Chester Teen Takes On National Competition in Track and Field

Christen Cooper is an extremely talented athlete that has earned her stripes in track and field throughout her high school career.

The West Morris Central High School senior qualified for the 2015 New Balance National Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday in the women’s weight throw event.

Qualifying for any national competition is a feat to be proud of, but there’s one wrinkle to Cooper’s success: the event is not held at New Jersey high school track and field meets, and isn’t contested in the state until the collegiate level.

The varsity letter earner just began throwing weight this winter with a private throwing club, Thrower Nation. Her coach there, Anthony SanFilippo, saw Cooper’s potential in the event and the two worked nonstop on technique for throwing the 20-pound weight.

As a result, Cooper qualified her way to the national competition, which will be held Friday at the New York City Armory Track.

Cooper will hit the field at 3 p.m. as part of the Emerging Elite Girls Weight Throw category, and her first legal throw will be recorded. Only those throws that go beyond 32 feet will be measured and recorded.

Cooper performed at the Armory last week to qualify for the national event.

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