IRVINGTON – From Friday, June 24, through Sunday, June 26, 11 members of the Irvington-based Jersey Heat Track Club completed the second round of the AAU Junior Olympic series by participating in the 2016 AAU Region 1 National Qualifier, which was contested at West Haven High School in West Haven, Conn.
Out of the 35 individual events and one relay that the team contested, the team advances in 24 events. Ten personal-best performances were achieved, along with eight of the 11 athletes coming home with Regional medals.
The combined efforts of Essex County Vocational Schools – Newark Tech Campus senior Chuckie Moses II; and Irvington High School juniors Nehemie Estil Duprevil, Marvin Val and Jefferson Sainval resulted in asecond-place finish in the 4x800m (2-mile) relay. The team’s individual event achievements include but are not limited to:
- One personal-best performance on Saturday by Nehemie Estil Duprevil with a 21 feet-9 inch jump in the 17-18 men’s long jump for the regional win. Estil Duprevil also won the 17-18 men’s steeplechase and 17-18 men’s triple jump on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
- One personal-best performance on Saturday by 2016 Irvington High School graduate Jerry Pierre in the open men’s long jump. This personal best was among the three first-place finishes that Pierre had during the weekend.
- One personal-best performance on Sunday by Florence Avenue Elementary School (Irvington) fifth-grader Jamir Brown, who jumped 16-1 in the 10-year-old boys long for the regional championship win. This jump came within an hour of his second-place finish in the 10-year-old 800m (half mile) during which he almost fell at the beginning of the race. Jamir also won his 1500m (just under a mile) on Saturday, finishing first in the Region.
- A first-place finish by 2016 Irvington High School graduate Craig Bradley in the 17-18 men Discus throw.
- Two second-place finishes for Marvin Val in both the 17-18 men’s shot put and 2,000m steeplechase.
- A third-place finish by Great Oaks Charter School (Newark) freshman Ja’Nay Brown in the 14- year-old girls long jump.
- A third-place finish by Jefferson Sainval in the 17-18 men’s 400m hurdles and a personal-best performance in the 17-18 men’s long jump.
- One personal-best performance by Irvington High School junior Terrell Williams in the 15-16 boys long jump.
- One personal-best open performance by 2016 Irvington High School graduate Jonathan Carlon in the 17-18 men’s 400m run. This comes just four months after Carlon qualified for Groups, but tore his right quad competing at his high school indoor State Sectional meet while running the 55m dash finals.
- One personal-best performance by Chuckie Moses II in the 17-18 boys long jump.
Although he is still in his first ever running year, Irvington High School sophomore Sebastin Val advances to Nationals in three out of his four contested results. It’s very rare for a first-year athlete to qualify for a national competition in one event, much less advance in three events.
Jersey Heat Track Club Coach Michele Jones-Loring says that she is EXTREMELY proud of her athletes and that she and the athletes are looking forward to taking this trip to Texas to further display their talents nationally. She hopes that everyone will be able to take advantage of their advancement opportunities, but is admittedly concerned with the financial aspect of the situation.
It is estimated that the team will need approximately $8,500 (not including the cost of a vehicle) to complete the season without any athlete either having to struggle to make an out-of-pocket contribution to offset costs or face the possibility of not participating. It is for this reason that the team now is in a huge fundraising push as it prepares for the AAU Junior Olympic Games to be contested at Humble High School in Humble, Tex. (Houston area) from August 1 through August 6. Until then, if money permits, the team intends on competing in the Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational contested in Durham, N.C. from July 15 through July 17. It also will participate in several local competitions throughout the state.
Anyone needing more information about the Jersey Heat Track Club program can contact Coach Michele Jones-Loring at 973-757-2537 or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jerseyheattc. Anyone who would like to make a donation to the club can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/jhtc-outdoor16fund.
Photo of athletes under the tent: Back row from left: Jamir Brown Jonathan Carlon, Jefferson Sainval, and Nehemie Estil Duprevil. Middle row from left: Chuckie Moses II, Marvin Val, Jerry Pierre, and Terrell Williams. Front row from left: Craig Bradley, Ja’Nay Brown, and Sebastin Val.
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