Marvin Val jumps over a hurdle.
IRVINGTON – The Irvington High School track and field program hosted its meet since 2001 on Friday, April 1, in the season opener.
The boys’ team defeated North 13th Street Tech, 79-16.
The following are IHS boys’ first-place winners:
400-meter intermediate hurdles: Da’John Graves, 65.
100-meter run: Peter Dummerand, 11.1.
1,600-meters: Jefferson Sainval, 5:35.
400-meters: Brandon Moreno, 54.7.
110-meter high hurdles: James Ely, 16.2.
800-meters: Jhamir Applewhite, 2:19.
200-meters: Craig Bradley, 23.6.
Pole vault: Ely, 9 feet.
Shot put: Deja Grier, 39 feet, 3 inches.
Javelin: Elijah Shannon, 124 feet.
“It was a good effort in front of our home crowd for the first meet in over 15 years,” said IHS head coach Marvin Hawkins. “The North 13th kids competed hard and the sportsmanship was great on both sides. There was a lot of people in the stands from both teams! We look forward to having more home meets in the future.”
The following day, the Blue Knights competed at the Kearny Relays.
The following are IHS medal winners:
4×100-meter relay: fourth place, 47.7, Quadri Shannon, Dummerand, Charles Felton-Golden, and Bradley
4×200: sixth place, 1:42, same as the 4×100.
4×800: sixth place, 9:41, Applewhite, Elijah Shannon, Godson Raymond, and Moreno.
4×400: sixth place, 4:00, Moreno, Jaevon Blackmon, Graves, and Applewhite.
“The Blue Knights brought in more medals than all of the winter season!” said Hawkins. “We are off to a good start. The times will get faster as the weather gets warmer. Saturday was very cold and wet.”
The IHS track and football field were renovated in 2013. The track teams were unable to host a meet due to unsafe track conditions.
The boys’ and girls’ track and field teams have high hopes this season, with the goal of restoring the program back to its past glory.
Traditionally, the boys’ team had excelled in the hurdles, sprints, and jumps. This year’s team is balanced. In fact, the Blue Knights are strong in the throws, jumps, hurdles, and sprints, said Hawkins.
The throws will be lead by seniors Grier (shot put, discus), Bradley (shot put, discus), Elijah Shannon (javelin), and juniors Nelson Cheridor (shot put, discus), Jerwin Martilus (shot put, javelin), Shevon Gordon (javelin), and sophomore Carl Napoleon (shot put, discus).
The jumps will be lead by seniors Ali Abass, Quadri Shannon, and Dashaun Daniels, and juniors Emmanuel Lewis and Ely (pole vault). The hurdles will be lead by Lewis, Graves, Stevenson Sainval, Martilus, and Ely.
The middle distance team will feature seniors Moreno, E. Shannon, and Raymond, junior Applewhite, and sophomore Jefferson Sainval. Finally, the sprints will be lead by seniors Abass, Bradley, Quadri Shannon, Felton-Gordon, and Blackmon, and junior Dummerand.
The goals for the Blue Knights are to finish with a winning record in the Super Essex Conference, qualify for the Penn Relays and outdoor nationals, and contend for the state sectional championship.
IHS girls’ head coach Barnes Reid praised North 13th Street Tech.
“North 13th Street was a worthy opponent with a developing track program,” he said. “I commend the athletes and coaches of the school for producing a competitive team in their first year of track.
Reid lauded his team after the win.
“Our girls’ track team is off to an auspicious start with excellent performances from several of our athletes. Senior Jasmine Draughn led the way in the sprints with first-place finishes in the 400-meter and 100-meter dashes. She also placed second in the 200-meters. In the hurdles, sophomore Vicky Molokwu won the 100-meter hurdles and freshman Andrea Jackson won the 400-meter hurdles. Senior Neandra Shury won the 800-meter run and sophomore Jada Bozeman placed second in the 1,600-meter run.
In the field events, senior Jasmine Williams won the shot put and Deja Bethea won the triple and long jumps. There were also outstanding performances from other girl athletes at the meet:
400m hurdles: second place, senior Mical Ceus.
100m: third place, sophomore Vicky Molokwe
400m: second place, junior LaShanna James; third place, sophomore Deja Bethea.
100m hurdles: second place, freshman Jackson; third place, sennior Mical Ceus.
800m: third place, freshman Rayna Smith.
Long Jump: second place, Richele De Los Santos; third place, Mical Ceus.
Shot Put: second place, senior Catherine Santos; third place, Eugene Fritzlyn.
“We have a young and developing team with many freshmen and sophomore girls,” said Reid. “I am looking forward to excellent performances from all of our girls in their events throughout the spring track season.”
The girls’ team also did well at the Kearny Relays on April 2. The following are their results
400m intermediate relay: fifthplace, freshman Andrea Jackson, sophomore Vicky Molokwu, and senior Mical Ceus.
400m relay: sixth place, Jackson, Molokwu, junior La Shanna James, and Ceus.
800m relay: sixth place, Jackson, Molokwu, James, and Ceus.
3,200m relay: sixth place, freshman Rayna Smith, sophomore Jada Bozeman, sophomore Khdeejah Hughes, and senior Neandra Shury.
The team’s next meet is April 12 against Montclair and East Orange Campus at Woodman Field in Montclair.
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