Raiders, Mustangs medal and finish in top 10 at state meet
PLAINFIELD — The Ocean City High School girls 4×800 relay team repeated as state champions Saturday, winning the race in 9:14.20 and breaking their own school record.
They led a team that brought home multiple medals and top 10 finishes — and an overall team finish of second place — at the Group III State Track and Field Championship at Plainfield High School.
In the 4×800, seniors Maeve Smith and Chloe Care, sophomore Carly Godfrey and freshman Riley Tolson beat second-place Winslow by just more than five seconds.
Smith was a silver medalist in the 1600 meters and Care was fifth. Smith’s time was 5:01.21 and Care clocked in at 5:09.41. Northern Burlington senior Liliah Gordon won in 4:59.99.
Smith was third in the 3200 meters with a time of 10:44.48. Gordon won in 10:35.67. Tolson was ninth in 11:24.73.
Godfrey won the bronze medal in the 800 meters in 2:11.25, less than a second behind the winner, sophomore Bridget Cannon of Ramapo, who won in 2:10.37, and a half-second behind the silver medalist.
The Raider girls 4×100 finished second in the Group III state meet while setting a school record with their time of 48.81 seconds. Winslow’s relay squad won in 47.89 seconds.
The sprinters were sophomore Ella Miller, senior Naomi Nnewihe, sophomore Alana Clevenger and freshman Julianne Goodman.
Miller was seventh in the 100-meter dash with her time of 12.54 seconds. Timber Creek senior Ryan Jennings won in 11.45 seconds.
Junior teammate Callie Duff and Mainland senior Aryanna Perez were among six athletes who tied for seventh in the high jump by getting over the bar at 5’. Winslow Township junior Ma’Syiah Brawner won at 5’4”.
Ocean City junior Erik Preisner finished 10th in the 3200 meters in 9:35.60 and teammate Ethan Buck, a senior, was 12th in 9:46.67. Delsea junior Matthew Littlehales won in 9:12.23.
Ocean City’s 4×800 relay team of Preisner, Buck, Mike Romano and Nevin Millstein finished ninth in 8:12.06.
The Raider boys 4×100 relay team was 10th in 42.97 seconds, setting a school record. Running for OCHS were JP Forster, Dale Curtis, Jude Govern and Connor Berich. Burlington won the relay in 41.30 seconds.
The Ocean City girls finished overall in second place in team points with 40 behind first-place Winslow with 129. Ramapo was third with 35 points.
Mustang Williams
a bronze medalist
Mainland Regional senior Josiah Williams was a bronze medalist in the triple jump, going 45’9.5”. Malik Mohammed, a sophomore from West Side High School, won at 47’10.25”.
Williams was fourth in the long jump, leaping 22’5.25”. Teammate Dallas Rowell, a sophomore, was sixth at 22’2.5”. Dwight Morrow High School senior Saundrae Palmer Jr. won with a jump of 23’1.5”.
Williams was fifth in the 110-meter hurdles with his time of 14.9 seconds.
MRHS senior Colin Kummings finished fifth in the high jump, clearing 6’2. Mohammend won by clearing the bar at 6’8”.
Mustang Matt Muitts was seventh in the javelin with his throw of 163’10”. Burlington senior Dylan Fitzpatrick won at 182’2”. Ocean City junior Gavin Taylor was eighth at 162’3”.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
