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New Jersey MOC 2014 Recap - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Jun 26th 2014, 12:47am
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Cavalcade of track stars shine at MOC

 

State Meet Highlights

 
The New Jersey Meet of Champions has become one of the premier meets in the nation because of its star power. A week after the Groups are settled, the MOC at South Plainfield has featured performers in recent years such as Edward Cheserek, Ajee Wilson, Nick Vena, Braheme Days, Olivia Baker and many others. Speaking of Baker, this was her final chance to make a statement in her home state and she didn't disappoint. And this year also marked the debut of another standout, freshman Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic.


Top Performances:
 

- Senior Olivia Baker of Columbia ran 53.53 to win her fourth consecutive MOC title in the 400 meters. She placed second to Bria Saunders of Parsippany in the 200, despite running 24.17. Saunders ran 24.05 in the heat that followed Baker's. Then Baker combined with her teammates to win the 4x400 relay with US#7 3:43.36.

 
- Freshman Sydney McLaughlin came on late in the year to become one of the biggest stories in the country and it started at home. She won the 400 hurdles in a MOC record 56.91 – a national freshman class record. She paired that with another staggering PR in the 100 hurdles, 13.47. That 100-meter race was stunning as four girls broke 14 seconds.

 
- Keturah Orji of Mount Olive was the queen of the jumps this year and at MOC she won the long jump with 20-02.50 and 44-1.25. The Georgia-bound senior won NBNO titles in both events.

 
- Another freshman, Briana Gess of Haddonfield, showed that she is a force to be reckoned with as well. She beat defending champ Josette Norris of Tenafly in the 1,600, US#13 4:45.97 to 4:47.95.

 
- Torie Robinson, a senior from Winslow Township, won the 100 meters in 11.73.

 
- Piscataway's girls ran 46.84 to win the 4x100 relay.

 
- Westwood senior Corinne Myers ran an outstanding 800 meters, collecting the MOC title with US#6 2:05.80.


- Freehold Township's girls ran 9:01.69 to win the 4x800 relay. They would go on to place second at NBNO and finish at US#5.


- Mark Cooke of Stevens ran 52.09 to win the 400-meter hurdles.


- Jabrill Peppers of Paramus Catholic, a senior, won the 100 meters in 10.55 and the 200 meters in 21.13 – becoming the second boy to sweep both events in back-to-back years. He has moved on to the University of Michigan to play football.


- Union Catholic senior Obafemi Animashaun won the 110 hurdles in 14.20 and placed third in the 400 hurdles in 53.62.


- Kyle Levermore, senior from Don Bosco and a University of Oregon signee, won the 1600 meters title in 4:13.98.


- Sophomore Blaise Ferro of Christian Brothers led a 1-2 finish for the Colts in the 3,200 with a winning time of 9:08.02. Tom Rooney was next for CBA in 9:10.28.


- Jamaad Muse of Timber Creek won the 400 meters in 47.07 and also ran a leg of his team's victorious 4x100 relay (41.45).


- Ishmael Muhammad of Oakcrest ran one of the fastest 800 meters races in state history (1:48.52) and Joe White of DePaul was also crashed the 1:50 barrier with 1:49.08 for second place.


- Bergen Catholic ran US#17 7:42.95 to win the boys 4x800 relay.


- Union Catholic won its bread-and-butter event, the 4x400 relay, in 3:15.27.


- Andrew Ghizzone of Union Catholic cleared 16 feet to win the pole vault, the second-best winning mark in meet history.


- Cedar Grove senior David Njoku won the high jump with a clearance at 7 feet.


- Mikhail Micheaux of Eastern won the long jump by two inches with a best of 24-3.


- Myles Hartsfield of Sayreville won the triple jump with a meet record 49-11.75.


- Curtis Thompson, a senior from Florence, took over the national lead in the javelin with his big throw of 224-10 to win the MOC title and break the all-time state record.

 

- Cidae’a Woods of Winslow Township ran 13.98 for fourth place in the 100 hurdles, jumped 19-4.50 for second in the long jump and also ran a leg on her team’s second-place 4x100 relay.


- Kayla Richardson of Columbia jumped 40-3 for second place in the triple jump and 19-1.25 for third in the long jump.

 

Top Competition:

The quality of the competition was outstanding throughout this meet, but one race that stood out was the girls 3200 final. Courtney Thompson, a senior at St. John Vianney, and Grace Dwyer, a sophomore from Hamilton North-Nottingham, duked it out over eight laps and went 1-2 in 10:22.87 to 10:23.07. That was about 10 seconds off all-time state record pace but still good for US#29 and 30 this season.


Record-breaker: The MOC served as a coronation for Baker and Peppers and a debut for McLaughlin and Gess, but the only all-time state record to fall at the MOC came in the boys javelin. Curtis Thompson's 224-10 held up as the national leader and he went on to compete for the U.S. at World Juniors.


Results 



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