Seton Hall Prep track and field team wins Essex County Indoor Relay Championship

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep indoor track and field team captured the title with 64 points at the Essex County Indoor Relay Championship, held on Thursday, Dec. 30, at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island, N.Y. 

SHP came in first place in the following events:

  • Sprint medley relay, 3:42.35, junior Nicholas DeVita, junior Xavier Donaldson, sophomore Landon Jordan, junior Michael Thompson.
  • 4-x-800-meter relay, 9:00.48, senior Sean Bragdon, DeVita, junior Kenneth Webb, junior TJ Sparno.
  • High jump, senior Reece Watkins, 6-0.

SHP athletes placed and scored points in the following events:

  • 4,000-meter medley relay, second place, 11:36.04, DeVita, Donaldson, junior Darren Burton II, senior Luke Mahala. 
  • 4-x-55 shuttle hurdle relay, third place, 37.37, Mahala, junior Ryan Matulonis, senior Arnav Ramidi, Thompson.
  • 4-x-200-meter relay, fourth place, 1:39.84, Mahala, sophomore Jonah Solages, Burton, Donaldson.
  • 4-x-400-meter relay, second place, 3:35.63, DeVita, Donaldson, Matulonis, Solages, 
  • Shot put: third place, Dunn, 41-4 ¾; fourth place, senior Kyalo Mutuku, 39-9 1/2.
  • High jump: fourth place, Burton, 5-3.

After the meet, 15th-year coach John Finnegan commented on the team’s performance thus far this season. “The veterans, as well as the newcomers, have given a real good effort thus far this season. They come ready to compete. When they get to the site, they are all business and take the events seriously. They train hard at practice all the time, and it shows at these meets.” This is the second major meet of the season, as the Pirates captured the Super Essex Conference–American Division Championship earlier and look forward to the Essex County Individual Championships on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Ocean Breeze. Finnegan has coached track and field for 44 years, at Immaculate Conception of Montclair and Seton Hall Prep.