HHS star collects fifth M of C medal
By: Rudy Brandl
SOUTH PLAINFIELD It was like a heavyweight title fight with two rivals pummeling each other with their best shots.
When the battle was over, Hillsborough High senior Taryn O’Connor finished second in the shot put competition at last week’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Jost Field in South Plainfield. O’Connor had beaten Brick Township rival DeAnne Hahn for the state title at the indoor Meet of Champs in February, but Hahn came out on top this time in a classic competition to capture the outdoor crown.
The state’s best throwers exchanged leads twice before Hahn unleashed a monster throw of 47 feet, 6 inches on her second of three attempts in the finals. O’Connor had just hit a season-best and state-leading mark of 46-0½ and was poised to win her second state championship of the school year. Hahn responded in a big way, leaving O’Connor with one more shot to beat her. Although she came up short, O’Connor left the shot put area with a big smile on her face.
"It was really close," O’Connor said on her way to the awards tent, where she picked up her fifth career M of C medal. "I’m happy that I’ve been throwing well. I thought I had her when I hit 46. She hasn’t hit that mark since the winter, but she hit a big throw. I had to try to go for it."
O’Connor grunted out one more big throw on her final attempt and hit her second 45-11¼ of the final round. O’Connor averaged right around 46 feet in the finals but didn’t have that one monster mark to win the gold. She went out with her best shot put performance of the spring season.
"I seek the thrill of competition," she said. "It was amazing. I was all excited jumping around in there. I did the best I’ve done all season."
Two years ago, O’Connor captured her first Meet of Champions medal on the day she surpassed 40 feet for the first time. She’s won a medal in every indoor and outdoor season since and increased her distance by over 15 percent.
O’Connor was Hillsborough’s only medalist at this year’s Meet of Champs. Six of her teammates competed in a total of seven other events, but none came away with medals.
Senior Ebony Jones came the closest in the 400 hurdles, where she ran a personal record time of 1:04.33 to finish ninth, one spot out of medal contention. Jones ran hard to win the third heat and finished her career in style. She picked up speed in the final 200 meters and sprinted to her best time ever.
Sophomore Ebony Young was ranked fifth in the event after a second place finish at the Group 4 Championships. Young didn’t have her legs on this day and finished 12th in 1:04.66. She was gunning for something in the 1:02 area and certainly expected to be in the medal picture. While she didn’t have a great race, Young certainly expects to be a factor next spring.
"My knee was bothering me today," Young said. "I’m hoping to do better at nationals."
Young and senior Melissa Arango competed in the triple jump, where both Raiders figured to be in medal contention. Young placed 10th (35-0) and Arango tied for 20th (33-3). Arango was robbed of 11th place when the official measured a later jump at 34-11 but didn’t count it because meet regulations state that only one mark under the event minimum (35-0) can be used. HHS head coach Rich Refi argued that if the official took the time to measure the jump, it should have replaced the previous mark.
Three HHS boys competed at the Meet of Champs, including two seniors who finished their careers among the state’s best. Hurdler Tyler Szwarc and triple jumper Brandon Lane, who were part of an All-America shuttle hurdles team during the indoor season, capped their scholastic careers at Jost Field.
For Szwarc, getting to the M of C was a victory in itself. He’s been plagued by a back injury in the second half of the season and was happy to make it to the big show. Szwarc ran the 110 high hurdles in 15.09 seconds, good for 23rd place.
"Most of it was just about getting here," Szwarc said. "Moving on from sectionals was great and getting past Egg Harbor was unexpected. Just getting here was great. This was special for me because this is where I ran my first track meet (a scrimmage freshman year) and my last track meet."
Lane entered the M of C as a long shot for a medal but his 45-foot jump at the Group 4 meet left him hoping for another personal record, which could have produced some hardware. Lane struggled on his first two jumps, including a very close foul call on the second attempt, so he had to be conservative on his final try. Lane hit 44 feet to finish 17th in the competition.
"It felt like a privilege to get here," Lane said. "I’m disappointed in my performance, but I’m happy I got a chance to jump. I just wanted to make sure I got a mark. I’m pleased with what I accomplished."
Junior pole vaulter Mark Ksiezopolski did not clear the opening height of 13 feet, a mark he had surpassed easily in winning the Somerset County and Central Jersey Group 4 titles. Ksiezopolski, whose personal record is 13-6, will be shooting for the school record (14-1) next year, when he expects to return to the Meet of Champions.

