Girls Win Conference! Boys 2nd.
UC girls win, boys place third, and Reilly breaks PV record at Conference Championships
The Union Catholic girls repeated as champions, the boys placed third, and Conor Reilly broke a record in the pole vault at the Union County Conference Track and Field Championships, which concluded on Friday at Gov. Livingston in Berkeley Heights.
The UC girls racked up 209 points to win the Watchung Division by more then 100 points over runner-up Westfield, second with 98.
The Vikings were led in the girls competition by Sydney Tucker, who won the 100 (12.41) and 200 (25.35), Felicia Quainoo, first in the triple jump (35-9 1/2) and the 100 hurdles (14.51), and Alexandra Kwasnik, who tied the school record by clearing 5-6 to win the high jump.
UC also picked up victories from Jerika Lufrano in the 3,200 (11:02.05), Hope Handlin captured the pole vault (10-6), Zamira Ysaac won the 400 hurdles in (1:04.56), A’Liyah Thomas captured the long jump (17-6), Abby Granrath won the 1,600 (5:21.29), and the 4×400 relay team (3:58.90). Leena Morant had a very strong race in the 400, placing second in the 400 in 56.55, No. 8 in the state this season. Morgan Williams was third in the 800 in 2:16.40, Ashleigh Patterson was fourth in the 800 (2:18.8), Khamil Evansfinished third in the 200 (25.72), Chi Chi Nkulume was third in the 400 (58.50), Isabella Gray was second in the vault (10-0), Jenna Keith placed second in the 1,600 in 5:24.81, and Daniela Peralta placed fifth in the javelin with a school freshman class record 94-9.
In the boys competition for UC, Reilly cleared a personal best 15-3, No. 3 in the state this season, to break his own Junior Class school record of 14-6, and placed fourth in the triple jump with a 41-8 1/2.
Freshman Myles Plummer won the 800 for UC in 1:58.45, and was second in the 1,600 (4:26.51).
UC also received a strong throwing double from Uchenna Duru, second in the shot put (51-9 1/2) and second in the discus (157-1). Oluwafemi Asenuga was second in the long jump (21-10 1/2), Elijah Abraham placed second in the 400 hurdles in 57.26, Elijah Brown was fourth in the 400 (489.73), Chinedu Okoro placed third in the 200 in 22.47 and fourth in the 100 (11.33), and Brandon Leslie finished third in the triple jump with a 42-11.
UC also placed a very strong second in the 4×400 in 3:20.48, the fifth fastest time in the state this season. Brown split 49.1, Connor Cooper went 50.1,Jones ran 49.5, and Abraham anchored in 51.4.