EAST ORANGE, NJ — The East Orange Campus High School boys and girls track-and-field teams gave good efforts at the Super Essex Conference–American Division championships on Saturday, May 14, at Newark Schools Stadium.
The girls team took third place overall. Senior Azariah Christopher won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.64 seconds. She also has qualified for nationals. In the 100-meter dash, Senior Tasena Stevenson took third place in 12.83, and sophomore Apple Brown took fifth place in 13.08. In the 200-meter dash, senior Kahliyah Smith took third place in 26.08, Stevenson took fifth place in 26.75 and Christopher took sixth place in 26.79. In the 400-meter dash, senior Vegonia Jean-Baptiste took third place in 1 minute, 2.55 seconds, and senior Katherine Henry took sixth place in 1:04.29. Smith took second place in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.47. The 4×400 meter relay team took fourth place in 4:21.50. Jean-Baptiste took fourth place in the long jump at 16 feet, 4 inches. Senior Michelande Volcy took sixth place in the triple jump at 32 feet, 4 ½ inches. Sophomore Kamiya Powell took sixth place in the shot put at 29-8.
EOCHS girls head coach Rolanda Bruce was thrilled for Christopher and the rest of the team.
“I am extremely excited for Azariah and proud of her performance at (the) conference (meet),” she said. “This is something we were working on before COVID, so to see her accomplish the goal to run in 15 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles is phenomenal, especially because she has been with me since her freshman year. There are definitely more performances to come. She is going out with a bang for her senior year.
“The girls team’s performance surprised me. The coaching staff and I have been working hard at practice to make sure they dropped time at the close-to-perfect time. They came together as a team and performed at a high level on Saturday, earlier than expected. With the many PRs that were seen on Saturday, the team is excited to get back to work and show out again for county individuals.”
Christopher expressed how she felt at qualifying for nationals.
“At a loss of words, but I really feel accomplished and excited, but this is only the beginning of what else I have to offer,” she said.
The boys team took fourth place overall. The 4×400 meter relay team took first place in 3:23.26. Senior Kyle Louis ran the leadoff leg, followed by junior Michael Henderson, senior Javon Soiro and freshman Shakur Taylor. Senior Prince Osagie-Erese took second place in three events — the high jump at 6-0, the long jump at 22-1 and the triple jump at 42-1. In the 400-meter hurdles, Henderson took third place in 58.32, senior Chris Amos took fifth place in 59.60 and Soiro took sixth place in 1:00.19. In the 200-meter dash, senior Geraldo Gibson took fourth place in 22.57, Amos took fifth place in 22.85 and senior Akeerie McFarlane took sixth place in 22.92. In the 100-meter dash, Gibson took fifth place in 11.06 and Osagie-Erese took sixth place in 11.14.
The Essex County individual championships will be held Thursday and Friday, May 19-20, at Montclair High School’s Woodman Field.
Photos Courtesy of Mark Waldron Jr.
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