Rankings Are Rewritten at NJSIAA Meet of Champions
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The NJSIAA Meet of Champions showcased some of the fastest performances in the country this season, with top-ranked efforts across the sprints, hurdles, and distance events.
Boys
Cole Isaac Cramer put together an impressive sprint double, winning the 55m dash in 6.24, the second-fastest time in the country this season. He dominated the event, securing the title by 0.13 seconds. In the 200m, he finished as the runner-up with a personal best of 21.28, a U.S. #10 time, finishing just 0.03 seconds behind Jordaine Johnson in a tightly contested final.
The 55m hurdles finals were one of the most competitive races of the meet, with razor-thin margins at the finish. James Dely secured the win in 7.32, ranking 14th nationally, just ahead of Jason Keiser, who clocked 7.33 for a U.S. #17 time. Camryn Thomas (7.36, U.S. #18) and Corey Greenfield (7.38, U.S. #22) also posted top-tier national marks.
The 800m final saw four athletes break into the top 25 nationally this season. Ryan Daly led the way in 1:51.62 (U.S. #14), followed closely by Taysaun Wilson (1:52.09, U.S. #17), Brody Watt (1:52.66, U.S. #23), and Adam Petitjean (1:52.93, U.S. #25).
The 1600m featured one of the deepest fields of the meet, producing five of the top 20 times in the nation. Hunter Celkupa claimed the title in 4:09.21 (U.S. #9), followed by Matthew Littlehales (4:09.37, U.S. #12), Luke Andresen (4:10.82, U.S. #14), Marcus Valenzuela (4:12.54, U.S. #19), and Jack Dowd (4:12.58, U.S. #20).
In the 3200m, Luke Pash delivered a dominant performance, running 8:54.81 to set a new U.S. #1 time. Just behind him, Christian Brothers Academy teammates Luke Hnatt (9:05.31, U.S. #10) and Ryan Schmitt (9:06.39, U.S. #12) added their names to the national rankings with strong performances.
In the relays, Winslow Township blazed to a U.S. #6 time of 3:15.97 in the 4x400m, closing out the meet with one of the fastest relay marks in the nation this season.
Girls
In the sprint events, it was a historic day for Sianni Wynn, who made a statement by winning both the 55-meter dash and the 200-meter dash for the third consecutive year. Wynn blasted a state-record time of 6.73 in the 55m, which ranks No. 6 in U.S. history. She then returned to break her own state record in the 200m, crossing the line in a jaw-dropping 23.31, which now stands as the 12th-fastest time in U.S. history.
Natalie Dumas also delivered a standout performance, running a U.S. #2 time of 53.55 in the 400-meter dash. She set a significant personal best, lowering her previous mark by 0.90 seconds to stay undefeated in the event this season.
In the 800m, Reagan Moore and Clemmie Lilley went head-to-head in a thrilling final. Moore claimed the win with a U.S. #4 time of 2:04.80, while Lilley finished just behind her with a U.S. #5 time of 2:06.02, marking two of the top five times in the nation this season.
Sophia Thompson made a huge breakthrough in the 1600m, running a U.S. #8 time of 4:47.83. Her performance marked an 8-second overall personal best for the event, whether indoors or outdoors.
The 3200m featured an exciting race with four of the top eight U.S. times set this season. Liliah Gordon crossed the line first with a U.S. #3 time of 10:13.41, followed by Delana Einreinhofer in 10:20.60 (U.S. #5), Leah Starkey (10:24.86, U.S. #7) and Cayleigh Kaiser (10:27.01, U.S. #8) also posted national-leading times, rounding out one of the nation's most competitive 3200m fields this season.
The Winslow Township girls 4x400m relay team continued their strong season, running a U.S. #7 time of 3:45.89. They are now one of only seven teams to break 3:47 this season.
In the high jump, Egypt Bolan captured the title with a jump of 5'8", tying for 9th nationally this season.
With state records and multiple national-leading performances across the board, the NJSIAA Meet of Champions once again proved to be one of the premier indoor track and field events in the country.