Manville Track Athletes Win State Titles, Break Records At Group 1 Championships

Jayran Rodriguez won two state titles, while Kamille Aly set a school record and earned a Meet of Champions berth.

By Alexis Tarrazi, Patch Staff

Jun 1, 2026 2:27 pm EDT

Manville High School distance runner Jayran Rodriguez poses with his NJSIAA Group 1 State Championship medal at the state finals. (Photo Courtesy of Manville School District)

MANVILLE, NJ — The Manville High School track and field team turned in a strong showing at the Group 1 State Championships this past weekend, winning multiple individual state titles, setting school records and sending athletes on to the upcoming Meet of Champions.

Jayran Rodriguez led the boys team with wins in both the 1600-meter and 3200-meter races.

In the 3200, Rodriguez broke the Manville school record with a time of 9:17 and finished eight seconds ahead of the runner-up.

He enters the Meet of Champions ranked eighth across all state groups.

The weekend marked Rodriguez’s fourth individual group title this year.

The results state that he completed a seasonal distance trifecta with a championship in the fall, winter and spring seasons.

His double win helped anchor a standout day for the Mustangs at the state meet.

Also scoring for the boys were seniors Damian Smutek and Gabriel Zala in the 800-meter race.

Smutek placed fourth and Zala finished fifth in what the source described as a highly competitive final.

The school district notes that both runners have been part of Manville’s recent sectional team titles and several school relay records during their high school careers.

On the girls side, Kamille Aly delivered one of the team’s top field performances in the high jump.

Aly cleared 5-2, a personal best and new school record, and took second place in the state. The result also earned her an automatic bid to the Meet of Champions.

The school district states Aly had only one missed attempt during the competition.

Her finish gave Manville another top result and added to the team’s list of state-level medal performances.

Jayde Thompson also reached the podium for the girls team in the 200-meter dash.

Thompson placed sixth to earn a medal in the sprint event and added to Manville’s scoring at the championship meet.

Select Manville athletes will now move on to the New Jersey Meet of Champions, where competitors from all state groups will race and compete against one another.

For Manville, the Group 1 meet produced state champions, record-setting performances and several finishes that extended the team’s season to one more statewide stage.

Manville High School high jumper Kamille Aly celebrates with her silver medal at the NJSIAA Group 1 State Championships. Aly placed second in the event with a school-record jump of 5 feet, 2 inches, qualifying for the Meet of Champions. (Photo Courtesy of Manville School District)

Manville High School seniors Damian Smutek (left) and Gabriel Zala (right) display their medals at the NJSIAA Group 1 State Championships. Smutek and Zala capped off their historic high school running careers by placing 4th and 5th in the 800-meter event. (Photo Courtesy of Manville School District)

Manville High School student-athlete Jayde Thompson smiles with her medal following the NJSIAA Group 1 State Championships. Thompson earned a sixth-place finish in the highly competitive 200-meter dash to secure a spot on the podium for the girls' team. (Photo Courtesy of Manville School District)