MAPLEWOOD – The Columbia High School girls’ track and field team rallied to win the team title at the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 Championships at Ridge HS in Basking Ridge, May 27-28.
The Cougars had trailed Ridge, 60-43.
Senior Jordan Fields won first place (18 feet-1 inch), senior Sienna Farrell took second (16-10 ¼) and junior Dahria Lewis took fourth (16-5 ¼) in the long jump event to give the Cougars a 104-98 lead going into the meet-concluding 4×400-meter relay. The Cougars then won the 4×400 relay in 3:55.73 to edge second-place Ridge, 114-106, based on the top six finishes in each event.
For the Cougars, it marked their 17th sectional title.
Fields won the triple jump with a meet-record 40-6, which is No. 1 in the state this year. Farrell was third at 37-4 ½ and Lewis was sixth at 36-1 ½ in the triple jump.
The 4×100-meter relay took first place in 48.63 and the 4×800 took fourth in 9:43.75 for the Cougars. The 4×100 runners were sophomore Ciara French, Lewis, senior Cheyenne Trigg and freshman Lilian Williams. The 4×800 runners were Trigg, junior Isadora Egypt, and sophomores Catherine Jordan and Briana Reckling.
Also for CHS, senior Jasmine Keegan won both the discus at 125-7 and the shot put at 36-11 ¾. Keegan also took fourth in the javelin at 99-2 and fifth in the high jump at 5-0.
French also won the 100-meter dash in 12.49 and took third in the 100-meter high hurdles in 15.26.
Jordan was sixth in the 800-meter run in 2:20 and tied for sixth place with sophomore teammate Celine Egeowu in the high jump at 5-0 for the Cougars.
Senior Joanna Denis was sixth in the discus at 102-5; and senior Nya Hughes was second in the shot put at 36-0 for CHS.
The Cougars redeemed themselves after finishing second to Ridge last year at the sectional meet, 124-115, when they were seeking their sixth straight sectional team title.
On the boys’ side for the Cougars, senior Roodly Ovil tied for fifth in the high jump at 6-0; the 4×400 (seniors Venchardson Vital and senior Donte Rolley-Williams, juniors Jeremiah Richardson and Malcolm Moore) placed fifth in 3:25.78 and the 4×800 (Vital, junior Jared Pangallozzi, Rolley-Williams and sophomore Jonathan Salinardo) took sixth in 8:12.66. Elizabeth and East Orange Campus shared the team title with 81 points.
The top six finishers in each event at the sectionals have qualified for the state Group 4 Championships at Egg Harbor, June 3-4.
The CHS girls’ team also won the team titles at the Essex County Relays and Essex County Championships this season.
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