19th Annual Our Lady of Sorrows Track meet sees strongest competition

SOUTH ORANGE – Good Shepherd of Irvington won the the 19th Annual Our Lady of Sorrows Track and Field Meet on May 7.

Going into the final events – the relays – there were still four schools in contention with Saint Thomas the Apostle of Bloomfield (92 points) leading, followed by Saint John the Apostle of Clark (87.5),  Our Lady of Sorrows (81) and Good Shepherd of Irvington (68.5). When it was over, Good Shepherd had won by just 3.5 points over Saint Thomas, and Saint John edged out OLS by 1.5 points. The meet drew 18 schools and was the most competitive in the 19 years of its existence.

Taking full advantage of the lull in the rain, the action started immediately when Holy Trinity’s Enzo Soltani led four other runners under the meet record with his 5:19.57 performance for the Sixth Grade and Under 1600 meters. How fast was that? Nolan Orr from Assumption ran 5:28.99 to win the Seventh and Eighth Grade event. Nolan won the 800, too. Saint Vincent de Paul’s Laura Baeyens demolished the Seventh and Eighth 1,600 record for the girls with a 5:42.72. She holds the Sixth Grade and Under record, too. She later came back to win the 400.

OLS’ Oliver Karbownik had a nice double victory, holding off Kevin Agnew from Saint Patrick in the Fifth and Sixth 800 in 2:44.2 and winning the Long Jump. Justin Reid of Saint Thomas won the Seventh and Eighth 200 in 27.64 seconds while Sydney Tucker from Shepherd blasted a 27.64 to break the record set in 2003. Justin later won the Long Jump at 14- 7.

In the Seventh and Eigthh 100, David Gbadamosi of Saint James eked out a win in 12.62 seconds, a couple of blinks of an eye quicker than Saint John’s Steven Campbell.

The field events were just as hotly contested. Christian Nowicki of Our Lady of Peace took the Boys Seventh and Eighth Grade Shot Put  at 38-0, while OLS’ Sydney Fullilove toss of 27-7 won the girls event. Sheu Maphosa of OLS took two events, the Boys Fifth and Sixth Grade Shot Put at 29-4 and the TurboJav at 93-9.  Parker Hamilton demolished the Boys Third and Fourth Grade Shot Put record by almost 3 feet when he uncorked a 27-1 toss. In the TurboJav, Timmy O’Connor threw 102-9 to win the Seventh and Eighth Grade for Holy Family while Julianna Feit’s 70-11 won the girls’ event for Saint Patrick.

In the Long Jump, Sydney Kress’ 11-6 leap beat Megan Slattery. Both girls are from Our Lady of Peace. Another OLP girl won the Third and Fourth Jump. Kaitlyn Hue’s 10′-9 was 5 feet ahead of Alyma Karobownik of OLS, who also placed third in the 400 in 1:22.1.

OLS had some other fine performances, too. Ajamo Carraby-Jones took third in the Boys Seventh and Eighth 1,600 in 5:40.38 and he later placed fourth in the 400. Jared Edwards broke the meet record in the Sixth and Under 1,600 with a 5:56.1 while placing fourth. Nick Torres’ 2:40.1 was third in the Fifth and Sixth 800 and Emma Torres was third in the Third and Fourth 800. Nicholas Scantlebury placed third in the Fifth and Sixth 400 in a time of 1:14.65. Jordan Ince placed fourth in the Girls Seventh and Eighth 200, clocking 31.61 seconds. Amelia Benjamin had a nice double with a third in the Third and Fourth Shot Put at 20-10 and a fifth in the TurboJav at 34-11. Teresa Pollard scored fifth in the Seventh and Eighth Grade Shot Put with a 22-7.5 throw. Harold Fullilove grabbed fifth in the Fifth and Sixth Grade Long Jump with a leap of 10-4 and Max Ince scored a fourth in the Third and Fourth TurboJav.

The Boys Fifth and Sixth Grade Medley relay of Jared Edwards, Nicholas Scantlebury, Olivia Ince and Harold Fullilove raced to second. The Boys Seventh and Eighth  relay grabbed fourth with Nick Torres, Dukens Dossun, Teresa Pollard and Jordan Ince. Other strong efforts were posted by Nyla Edwards, Taona Edwards, Gwen Oakley, Molly Donohue and Ella Scantlebury.

The team heads to Westfield for the 38th Annual Holy Trinity meet next week.