East Orange Campus HS boys’ 4×400 relay team victorious at State Meet of Champions for second year in a row

Pictured are members of the East Orange Campus High School boys’ track and field team after winning the NJSIAA Group 4 State Relays at the Bennett Center on Jan. 19. Photo by Lance Wigfall/EOCHS head boys’ track coach.

EAST ORANGE, NJ – The East Orange Campus High School boys’ indoor track and field team capped a stellar winter season in state competition by winning the 4×400-meter relay event at the NJSIAA State Meet of Champions on Sunday, Feb. 25, at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Immyouri Etienne, Kishaun Richardson, Ibrahim Fobay and Fayeson Carney combined to win the 4×400 relay in 3:24.02. It marked the second straight year that the EOCHS boys won the 4×400 at the Meet of Champions title.

The Jaguars will gear up for the New Balance Nationals, March 9-11, at the New York City Armory Center, looking to break the national record of 3:13.06 by New Bern of North Carolina in 2009. EOCHS ran 3:13.06, the fastest time in the country this season, at the Dr. Sander Invitational at the New York City Armory, Jan. 26-27.

The Jaguars, under head coach Lance Wigfall, had other fine efforts at the Meet of Champions. Al-Tariq Dunson finished fifth in the boys’ 55-meter hurdles in 7.66 and Akeem Lindo was eighth in the preliminaries of the same event in 7.69.

On the girls’ side at the Meet of  Champions on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Bennett Center, Kevaray Gilette was ninth in the preliminaries of the 55-meter hurdles in 8.41 for EOCHS.

The Meet of Champions consisted of the top six finishers, plus wild-card berths, from the State Group meets.

At the Eastern States on Feb. 20 at the New York City Armory, Dunson won the boys’ 55-meter hurdles in 7.32, while Gilette took sixth in the girls’ 55-meter hurdles in 8.33.

The EOCHS boys’ team won the following meet titles this winter: the Super Essex Conference-American Division Championships for the third year in a row, the Essex County Relays; the NJSIAA Group 4 State Relays; the Essex County Championships for the second year in a row; the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 State Championships for the third year in a row; and the NJSIAA Group 4 State Championships for the second year in a row.