Haddonfield Boys Win State Winter Track Title

HADDONFIELD, NJ — The Haddonfield Memorial High School boys track team staged a dramatic comeback in the final running event to turn back not one, but two, close rivals and gain its third straight state championship in winter track by the slimmest of margins February 18th.

Going into the 4x400 meter relay, Haddonfield trailed Governor Livingston of Berkeley Heights by three points, and Governor Livingston was guaranteed at least six more points for third in the pole vault, as only three competitors remained. And Rahway also lay in wait just one point behind, a margin that would be erased with a defeat of Haddonfield in the relay. Unless Haddonfield could gain the ten points awarded for victory they would fall to third place in the team competition, a big test for a quartet that came into the competition with the third fastest time.

Things did not look good for Haddonfield after three legs, but sophomore Luke Colehower made up a 30 meter deficit on his anchor leg to bring the Bulldogs home to victory in the Group 2 championship. Colehower was unofficially timed in an outstanding 48.7seconds for his 400 leg, and the team finished in a new school record time of 3:25.27.

Colehower had previously staked Haddonfield to an early lead with a victory in the open 400 in 49.97. Fellow sophomore Derek Gess added valuable points with a second place finish in the 1600 in 4:24.77. But the top-seeded Gess was unable to compete in the 800 due to illness. Then Governor Livingston took first and second in the hurdles and suddenly Haddonfield trailed by four points, despite a fine third place finish by senior Spencer Flores in the event in 7.86 seconds. Greg Eisenhower, yet another sophomore, got some of this back with a surprise sixth place in the 3200 in a personal record of 9:50.49. But it was a fine leadoff leg by sophomore Zach Murray followed by strong legs by Flores and Gess and the superlative anchor by Colehower, that finally got them over the top. The Bulldogs finished with 35 points to 34 by Governor Livingston and 32 by Rahway.

Colehower, Gess, Flores and Eisenhower all qualified for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions to be held February 25 with their performances, as did the relay team.

The victory by the Bulldogs adds to the fine running legacy that Haddonfield has established. It was their tenth Winter Track championship, the fifth most in state history. The boys have also captured six Winter Track Relay championships, five Spring Track titles and fifteen Cross Country championships. Meanwhile, the girls team, which captured the Winter Track Relay title last month, has compiled 29 titles of their own, ranking the school as probably the most impressive combined program in the state. While the girls fell short at their Group State championship held the same day, finishing fifth, they achieved some outstanding individual performances, highlighted by senior Briana Gess' third consecutive state championship in the 1600. Gess also took second in 800 and senior Kaitlyn Bonnet qualified for the Meet of Champions in the same event.