BRIDGETON — Mainland Regional’s girls dominated the distance events and the pole vault at the 2024 Cape-Atlantic League Track and Field Championships on May 22 at Bridgeton High School, and Josiah Williams and Matt Muits took home gold for the Mustang boys team.
Gillian Lovett was a double winner for the Mainland girls, winning the 1600 meter race and the 3200 meters.
Teammate Emma Preissman helped set the pace in the 1600 meters, shadowing Vineland’s Georgina Chalow through the first two laps of the race with Lovett close behind. That pack tightened up as the race went on before both Mustangs made their move late. Preissman passed Chalow and Lovett moved into the lead on the final lap.
Lovett finished in 5:14.38, a little ahead of Preissman in second place in 5:16.48. Chalow was third in 5:22.1. Fellow Mustang Mackenzie Miller was fifth in 5:47.81.
Lovett followed that with her 11:46.58 winning time in the 3200 meters with teammates Sophie Goldstein third in 12:16.48 and Cecilia Foreman sixth in 12:54.83. Absegami’s Samia Ghazal was second in 12:01.98.
Sofia Day won the 800 meters in 2:18.26 with Preissman in second in 2:22.30 and fellow Mustang Claudia Booth fourth in 2:30.17.
Lauren Crino and Sienna Bodkin both cleared 10’ in the pole vault to take first and second, respectively. Monica Todorov was fifth at 8’6”.
In the 100 hurdles, Mustang Camryn DeMorat was third in 16.01 seconds, with teammates Aryanna Perez fifth in 16.37 and Caitlyn Lin eighth in 17.37 seconds. Atlantic City’s Brianna Growalt won in 15.43.
Madison Taylor was third in the 400 meters with her time of 59.94 seconds. Egg Harbor Township’s Amari Pinkett won in 59.45 seconds.
Sienna Bodkin was fourth in the 100 meters in 12.98 seconds. Absegami’s Jaidah Garrett won in 12.44 seconds. DeMorat was fifth in the 200 meters with her time of 26.94 seconds.
Perez was fifth in the 400 hurdles with a tie of 1:09.87.
The Mustang girls 4×100 and 4×800 relay teams finished with silver medals and the 4×400 relay earned bronze.
The 4×100 featured Bodkin, Taylor, DeMorat and Lin with a time of 50.64 seconds. Ocean City won in 49.94.
The 4×800 featured Claudia Booth, Preissman, Goldstein and Mackenzie Miller. Their time was 10:18.26. Ocean City won in 9:42.22.
Mustangs Oriellah Caplan, Day, Ava McDole and Addison Pepper ran a time of 4:08.15 for third place in the 4×400. Ocean City won in a time of 4:01.66.
Teagan O’Brien was third in the discus with her throw of 98’10”. Millville’s Aniya McNeil won at 110’7”.
Mainland’s Anayah Usher was fourth in the shot put. Her distance was 33’7”. The winning throw by Hammonton’s Mitra Sampson was 36’7”. Perez was fifth in the high jump, clearing 4’10”.
Sydney Booth was seventh in the javelin with her throw of 99’5”. The winning throw, by Millville’s Shila Austin, was 112’11”.
Mustang boys
Mainland’s Williams won the triple jump with his distance of 45’1.5”. Teammate Khaleeb Foster was seventh at 42’1.5”.
Williams was second in the long jump with his leap of 20’4.5”. Cedar Creek’s Enrico JnPierre-Greene won at 21’0.5”.
Williams also earned a third-place finish in the 110 high hurdles. His time was 15.08 seconds. Millville’s Isaac Robert won in 14.58 seconds. Mainland teammates Colin Kummings and Foster, both timed at 15.91, tied for seventh.
Muits won the javelin with a throw of 154’5”. Teammate Martin Brock was sixth at 132’10”.
The Mustang 4×800 relay with Micah Miller, Trey Goldstein, Ryan Madamba and Cooper Brookbank took fourth place in 8:52. Ocean City won in 8:30.71 with Oakcrest second and Egg Harbor Township third.
Goldstein was seventh in the 3200 meters with a time of 10:42.54.
Mainland’s 4×100 also took fourth. Chris Keena, Zaki Marcus, Jonathon Perez and Dallas Rowell finished in 43.34 seconds. Oakcrest won in 42.69 seconds with ACIT and Pleasantville second and third.
Ethan Bongiovanni was fourth in the 1600 meters with his time of 4:40.77. Cedar Creek’s Matthew Winterbottom won in 4:32.47.
Derrick Wang was fifth in the 400 hurdles in 1:00.16. Atlantic City’s Trudale Scott won in 55.66 seconds.
Jackson Larimer was sixth in the pole vault, clearing 12’, and teammate Edwin Duversaint was eighth at 11’. Oakcrest’s Ryan Merlino won by clearing 14’.
Kummings was fifth in the high jump, clearing 6’. Oakcrest’s Darryl Gause won at 6’2”.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
