State Meet of Champions: Cole medals in discus; 1,600 relays on hold

OLD BRIDGE - The Hasbrouck Heights 1,600-meter relay team was looking to break the school record that they set last year at the 2011 State Meet of Champions.
    But they will have to wait another few days to get their chance.
    After Thursday's State Meet of Champions opened under one of the hottest days of the year, the skies opened up during the 3,200-meter race and ended the SMOC that night.
    One of the few events left is the 1,600 relay, so the Aviators senior group -- Kevin Cordova, Alex Quinn, Kevin Condal and Kevin Harris -- will have to wait until Monday evening to try for a new mark. Last season, three of the four finished 17th in the state with a time of 3:22.03. Cordova is new to the team this season.
    Also on hold until Monday is the 1,600 girls relay team of seniors Nickie Inglesby, Marissa Romano, Jennifer Nass and freshman Daniella Macera.
    Both teams are far down in the seedings, but look to better their times. For the girls their seeded time was 4:07.80 while the boys time was 3:26.48.
    In events that were already completed, senior Patrick Cole came in eighth place in the discus. He was seeded at eighth and collected a medal with a throw of 168-feet-9-inches.
     Cole was also seeded in the shot put where he finished fourth last season, but this year's event was not finished because of lightning and the rain.
    Also not completed was the girls triple jump, but Hasbrouck Heights junior Rayn Moses though had gotten off to a good start and had the top jump of the competitors so far with a jump of 36-feet-2-inches.
    Heights senior Lucas Sedycias was knocked out of the pole vault competition with his a posting of 13 feet. For Sedycias it was a tough competition in his first trip to the SMOC.

"I was going for 13-6 and I was close in my first and second attempts," said Sedycias. "It was pretty intimidating. I only started achieving my goal this season."
    On the girls side, sophomore Danielle Cannici was eliminated with a vault of nine feet, but she said it was a great experience in her first year at the Meet with hopes of better results next season.
    Cannici appearance at the Meet was quite an accomplishment after missing most of the season due to an appendicitis attack in April.

"It was very hard and had to sit out," said Cannici who rebounded to finish fifth in the Group 1 meet.