Clinton “C.J.” Bailey of Jackson Liberty High School locked up a return to the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) at South Plainfield High School on June 4 in the 400-meter hurdles, and New Egypt High School’s Kurt Frimel also advanced in the discus.
Bailey finished second at the Group III meet with a time of 54.62, while Frimel was second in the Group I meet with a mark of 157-1. Both group meets took place at South Plainfield on May 30-31.
Bailey, a senior, also anchored the Liberty Lions’ formidable 4×400-meter relay team with a strong closing leg (49.2) that grabbed the sixth and final qualifying spot in 3:24.70. Brandon McLish opened on that relay, followed by Bryan Coger, Alonzo Aponte and Bailey. Jackson Liberty’s 4×400 relay, a perennially strong event for the school, made the MOC once before in 2011.This year’s team won the Central Jersey Group III sectionals in 3:26 on May 23-24.
Three Jackson Memorial High School boys, meanwhile, qualified for the MOC, and another is a wild card selection out of the Group IV championships in Egg Harbor Township on May 30-31.
Ed Delesky was third in the javelin at 183-11, Nick Claudeo was fifth in the 400 hurdles in 55.94, and Marcus Ademilola finished in a three-way tie for the sixth spot in the high jump based on fewest misses at 6- 2. Two other Jaguars qualified as wild card selections, including Ryan Rafftery in the 1,600, where he finished eighth in 4:19.66, and Caitlin O’Brien, who finished seventh in the girls 3,200 in 11:06.
Bailey admitted that it’s been tough running the past two weekends with a broken right hand he suffered a day before the sectionals.
“It feels good [to make it], but I want to do better,” said Bailey, who said he is aiming to get under 54 seconds. “I definitely could if I just go out and run my race and not worry about other people.”
As for the broken hand, Bailey said, “With any pressure, it hurts a lot and it’ll be in a cast for five weeks. I try not to think of it, but I consider it a challenge to overcome. When you run, you move your hand, and I have to relax it as much as I can.” “He’ll be competing in the MOC in the first and last events,” Jackson Liberty coach Todd Engle said.
Bailey stutter-stepped momentarily on the second hurdle and two others in the 400 hurdles, but he still mustered enough of a surge for the strong clocking.
“I was reaching a lot and over-striding a lot, which messed up my steps,” Bailey said.
Bailey also ran the 200 meters (23.15), but he did not qualify for the MOC.
“I just wanted to warm up with it for the 4×400, but wish I did better,” Bailey said.
Frimel, a senior headed to Cornell University on a football financial package, got his discus mark on his second attempt. He reached a school record 164-1 in the Burlington County Scholastic League championship meet.
Frimel switched in the spring season from baseball, where he was a starting catcher, to outdoor track and field throwing events as a better conditioner toward his football career. Frimel said he got interested in switching over from coach Sam Palumbo, who was also his advanced English teacher at New Egypt.
“I definitely felt I could win it [in the groups meet], but I didn’t throw as well. I was not able to transfer all of my weight [on my throw],” Frimel said. “I just relax, get pumped up and throw as fast as I can.”
Frimel said he hoped to make it last year, when Adam Coyle, who Palumbo also coached during the soccer season, qualified. However, he was scratched because of an injury suffered in the group meet.
Natalie Suess also made it last year from the girls team as a freshman, but she finished just short of qualifying in the high jump this year despite reaching a school record of 4-10.
Frimel also throws the shot put, but he said he enjoys competing in the discus more and entered only the discus in the sectionals.
“You still have to explode like in the shot put, but there’s more speed and quickness,” Frimel said.
He hopes to use his agility from playing football and baseball to his benefit in the MOC.