UPDATED: Irvington HS trackster Dwight Henry wins 55-meter hurdles at Group 3 state championships

Photo by Felicia Laguerre Owens. Dwight Henry is shown at the Super Essex Conference Championships at the Ocean Breeze Complex in December.

TOMS RIVER — Dwight Henry won the 55-meter hurdles in 7.27 to lead the Irvington High School boys indoor track and field team at the Group 3 state championships at the Bennett Center in Toms River on Feb. 29.

Henry’s time was the fastest in the state this season and broke a 40-year meet record.

Henry also took third place in the 55-meter dash in 6.57. 

Teon Dunas tok fifth place in the 55-meter hurdles in 7.68 for the Blue Knights.

Irvington tied for fourth place with Mendham with 18 points apiece based on the top-six finishes in each event. Hamilton North-Nottingham won the team title with 33 points, followed by Allentown with 32 points and Randolph with 20.

In the 400-meter dash, Jared Manifold took 13th in 52.03 and Cashieve Blair was 19th in 52.18. Manifold finished ninth in the preliminaries of the 55 hurdles. Dundas was 14th in the prelims of the 55 dash.

The 4×400-meter relay team took 10th in 3:32.64. Matthias Litus finished in seventh place in the high jump at 6 feet. 

On the girls’ side, IHS competed in two events. Taliyah Hayes was 15th in the prelims of the 55 hurdles and the 4×400 relay was 21st in 4:24.67.

The Group meet consisted of the top-six finishers in each event from the sectional meets.

Henry automatically qualified for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Meet of Champions on March 8 at the Ocean Breeze Complex. The Meet of Champions consists of the top three finishers in each event from the six Group meets, along with wild-card berths consisting of the top 12 performances that didn’t finish in the top three from the Group meets.