A fourth place finish at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions would be cause for great satisfaction to most athletes. Not for West Orange junior 800-meter runner Jared Mason.
Mason finished fourth with a 1:56.52 at Saturday's meet at the Bennett Athletic Center in Toms River. Mason was expecting more, perhaps a championship.
The race was won by Seton Hall Prep senior Justin Hill, who ran a 1:55.87. Union Catholic junior Allen Eke was second in 1:55.95 and Dickinson's Jose Veras was third in 1:56.18.
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Mason ran a personal best of 1:54.50 in 800 Feb. 7 in the Varsity Classic at The Armory Track and Field Center in New York City.
He won the North I Group IV meet Feb. 12 in 1:58.6 and the state Group IV meet Feb. 18 in 1:55.43 at the same facility. But he never was a threat in the Meet of Champions.
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"Jared got himself into a box and stayed in it awhile; he ran out in lane three the last lap, the last 300 meters – he was running out there, trying to make up the gap," said West Orange coach Joe Picataggio. "It was more of a tactical race, more than time. They went out very slow. The leader went out in the first 200 (meters) in 29 seconds, very slow paced."
Hill, sixth-ranked for the event in the nation, set a meet record of 1:54.12 in last week's Non-Public A meet. Eke was also second in that race. The two were seeded 1-2 coming into the race; Mason was third.
"He was running so wide, it was really a task for him," said Picataggio. "He just got himself into a bad spot. I know he was disappointed but I told him that he wasn't just running against guys who were the best in the state, but also the best in the country."
Mason will see Hill and Eke and other familiar faces at Tuesday's 74th Eastern States Championships at The Armory Track & Field Center in New York City.
"I feel confident Jared will give a much better performance," Picataggio said.
Senior shot putters Nia Barnes and Sydney Grimes didn't medal. Barnes was 10th with a 36-1; way off her personal best of 42-0 ½ she did in winning last week's state Group IV meet. She won the North 1 IV meet Feb. 11 with a 40-4 Feb. 12. Grimes had a personal best of 37-0 ½ for a third-place at last week's group meet. But she was 19th Saturday with a 34-25.
"Nia looked very, very flat to me and really didn't have anything in her arm," Picataggio said. "Same with Sydney. They'll get the chance Tuesday."
The tough luck continued in the 4x400 when leadoff man Anfernee LaRue had the baton poked out of his hand from behind and had to chase it down. Picataggio felt the Mountaineers were the third best team coming into the meet. They'll try it again at the Eastern States.
