In the long history of the New Jersey Track and Field State Group Championships, there have been some amazing performances produced by boys and girls teams from the same school.
But what the Union Catholic boys and girls accomplished this past weekend will go down as the greatest of them all as the Vikings threw down a team sweep for the ages at the State Non-Public A Championships at Middletown North High.
The UC girls piled up an unfathomable and mind-boggling state record total of 200 points to roll to their seventh straight title, outscoring runner-up Immaculate Heart Academy by 140 points!
And the UC boys led by triple-winner Nick Givan and a historic finish in the 1,600, piled up 139 points to defeat a powerful Christian Brothers Academy squad by 25 points and end CBA’s streak of five straight titles. It’s the fourth state title for the boys, who won three in a row from 2013-15.
The championship sweep by the Vikings completes a mind-numbing and historic triple-double for the program and undefeated seasons for both squads.
During this school year, the UC boys and girls swept the State Non-Public A Championships during the cross-country season, the track and field indoor season, and now in the outdoor season, which is something that has never been done before in state history.
Saturday’s sweep is also the first Non-Public A sweep by a school since UC pulled it off in 2015.
In the girls competition, UC’s 200 points broke the All Groups meet record (all groups combined) of 189 that UC set last year.
To put that into perspective, the maximum amount of points a team can score is 390, so the Vikings scored more than half the points possible.
UC’s seven straight championships is tied with Pingry, Pope John, and Winslow for the second longest streak for a girls team in state history. Only Notre Dame, which won eight straight from 1993-2000) has won more consecutive titles than UC.
The seven championships for the Vikings is also tied for the sixth most ever won by a girls program. Notre Dame and Pope John share the state record with 12.
The girls won 12 of the 18 events, seven in the field and five on the track.
In the field, senior Jada Mia Puryear broke her own school record and reset the No. 1 throw in the state by winning the discus with a 143-4, and she also won the shot put with a 39-10.
Junior Alexandra Bonn was also a double winner, taking home the gold medals in the long jump with a 18-4 ½, which is No. 4 in the state this season, and the triple jump (37-10 ¼). Bonn also placed fifth in the hurdles in 15.70 (15.57 in the trials).
Senior Daniela Peralta unloaded her best throw of the season to win the javelin with a 126-3 and placed second in the pole vault (10-0).
On the track, sophomore Peyton Hollis, the state leader in the 800, led a 1-2-3 finish for the Vikings in the 800 with her winning time of 2:09.63, and she finished first in the 1,600 with a 4:53.91.
Freshman Taylor Cox, the state leader in the 100 hurdles, finished first in that event with 13.93, and she also ran a personal best 12.01 to place third in the 100 dash.
Senior Asydiah Pray-Brown won the 400 hurdles in 1:04.27, and UC swept the relay with times of 47.54 in the 4×100, 3:57.62 in the 1,600, and 9:32.18 in the 4×800.
There were several other standouts for the Vikings.
Junior Kaleigh Gunsiorowski was third in the 800 with a personal best 2:13.29, and fourth in the 1,600 in 5:07.84, Junior Ajanae Thompson was second in the 100 hurdles (14.35), second in the 200 (25.30), and fourth in the 100 (a PR of 12.03), and junior Maameyaa Nyinah finished second in the 400 in 56.78, and second in the 800 in 2:13.00, both personal best times.
On the boys side, several runners produced eye-popping times for the Vikings, who racked up a staggering 106 points on the track!!
Nick Givan, who is headed to Georgetown, was sensational as he won three races with blazing fast times.
Givan won the 400 hurdles in 52.48, his fastest time ever and the second fastest time in this season. He also won the 400 in 47.78, another personal best and the third fastest time in NJ this season. And Givan struck gold in the 100 hurdles in 14.43, just off his best time of 14.34.
Myles Plummer, who is headed to the University of Virginia, smashed the meet record in the 800 with his winning time of 1;51.03, and ran a personal best 4:10.69 to finish fourth in the 1,600. Plummer’s 1:51.03 is the third fastest time in the state this season, and it broke the Non-Public A record of 1:51.69 set in 2012 by another UC star, Allen Eke.
Harvard-bound Shane Brosnan finished first in the 3,200 with a personal best 9:09.08, placed third in the 1,600 in 4:10.14, and was fifth in the 800 in 1:55.74.
Sophomore Jimmy Wischusen dropped a pair of super fast times by placing second in the 1,600 in 4:09.87, the third fastest time by a sophomore in state history, and he was second in the 3,200 in 9:10.14. Wischusen also finished sixth in the 800 (1:55.14).
The times by Wischusen (4:09.87), Brosnan (4:10.14), and Plummer (4:10.69) may mark the first time in state history that three runners from the same team ran under 4:11 in the 1,600 in the same race. Those times also place Wischusen, Brosnan, and Plummer No. 6, No. 7, and No. 9 in the state this season.
The Vikings other win on the track came in the 4×800 in 8:12.16 as junior Caudell Cajuste, sophomore Gavin Devine, sophomore Alex Saldana, and junior Leo Wisnefski shared the baton.
In the field, senior Cameron Campbell, in his first season competing, placed second in the triple jump (45-3), fourth in the high jump (6-2), and fourth in the long jump (22-0). Noah Copper finished second in the long jump (22-2 1.2). Aidan Reidy (11-6), Dante Burress (10-6), and Matthew Schutz (10-6) went 3-4-5 in the pole vault, and DaRon Gwaltney finished sixth in the discus (135-4).
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