Ravens senior also shares in record relay
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
SOUTH PLAINFIELD — The very first thought to pop into Noel Jancewicz’s head when she realized that she had won the girls high jump at the Meet of Champions last Wednesday was simple, yet all-telling.
”It was, ‘Finally,’” said the Robbinsville High School senior who was the only jumper to clear 5-foot-8. “I’ve been trying to do this for so long, and for some reason something usually ends up not going my way at Meet of Champs. This year was just great. Not only did I win Meet of Champs, but I had my personal best this season. It’s a great way to end my career. I feel great.”
Jancewicz had medaled in her three previous outdoor MOC meets, and took second in the indoor MOC this year when she felt like the favorite. She delivered a meaningful win that got the monkey off her back with Wednesday’s performance.
”For her, all these years of being close — she’s medaled every year in this event — and you walk away saying, how are you disappointed with finishing fourth or third in the state, but that’s the kind of kid she is,” said Ravens girls coach Mike Walker. “For her to win it today on her last try, I’m really excited for her. I’m really happy for her.”
Jancewicz is the first female MOC winner from RHS.
”I wanted this for so long,” Jancewicz said. “I knew I always had a chance. Pretty much every year I had a chance of taking first. This year, it finally happened.”
She missed just once, her first attempt at 5-foot-6, on her way to clearing 5-8. She had a strong second attempt at the meet record 5-10, but was content with gold.
”At 5-8, I was shaking, I was actually so nervous,” she said. “I wanted to clear it so badly. But at 5-10, I was definitely more relaxed. I like the pressure. The pressure really does help me when I compete.”
The Ravens came through under pressure to end the meet as well. In the 4×400, Kelly Koss, Paris Hughes, Jancewicz and Kaitlyn Koss eclipsed their school record again by running 3:54.31 to medal in seventh place. The top eight finishers in each event receive medals.
”It felt really great because coming into the season we would have never expected to medal at Meet of Champs,” said Kelly Koss, a senior. “And now here we are getting school records every meet, so it feels really good.”
Kelly Koss led off the relay before handing off to Hughes, the only junior on the team of seniors.
”It’s been great,” Hughes said. “I know that next year they’ll be gone, so we’re trying to do the best we can now and just take it all in. Next year, I’ll miss them. We’re just trying to the best we can.”
The Ravens have been producing week after week. They won the Group II state title only five days before the MOC with a then-school record 3:55.49.
”We’re all starting to get our PRs now,” Hughes said. “The quicker times we get just push us to go harder and continue to get better times every week.”
Jancewicz was already on Cloud Nine when she took the baton from Hughes and moved the Ravens up a couple of places in the fast heat.
”We dropped a lot of time at states when we got first that day,” Jancewicz said. “We found out we were in the fast heat and we wanted to go out and do our best and place, and we did.”
Jancewicz and well as Kaitlyn Koss, the twin sister of Kelly, had qualified to run in the open 400 meters, but elected to pass it up for the chance to compete fresh for the team. It was worth it.
”Noel, she passed a few people and put me in good position,” Kaitlyn Koss said. “I knew I just had to finish it out and not let her or my teammates down.”
Kaitlyn Koss finished off the memorable meet for the Ravens with a strong final leg. It sends them to nationals with confidence that they can run with anyone.
”When I got the baton, everyone was so close together so I didn’t know what to expect,” she added. “I knew all the other anchor legs were fast, so I just knew that it would push me to PR and come in a good place for our team. I didn’t run the open 400 to just focus on the 4×4 today.”
Said Walker: “We haven’t had anyone beat us with that lineup in a while.”
Jancewicz was able to focus herself on the final event after getting through her top event, the high jump. Though she will go to the University of Pennsylvania to compete as a multi-event athlete, the high jump holds a special part for her.
”This has been my favorite event,” Jancewicz said. “Even in middle school when I started high jump, it’s always been my favorite event. In winter, I decided not to run the 4 too (at MOC), just so I could try to go for the win, and unfortunately I didn’t get it. So, this year I was actually considering running the open 4 because I thought it would be cool to get two medals, but I’d rather have the gold in high jump. I’m so happy.”
Jancewicz was not the picture of confidence only a week before the MOC. She hadn’t yet jumped 5-8 this season, and she wasn’t sure it would materialize in the biggest meet of the year.
”I was determined,” Jancewicz said, “but I’m not going to lie — I definitely had doubts in my head. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. A couple days last week at practice, I wasn’t jumping very high. I was having problems at 5-4, and it was freaking me out. But today everything clicked and came together.”
Robbinsville coach Jon Hutchinson has worked with Jancewicz throughout her Ravens career, even studying up on the high jump to be better prepared to steer her well.
”High jump, it’s one or two little things can throw your whole day off,” he said. “She just seemed really locked in.
”The last couple weeks, she won on her third attempt,” he said. “She had to learn if you miss your first or second attempt, stay mentally strong and mentally tough and look what happens. That can turn out to be the difference.”
When it came down to four jumpers left, Jancewicz knew that she had won a medal, but the question was where she would finish.
”She’s been in the mix,” Hutchinson said. “I think it might be four of the four years she’s medaled here. To win it, it’s that storybook ending that every senior hopes for. It’s tough. If anything, it teaches her it’s tough to win this stuff. And there are a lot of good jumpers in the state.”
For the first time, Noel Jancewicz can say without argument that she is the best of them.

