Recap: GSTC East Coast Championships
This past weekend, the Garden State Track Club hosted the East Coast Track & Field Championships in Piscataway. This large, two-day meet was open to both adults and high schoolers, and every high school event was split into multiple divisions, such as championship, emerging elite, sophomore, and freshman. Full results here.
The weekend’s unseasonably cool temperatures and headwinds weren’t ideal for sprinting, but this meet still provided excellent competition in a fun atmosphere.
A couple dozen Mercer County high schoolers competed unattached or for their club teams, and here are a few noteworthy performances.
In the boys championship 400m, WWP South’s Julius Kinsler was runner-up in the championship 400m with a very quick time of 49.10. Robbinsville’s Will Strickland grabbed 10th place in the championship 400m with a 51.14, and he also finished 4th in the final of the emerging elite 200m by running 23.03 into a slight headwind.
On Friday, Allentown senior Gavin Alvarez raced in the mens division of the 200m and ended up winning in the final by just 0.01, with a time of 22.30 (-1.2). The next day, he was joined by his Allentown teammates Cedric Mbachu, Matthew Woode, and Scott Jordan to win the open 4x100m in 42.83, another very fast time despite facing suboptimal weather and almost no competition to push them.
Hightstown’s Terrance Williams finished 8th in the boys championship 100m, running 11.41 into a stiff headwind of -2.6.
In the boys mile, Arunav Sarkar of Lawrenceville became a sub-4:30 guy by running the full mile in 4:29.73, which was good for 6th place in the emerging elite division. It’s also #6 in Mercer County this spring.
Peddie’s Luca Romanelli breaks the tape — and the 2:00 barrier — with a 1:59.97 800m. | Jason Timochko for MileSplit
In the boys 800m, Peddie junior Luca Romanelli chopped almost 2 seconds off his PR to not only win his heat convincingly but also dip under the 2:00 barrier, stopping the clock at 1:59.97. That’s #8 in the county, and it got him 19th place in the championship division here. In the emerging elite division, Notre Dame’s Amir Mulkey finished 3rd in 2:00.84, his second-fastest time ever. Peddie’s Baker Pott ran a 2:03.16 800m on Friday and then a 52.53 400m on Saturday.
In the boys championship discus, Lawrence senior Ryan Rodriguez placed 3rd and improved on his Mercer County #3 mark with a 4-foot PR of 152-10.5. That’s #47 in New Jersey this spring.
Wilberforce’s Stella Blanchard continued her excellent form by getting 3rd place in the girls championship 400m with a time of 58.95. In the shorter sprints, Lawrenceville’s Blake Hatwood got 9th place in both the championship 100m and the championship 200m with times of 13.02 and 26.28.
Peddie’s Courtney Cane finished 9th in the girls championship 800m with a time of 2:17.32, just off her season’s best.
Hun’s Anna Casciano won the girls championship shot put by 18 inches with a throw of 41-4.75, which is her second-farthest ever. She’s now thrown over 40’ at eight different meets this season. Allentown’s Makayla Rondinelli took 5th in 33-2.