Girls track MOC: Union Catholic’s Sydney McLaughlin wins three gold medals, sets two meet records

TOMS RIVER – It was a history-making meet for Union Catholic’s Sydney McLaughlin on Saturday at the girls indoor track and field NJSIAA Meet of champions.

The sophomore sensation became the first athlete (boys or girls) to win both the 400 and 55 hurdles in the 46 year history of the meet.

McLaughlin not only won both events – she set new meet records in both, winning the 400 in 53.72 and capturing the 55 hurdles in 7.82 seconds.

To add to all that, she took home a third gold medal on the day after anchoring the Union Catholic 4x400 team as she along with teammates Jordan Coverson, Amari Onque-Shabazz, and Alana Herran completed the race in 3:50.32.

“I didn’t even think I was going to get the hurdles because it’s so close to the 400,” McLaughlin said. “So to come out with all three, I still haven’t processed it yet.”

“I did not imagine running a 53 on this kind of track,” McLaughlin said of her 400 time. “I beat my PR from outdoor today, on an indoor track, so that’s amazing and just shows me what I can do for outdoor.”

Union Catholic fell just short of setting the 4x400 meet record of 3:48.30 set by Columbia in 2013.

“We were trying to go for the record, I don’t think we quite got it, but we came away with some PRs for some of the girls,” McLaughlin said. “We’re going into nationals, which should be fun and I think this was just like a time trial for us in nationals.”

McLaughlin joins former Columbia star Olivia Baker, who is now running at Stanford, as the only athletes (boys or girls) to win three events in meet history

Other highlights included Hunterdon Central’s Kathleen Jaeger placing second in the 800 (2:13.85) while her teammate Jacqueline Berardo took fifth (2:15.84).

North Hunterdon’s Eve Glasergreen also had a second-place showing, finishing the 3200 in 10:47.44.

In the high jump Montgomery’s Hannah Taylor, Franklin’s Selena Thorne, and Ridge’s Jessica Creedon finished 3-4-5 as all reached a height of 5-4.

Hunterdon Central also was well represented in the pole vault, as Sabrina Anderson cleared an 11-6 to tie for second while Pingry’s Julia Dannenbaum also cleared an 11-6 to finish in fourth.

GIRLS TRACK NJSIAA MEET OF CHAMPIONS

At the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex, Toms River

400: 1. Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic) 53.72; 2. Haisha Bisiolu (Union) 56.15; 3. Sam Anderson (Matawan) 56.52; 4. Julia Ashley (Verona) 56.95; 5. Emile Cowan (Columba) 56.99; 6. Thaila Cooper (Kingsway) 58.23.

800: 1. Catherine Pagano (Northern Highlands) 2:11.89; 2. Kathleen Jaeger (Hunterdon Central) 2:13.85; 3. Sam Anderson (Matawan) 2:14.48; 4. Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 2:15.05; 5. Jacqueline Berardo (Hunterdon Central) 2:15.84; 6. Carly Pettipaw (Lenape) 2:16.41.

1,600: 1. Christina Rancan (West Windsor Plainsboro South) 4:58.88; 2. Megan Quimby (Lenape) 5:00.12; 3. Ciara Roche (Freehold Township) 5:00.44; 4. Katherine Wasserman (Spotswood) 5:01.61; 5. Deirdre Casey (West Windsor Plainsboro South) 5:03.19; 6. Camille Franklin (Lenape) 5:05.08.

Pole vault: 1. Kristina Langan (Wayne Hills) 12-0; 2. Katlyn Rymarzow (Pope John), Sabrina Anderson (Hunterdon Central) 11-6; 4. Julia Dannenbaum (Pingry) 11-6; 5. Monica Benz (Villa Walsh) 11-6; 6. Catherine Rozalski (Queen of Pace) 11-0.

200: 1. Kiara Lester (Deptford) 25.18; 2. Lauren Brzozowski (Ramapo) 25.75; 3. Phyllis Gordon (Neptune) 25.78; 4. Danielle Spano (Marlboro), 25.89; 5. Emma Osborne (Summit) 26.02; 6. Ain Jones Davis (Livingston) 26.17.

55 hurdles: 1. Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic) 7.82; 2. Gabrielle Bennett (Winslow Township) 8.18; 3. Kathryn Schoenauer (West Windsor Plainsboro South) 8.20; 4. Aspen McMillan (South Brunswick) 8.25; 5. Ebony Forbes (River Dell) 8.27; 6. Elly Scherer (Randolph) 8.31.

55: 1. Haisha Bisiolu (Union) 7.16; 2. Cecelia Gerstenbacher (Delsea) 7.24; 3. Kiara Lester (Deptford) 7.27; 4. Bria Mack (Williamstown) 7.32; 5. Daijah Davies-Hines (Timber Creek) 7.34; 6. Marissa Flim (Hamilton West) 7.35.

High jump: 1. Gabrielle Bennett (Winslow Township) 5-8; 2. Nnenna Ibe (North Brunswick) 5-6; 3. Hannah Taylor (Montgomery) 5-4; 4. Selena Thorne (Franklin) 5-4; 5. Jessica Creedon (Ridge) 5-4; 6. Chevelle Hunte (Weequahic) 5-2.

3,200: 1. Epiphany Grisbaum (Ocean City) 10:45.20; 2. Eve Glasergreen (North Hunterdon) 10:47.44; 3. Carleen Jeffers (Ridgewood) 10:49.91; 4. Rachel Suss (Metuchen) 10:52.72; 5. Grace Dwyer (Hamilton North) 10:57.33; 6. Lauren Zodl (Pinelands) 11:04.54.

Shot put: 1. Nickolette Dunbar (Whippany Park) 47-11.25; 2. Jessica Molina (Westwood) 45-9.5; 3. Nikolia Kanaris (N.V. Demarest) 43-2.75; 4. Ronetta Hunter (Burlington Township) 42-10.75; 5. Alyssa Wilson (Donovan Catholic) 42-7; 6. Michelle Mazza (Ocean Township) 41-6.

4x400: 1. Union Catholic (Jordan Coverson, Amari Onque-Shabazz, Alana Herran, Sydney McLaughlin) 3:50.32; 2. Columbia 3:56.64; 3. Lenape 3:58.70; 4. Winslow Township 4:01.51; 5. West Windsor Plainsboro South 4:02.32; 6. South Brunswick 4:02.45.

Staff writer Mike Becker: mbecker@mycentraljersey.com