Holmdel and Middletown South captured NJSIAA Track and Field Group Relay state titles Sunday at Princeton University.
High jumpers Jonathan Kwong and Charles DiFazio won the boys’ Group II high jump relay state title combining for a height of 12-2. Kwong, cleared the bar at 6-2 followed by Hornet teammate DeFazio’s 6-0. Kwong tied for first in the group with Holy Cross’s Michael Murawski.
Middletown South’s girls picked up their gold in the Group III 4×800 relay. Led by the Monmouth County cross-country champion, Nicole Lombardy, the Eagles finished 10 seconds up on runner-up Woodrow Wilson, 9:47.38-9:57.52.
Lauren Dike ran the opening 800 for the Eagles and handed the baton over to Kolleen McCauley for the second leg. Lombardy ran the penultimate leg and gave the stick to Tina Morrison, who finished off the victory.
South also picked up a second place in the high jump with Lindsay Dike (5-0) and Kerry McLaughlin (4-4 1/4), teaming for a 9-4 1/4 that trailed only Morristown (9-10). Dike’s 5-0 jump tied her with three other jumpers for first place. Katie O’Connor of Lacey, Deneitra Sims of Morristown and Jessica Marcasciano of Egg Harbor were the other 5-0 jumpers.
The Eagles also got a sixth place in the 4×400 relay (4:15.77). Morrison, Lindsay Dike, Lombardy and Kolleen McCauley were the Eagle quartet. Willingboro posted a 4:04.52 in taking the race.
The Eagles finished fourth in Group with 19 points. Willingboro won the team championship with 50 points.
Holmdel’s boys also finished in fourth place (18) behind champion Bridgeton (51).
Besides the winning high jump team of Kwong and DeFazio, the Hornets had a third place in the distance medley and sixth in the 4×800 and shot put.
All-state harrier Craig Segal ran the anchor 1,600 meters for the Hornets’ DM team that was third (11:08.29) behind Bridgeton (11:01.49 and Colts Neck (11:04.43).
Edward Li, Craig Percopo and Cole Liberator were the other members of the DM squad.
Li, Leonardo Vignone, Steven Chen and Liberator teamed up to take sixth in the 4×800 (8:55.76. Bridgeton was first in this race as well at (8:22.31).
Percopo (45-2 3/4) and Christopher Mondoro (39-9 1/2) reached 85-0 1/4 inches, taking sixth in the shot put that was won by Bridgeton (98-6) by a foot over Matawan (97-6 3/4).
The Huskys were led by Uzoma Orji, whose 55-8 1/2 was second in Group II to Monmouth Regional’s Adam Kuehl (56-4 1/2). Pat Callahan (41-10 1/4) joined Orji on the shot put relay team.
Middletown South’s were sixth in the Group III 4×800. Thomas Deus, Sean Rath, Kerry O’Brien and Ben Graf recorded an 8:40.78. Highland Regional was first in 8:18.4.
The state Relays continue with Groups I and IV Sunday, taking their turns in Princeton. That will close the relay season. The individual season begins with the Monmouth County Championships at Red Bank Regional. The boys will compete on the 17th and the girls on the 18th.
The NJSIAA Group Championships at Princeton are Jan. 20 (Groups II and III) and 26th (Groups I and IV). The Shore Conference meet is Jan. 30 at RBR with the NJSIAA All-Groups MOC slated for Feb. 3 in Princeton.