EAST ORANGE, NJ — East Orange Campus High School senior Azariah Christopher took second place in the finals of the girls 55-meter hurdles event at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s track and field Group 4 state championships at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River on Saturday, Feb. 26.
Christopher, who was clocked in 8.52 seconds, qualified for the NJSIAA’s Meet of Champions on Saturday, March 5. She placed fifth in the preliminaries in 8.81 and improved on that performance in the finals.
The top three finishers in each event from the group meets qualified for the Meet of Champions.
In addition, the top 12 performances in each event that did not place in the top three three from the combined group meets qualified for the Meet of Champions.
On the boys’ side, senior Chris Amos took eighth place in the 400-meter dash in 51.65.
The Jaguars had other competitors at the Group 4 state meet.
On the girls’ side, senior Tasena Stevenson took 23rd place in the preliminaries of the 55-meter dash in 7.82. Kahliyah Smith, also a senior, took 15th place in the preliminaries of the 55-meter hurdles in 9.22. The 4-x-400-meter relay team took 24th place in 4 minutes, 21.47 seconds.
On the boys’ side, senior Geraldo Gibson took 12th place in 6.71, senior Javon Soiro took 20th place in 6.80, and Amos took 21st place in 6.83 in the preliminaries of the 55-meter dash.
Gibson took 11th place in the finals of the 400-meter dash in 52.61.
The 4-x-400-meter relay team placed 14th in the finals.
In the high jump finals, senior Prince Osagie-Erese and Soiro tied for 12th place with leaps of 5 feet, 8 inches. In the shot put finals, senior Sekou Kromah took 22nd place with a throw of 41 feet, 1 ¾ inches.
The Group 4 state championships consisted of the top six finishes in each event from the sectionals.
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