BLOOMFIELD (updated Saturday May 6, 12:49 p.m.) – The Bloomfield High School boys’ track and field team enjoyed a stellar performance at the Essex County Relays on Friday, May 5, at Livingston High School under soggy conditions.
The Bengals tied for second overall with West Essex in the boys’ team standings with 49 points apiece, behind East Orange Campus High School, which had 52 points.
BHS head coach Dana LaVorne was ecstatic for her team.
“This is the highest Bloomfield has ever scored at this meet, so it is a huge accomplishment,” said LaVorne. “All the boys came together as a team and succeeded. We couldn’t be more proud of them and what they have accomplished. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us.”
Senior Myles Toppin scored 28 points for the Bengals. Toppin had the meet’s longest triple jump at 46 feet, 1 inch. He combined with sophomore teammate Andrew Terc to win the triple jump event.
Toppin leaped 19 feet, 9 inches and senior Jared Dockett leaped 18 feet, 7 inches to combine for second place in the long jump.
Toppin, senior Nazhir Leonard, senior Tyreis Hinds-Ellison and junior La’Shaun White combined to finish third in the shuttle hurdles in 1:31.1.
Senior Brandon Fernandes threw 157 feet and junior John Ridley threw 126 feet, 10 inches to combine to finish second in the javelin event at 283 feet, 10 inches.
The 4-x-400 relay team of Docket, junior Roshaun Wilson, Leonard and White finished third in 3:27.80.
The pole vault team also finished fourth. Damon Farms leaped 11 feet and fellow senior Lorenzo Dominguez leaped 9 feet.
The BHS girls’ team finished ninth in the girls’ team standings. Aicha Naoua, a junior, had the meet’s second-longest throw in the javelin at 96 feet, 7 inches, and combined with sophomore Kaitlyn Martinez, who threw 77 feet, 10 inches, to finish third.
Anatalia Pena, a junior, also set a school record in the pole vault at 7 feet.
The BHS teams will gear up for the Super Essex Conference Championships at Schools Stadium in Newark on Saturday, May 13.
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