Last Wednesday in Pennsauken, the best high school athletes in the state competed at the 2024 NJSIAA Meet of Champions.
By John Spinelli
Middletown South’s Rosemary Shay upset the field by four seconds in the 3,200-meter, winning her first state championship with a time of 10:32. After closing her high school career on a high note, she will continue running at Villanova University.
In the 1,600-meter, Freehold Township’s Emma Zawatski won at the line with no competition with a time of 4:50.15. On the men’s side, Colts Neck junior Hunter Celkupa ran a blazing time of 4:08.92 for third place; making him one of the favorites next year as a senior.
In the women’s 800-meter, RFH’s Reynolds-Mallone ran for silver in a time of 2:11.97, trailing the lead by two seconds. In a rare occurrence, Colts Neck’s Natalie O’Connor and RFH’s Izzy Rodriguez tied for fourth place with a time of 2:12.62.
St. John Vianney senior Alexandria Scott ran 1:00.51 in the 400-meter hurdles to bring home silver.
On the men’s side, Furman-bound senior Jack Falkowski of Christian Brothers Academy earned second in the 800-meter with a time of 1:51.65.
In the field events, Michigan-bound St. Rose’s Josh Huisman threw a bomb in the shot put, earning a mark of 67-33⁄4 feet. Huisman has been dominant the past two years, winning back-to-back county, group states and MOC trophies.
In another unusual tie, Red Bank Regional’s Lawrence Hicks cleared 6-6 in the high jump to share third place with Manville’s Professor Ceo.
Holmdel’s Sophia Laudi excelled on the soccer field and also tosses a mean javelin.
She threw a mark of 116 feet for sixth place to end her high school career. In the pole vault, RFH junior Louis Izzo earned Top 15 with a mark of 13-6.
In other track and field news, Monmouth University hosted the Elliott Denman International Meet June 2. Six athletes made their dreams come true, earning spots to the 2024 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, next week.
Elliott Denman, 90, a 1956 Olympian and Long Branch native, was named the honorary meet director. In the 1960s, he was the first track and field coach for then-Monmouth College and also made an impact as a sports journalist. The event was sponsored by the university and the Shore Athletic Club.
The day began with the challenging 35k racewalk (21.75 miles). Marist College’s Marissa Sciotto and Angelina Coto, both amateurs, made the standard after many months of endurance training.
In the running events, professionals Nick Dahl from Empire Elite in New York City and Annie Rodenfels from the Boston Athletic Association both made qualifying times. Rodenfels easily won her heat in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:32. In the 1,500-meter, Dahl clinched the title with a winning time of 3:39.73, holding onto first place in the last 50 meters. That race also saw Middletown amateur runner Brian Hill competing; he ran a 3:52.
It was an exciting moment for Tyler Williams, who heaved the hammer 245 feet to win the hammer throw. The Pennsylvania native is a member of Garage Strength Throwing Club and is semi-professional, earning the Olympic spot without a formal contract.
This year the meet honored two athletes, Holmdel-native Bob Roggy, a javelinist, and former Monmouth Hawk Allie Wilson, a runner. Roggy died in 1986 in a motor vehicle accident while training for the 1988 Olympics. He competed for Holmdel High School and Southern Illinois University.
Wilson is a Nike Professional runner seeking to make Team USA again at the trials. She now has a high statistical chance of making the team after her 800-meter victory at the Indoor Track and Field nationals.
The article originally appeared in the June 20 – June 26, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
