronald Ingelton all soared to PR’s as they teamed up to take down the meet record with a total of 133-3.50, breaking the mark of 132-4 that Elizabeth set in 2016. Philistin (46-0) Cooper (44-10) had the two best jumps of the meet, and Ingleton hit 42-5 ½.
UC also won the boys shuttle hurdles on Friday in 1:00.80 as Rojas, McCoy, Cooper, and Hicks teamed up for the victory, and the Vikings were first in the 4×800 in 7:55.72. Quintin Clemons (1:58.1), Jimmy Wischusen (1:57.6), Sean Wilson (1:59.3) and Keandre Kelly (2:00.4) handled the baton for UC.
On Thursday, in addition to the meet record 46.06 in the 4×100, UC won the DMR in 10:24.24, the 400 hurdles, and the SMR.
In the DMR, Alex Saldana led off in 2:12.1 and Jimmy Wischusen anchored in 4:18.0 for UC. The SMR lineup consisted of Dylan Williams (22.1), Garth Naar (22.7), Avery Atexide (48.0), and Keandre Kelly (1:55.5). The UC boys nearly broke the meet record in the 400 hurdles as Rojas, McCoy and Justice Hicks teamed up to win in 2:47.96, just off the meet record of 2:47.95 set in 2012 by Union Catholic
In the girls competition, the Vikings, who broke three meet records on Thursday, added to its haul with a fourth record on Friday when Emmy O’Hearn (5:15.7), Clare Harrington (5:55.5), Cayleigh Kaiser (5:16.4) and Kayla Devine (5:05.9) ran a NJ No. 1 time of 21:34.11 to crush the meet mark of 21:47.59 that UC ran in 2015
On Thursday, UC ran a meet and Union County record and NJ No. 1 time of 46.06 in the 4×100, No. 3 in state history, won the SMR in a meet record and NJ No. 1 time of 3:58.12, and took down the DMR record with a time of 11:57.10. The Vikings just missed the meet record in the 400 hurdles with their time of 3:13.10, No. 2 in meet history. The meet record of 3:11.2 was set in Plainfield in 2006.
In the DMR, Paige Sheppard (3:33.8), Sadie Thompson (63.0), Emmy O’Hearn (2:19.8), and Sophia Thompson (4:59.5) shared the baton. Sydney Chadwick, Leah Gould, Natalia Thompson, and Taylor Aska teamed up to win the 4×100 in 46.06, which broke the overall Union County record of 46.07 that UC ran on this track last month at the Blue Devil Classic. In the SMR, Isabella Murray (24.8), Sinclair Powell (25.8), Jimmiea King (56.4) and Peyton Hollis (2:10.3) combined on the victory as UC ran the No. 7 time in state history. In the 400 hurdles, Chadwick ran a meet best time of 1:03.47.
UC’s four NJ No. 1 times at this meet gives the Vikings the state lead in all eight girls’ relay races!!! How awesome is that!!
