The Hasbrouck Heights boys and girls team won their third straight Bergen County group titles on Saturday at Northern Valley Old Tappan.
The boys easily defeated Wood-Ridge, 211 to 67 while the girls battled and pulled away from Saddle Brook, 142 to 84. In the end the Lady Aviators' depth just out pointed Saddle Brook on the girls side while the boys dominated the rest of the D group. It has been since 2006 the Aviators won a state sectional team title while for the girls it happened in 1998.
It will be a tougher battle for the boys and girls Heights track teams on Saturday when they travel to Randolph for the Group 1 North 1 state sectional tournament. In the girls sectional Heights will have to beat out the likes of New Milford, Cresskill, Mountain Lakes and Kinnelon while the boys will be battling Mountain Lakes and Boonton for the title.
Girls
The Lady Aviators battled and finally were able to beat out the likes of Saddle Brook. "I think the depth of the team was the difference,” said Hasbrouck Heights head coach Robert Brady.
Heights girls were bolstered by the likes of Marissa Romano and Rebecca Fortoul.
Romano set a school record in the long jump at 17-feet-8-inches, the second best in the county, only to Indian Hills Taylor Clarkson. "She reached 18 feet but she just fouled," said Brady. "We're hoping that she can break the 18 feet barrier."
And Fortoul was instrumental in the long distance races especially winning the 1,600 meter race. "Marissa Romano and Rebecca Fortoul did a real nice job,” said Brady about Romano who also won the triple jump.
Also Heights received big meets from Irene Cedano and Nina Messery. “She just started track in March,” said Brady about Cedano.
Cedano’s 31-feet-8 was a personal best in the shot put, good for second place. In the javelin Messery had a personal best with a throw of 118-feet-1 and also came in second.
In addition the 1,600 relay team of Fortoul, Nickie Inglesby, Jenn Nass and Daniella Macera came in second.
Boys
The Aviators boys track and field team showed that they were the team to beat the county meet from the javelin to the triple jump.
The likes of Kevin Condal and Patrick Cole gave the Aviators first place finishes in the sprints and the field events. Condal won in the 100, 200 and 400 while Cole grabbed the D titles in the shot put and the discus.
Condal also was part of the team of Kevin Cordova, Alex Quinn and Kevin Harris to take first in the 1,600 relay. “He ran quality times in all of the events,” said Brady about Condal.
For the boys, Lucas Sedycias hit a personal best with 12-feet-6 to upset the Midland Park athlete in the pole vault. Roland Gamez took first in the high jump at 6-feet. Also Alex Quinn scored several points in the 400, 800 meters and the 1,600 meter relay.
State sectional
Last season, the boys narrowly lost to Boonton while the girls finished fourth in the section. "We had three kids that got hurt in last year's county group meet," said Brady. "We're pretty healthy with a few bumps and bruises."
Brady said the Fortoul has a strained calf, but will be 100 percent for the sectionals.
The boys were points behind Boonton for their state sectional titles. It's sort of a mixed bag with the state sectional when talking about depth and also the top athletes. "You know what you are going to get from the likes of Pat Cole and Kevin Condal and Marissa Romano, but you hope to get the fourth and fifth place finishes," said Brady. "The depth sort of takes a back seat in the sectionals. You need to have the top athletes carry you."
After the state sectional, the Bergen Meet of Champions is sandwiched next to the Group state meet. "We've always had the philosophy of taking team championships,” said Brady who asks the Heights athletes to pick one event to participate in the BMOC with a concentration on the state Group meet.
The following are the results for Hasbrouck Heights in the Bergen County Group meet on May 20 and May 21.
Boys
Javelin
2. Anthony Seidel, 176-feet-6-inches
3. Chris Connors, 167-3
Shot put
1. Patrick Cole, 53-6.50
2. Chris Connors, 48-4.25
Long jump
2. Roland Gamez, 20-feet-7
High jump
1. Roland Gamez, 6-feet
400 hurdles
3. Kevin Cordova, 59.93
100 meters
1. Kevin Condal, 11.28
3. Kevin Harris, 11.42
400 meters
1. Kevin Condal, 49.18
3. Kevin Harris, 50.21
110 hurdles
3. Roland Gamez, 15.76
800 meters
2. Alex Quinn, 2:03.98
200 meters
1. Kevin Condal, 22.70
3. Kevin Harris, 23.21
1,600 meter relay
1. Kevin Cordova, Kevin Condal, Alex Quinn and Kevin Harris, 3:27.43
Pole vault
1. Lucas Sedycias, 12-6
3. Alex Sisco, 11-6
Discus
1. Patrick Cole, 157-feet
2. Anthony Seidel, 132-feet-6
Triple jump
2. Roland Gamez, 42-7
Girls Division D
Long jump
1. Marissa Romano, 17-8
Pole vault
3. Danielle Cannici, 8-6
1,600 meter
1. Rebecca Fortoul, 5:28.53
400 meter hurdles
2. Nickie Inglesby, 1:07.61
100 meter
3. Rayn Moses, 13.17
40 meter
2. Jennifer Nass, 59.73
100 meter hurdles
3. Nickie Inglesby, 16.85
800 meters
2. Rebecca Fortoul, 2:32.44
3. Jenna DiGiacinto, 2:33.76
3,200 meter
2. Rebecca Fortoul, 12:43.47
3. Missy Machtemes, 12:47.28
1,600 meter relay
2. Hasbrouck Heights, 4:11.55
Shot put
2. Irene Cedano, 31-8
Javelin
2. Nina Messery, 118-1
Triple jump
1. Marissa Romano, 35-5.75