Friday, May 30, 2014

STATE GROUP MEET May 30-31, 2014

Josiah Hanko wins his sixth (1600 Friday) and seventh (3200 Saturday) State titles.  
==================  
Boys 4 x 100 Relay 10th place:  Leo/Will/Ethan/Ian Stempert
Boys 4 x 400 Relay 11th place:  Will/Leo/Ethan/Iain Morrison
Thankful for the good attitudes, results and work ethics for each of these athletes this season.  
Our girls did not get to run today as we lost three of our six girls to illness and injury.  They had a great season, winning both ACSI and MACSA.
==================
Full Meet Results now available:  CLICK HERE
1,600-METER RUN: 1-Josiah Hanko, Trinity Christian, 4:18.30. 2-Patrik Andersen, Gill St. Bernard's, 4:21.35. 3-Liam, Mullett, Pingry, 4:23.60. 4-Siddarth Kannan, Newark Academy, 4:24.88. 5-Justin Leandre, Pingry, 4:25.51. 6-Stewart Wood, Pingry, 4:32.24.

Interview with Jim Lambert after the race:  CLICK HERE
Jim Lambert's video of end of race:  CLICK HERE
3,200-METER RUN: 1-Josiah Hanko, Trinity Christian, 9:27.14. 2-Liam Mullett, Pingry, 9:36.44. 3-Thomas Calabro, St. Rose, 10:10.22. 4-Steve Darius, Roselle Catholic, 10:10.28. 5-Spencer Hanus, Morris Catholic, 10:10.70. 6-Andrew Vita, Oratory, 10:12.34.
==================
The 3200 today (Saturday) was the end of a long and storied rivalry between two friends, Liam Mullett of Pingry and Josiah Hanko. Neither has been at full strength this season.  Liam, an All American in Cross Country last Fall, moves on to Princeton and we wish him well.  

Jim Lambert's blog post on the 3200 (and 800) with some comments on the 1600 from yesterday:
Patrik Andersen of Gill St. Bernard's used a huge kick to take down a meet record, Josiah Hanko of Trinity Christian finished off a strong distance double and St. Joseph of Hammonton avenged its sectional loss by winning its second straight title at the NJSIAA/Star-Ledger/M-F Athletic Non-Public B championships on Saturday at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield.
Andersen, who was not real happy after placing second in the 1,600 meters Friday in 4:21.35, unleashed a big kick to come from way back over the final 400 meters to win the 800 in a meet record and big personal best of 1:53.70.
The former record of 1:55.02 was set in 1988 by Jamal Nisbett of Montclair Immaculate.
``Sometimes your kick at the end of a race is hit or miss,'' said Andersen, whose previous best was 1:57.09. ``Yesterday it missed and today I hit it right. To come back after losing a tough race and break a meet record and run a big PR is very exciting and very satisfying.''
Andersen, a junior, won the state prep B cross-country title last fall and captured the 1,600 at the state Non-Public B indoor championships this past winter, but he said this victory means the most.    
``Those other titles are great, but outdoors is the big cheese,'' Andersen said. ``This is the one everyone wants to win.''
Andersen's loss in the 1,600 on Friday came to Hanko, who ran 4:18.20. Hanko came back to win the 3,200 on Saturday in 9:27.14.
It is the second straight year that the Duke-bound Hanko has won the 1,600 and 3,200, as he finished his career with seven state titles. He won two in cross-country, one in indoor track and four outdoors.  
==================
Here is the blog post from Jim Lambert of the Star-Ledger on Friday's 1600:
BOYS NON-PUBLIC B 1,600 IS UP NOW
The race is called back after 60 meters when 2 guys get tangled and go down.
Patrik Andersen, Josiah Hanko and Liam Mullett of Pingry in this one
Anderson leads after 1,200 with a 65/2:12/3:19. But Hanko is right on him waiting to strike.
Hanko drops the hammer with 200 to go and comes charging across first in 4:18.30.
Hanko runs 58.9 for the last 400!!!!
It's the 6th state title for Hanko (indoors/outdoors/xc combined). But this one was the sweetest because he's come back from illness and injury over the winter and during this spring.

========================
NJRunners Blog for the Meet: CLICK HERE