By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
OLD BRIDGE — Kelly Yanucil took a significant step at this year’s Meet of Champions.
Not only did the Bordentown Regional High School sophomore qualify for the MOC in two events after making it only in javelin last year, but she showed major improvements. After finishing 19th in the javelin last year, she was 16th in the girls discus throw with a throw of 111-10, better than the 111-2 she threw at the group meet.
Yanucil saved her best finish for last as she threw 124-feet for ninth place in the girls javelin that concluded last Monday. The top eight spots receive medals, but the sophomore has two more years to earn it.
”I’m happy with how I threw,” Yanucil said. “I was pretty proud of it. I could have done better. It was the end of the season. I was just glad I went out of there with a good throw.”
Her Scotties teammate also was a high finisher. Alicia Carthan placed 12th in the girls shot put after bettering her Group II performance with a throw of 38-10. She also improved her MOC performance from a year ago. She was 17th last year.Florence’s Curtis Thompson concluded quite a freshman year in 16th place in the boys javelin. His best throw was 165-feet-1.
Florence’s other representative, sophomore Drew Bristol, was 24th at the MOC in the girls 100 hurdles in 15.30 seconds.
Northern Burlington’s Mike Akaegbu was a wild card entry to the MOC, but the senior made the most of his chance with a 20th place finish in the 110 hurdles in 15.15 seconds, better than the 15.41 that he ran at the Group III meet the week before.
Fellow Greyhounds teammate David Prater was 29th in the boys triple jump. The senior’s best was 41-feet-9¾ in his first trip to the MOC.
Northern Burlington senior Chinwe Nwankwo reached the MOC in the girls javelin, and finished 26th with a throw of 106-10. It was Yanucil that enjoyed a fine showing in the javelin competition that was broken into two days by a thunderstorm.
”I threw two throws and it started pouring and only a couple girls got to throw their last throw,” Yanucil said. “I only had one throw left.”
Yanucil had to take a bus back to Old Bridge last Monday for one final throw, but she did not improve her standing. She felt better about the way that she competed than a year ago. That prior experienced helped her in the ultra-competitive environment.
”It was kind of still nerve-wracking,” Yanucil said. “I was kind of nervous when I first stepped up. Then, after I threw, the nerves went away.”
Yanucil is encouraged by what the future could hold. Ahead of her at the MOC were nine seniors that will not be returning to the MOC next year.
”I still feel like I could get up there eventually, I hope,” Yanucil said. “I always look up the other girls and think I could be like that one day.”
Kelly Yanucil saw significant improvement this year, particularly in the discus which enabled her to make the MOC in two events. There, she came closer than she ever had to a medal, and it has her motivated for her junior year.
”It keeps me pushing,” Yanucil said. “I always want to keep progressing.”
