Jaguar Track Rocks
Jaguar indoor track program enjoys stellar season
http://localsource.com/articles/2009/03/13/south_orange/sports/youth/doc49b56ccc4dd9b187147499.txt
SOUTH ORANGE – The 2008-2009 South Orange Recreation Department Jaguar Indoor program had another successful season.The season began in November with 70 athletes strong. The athletes, ranging in age from 7 to 15, began the season roaring to run, jump and throw. Head Coach Maurice Cooper and coaches Adrian Cherrington, Daneen Cooper, Andrea Johnson, Shauna McFadzean, Marc Parlavecchio, Keisha Peaks and Gary Thomas are all proud of the athletes this season and their superior accomplishments. The age groupings that the athletes compete in are: sub bantam ages 7-8, bantam ages 9-10, midget ages 11-12, youth ages 13-14, and intermediate ages 15-16. All races are contested in meters.The first meet was held on Dec. 12 at the Seton Hall FAST Camp Developmental Meet in South Orange. This meet was the first of many excellent performances of the track program. The meet, where everyone was a winner, allowed the athletes to compete in a developmental setting and post initial times that they could compare and see their improvement by the season’s end.
The next series of meets on the Jaguars’ schedule proved to be a marathon for the coaching staff with some coaches attending four meets during the Christmas recess showing just how dedicated the coaching staff and athletes are. The first two meets of the marathon were the Colgate Women’s Games. Jaguar girls traveled to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N. Y. The meet is a series of four preliminary meets, a semifinal and culminates in a championship at Madison Square Garden. Girls and women accumulate points over the series and the top three receive educational grants for the competition. In the first meet, Jaguar South Orange Middle School student Olivia Baker placed fifth in the 400 with a time of 63 seconds and Gabriela Campbell placed ninth with a 200 time of 27.7. Elementary school girls competed the next day with Asiah Cooper scoring in two events, namely the 55-meter dash posting a time of 9.2 seconds and a ninth-place finish and the 200 with a time of 36.8, Cheyenne Trigg of Tuscan Elementary had double third-place 10-point finishes in the 400 and 800 and times of 69.6 and 2:40 respectively. Kenya Waldron-Winston also placed 12th in the 55 with a time of 8.6.
Marathon meet number 3 had the team returning to Seton Hall FAST Camp for some fast times Dec. 29-30. The team traveled to the New York Armory. The bantam girl medalists at the Metropolitan Athletic Congress Indoor Season Opener were Waldron-Winston in the 55 (third) and 400 (fifth), and Trigg with a first in the 400 and 800. Bantam boy James Hill broke into the top six with a fourth-place finish in the 200, and Winston James placed sixth in the 400. The midget girls continued the medals count with Maya Hinton placing fourth in the 400, Kayla Richardson placing sixth and the midget girls garnering first in the 4X400 relay race with a time of 4:26.20. Newcomer sub-bantam boy Avery Hackett placed fifth in the 55 and Kai Morris was a double-winner in the 200 (sixth) and 400 (second). Kamau Rowe also placed sixth in the 800. The sub-bantam boys also placed first in the 4X400 relay with a time of 6:02.40. The youth girls also shined at the MAC meet. Youth girl Ambur Ballew placed third in the 55, Campbell placed fourth in the 200 and second in the 400. She was joined by Amira Rasool with a fifth-place finish in the 400. Jaguar hurdler Kiana Winston also took third in the 55 hurdles. The youth girls continued the Jaguar first-place relay run with a time of 4:27.18. The youth boys had something to say as well. Demetrious Cross and Kaleem Harris won first and sixth place respectively with Cross doubling as a gold medalist in the 200. He was joined by Jacori Gyebi-Ford, who won the 800 and received third in the 400.The next week found Jaguar girls with a return visit to the Colgate Games at Pratt Institute. Asiah Cooper continued to place in the 200, reducing her time to 35.7. Trigg came in third in the 400 reducing her time to 65.9 and fourth in the 800 reducing her time to 2:39.6. Ballew scored in the 55, Hinton in the 200 and Baker in the 400.The team traveled to Widener University in Chester, Pa. for the next meet. Midget girl Gianna Parlavecchio, youth girl Ballew and youth boy Cross were the gold medal winners in the 55. Tyler Cooper also took fourth place in the 55. Chelsea Burrus moved up to the intermediate division and placed second. Sub bantam girl Allie Lupton received her first indoor medal as a Jaguar with a fifth-place finish in the 200. Parlavecchio also placed first in the 200 followed by teammate Alexis Mickens, who had a sixth-place finish. Ballew also doubled in the gold with her 200 finish. She was followed by teammates Raquel Williams with a bronze medal and Kayla Richardson receiving a fourth-place finish. Cross and Cooper again medaled in the 200, taking first and sixth. Burrus also placed fifth in the 200. Midget girls Daria McClamb and Mickens came in seventh and eighth in the 800 as did youth girls Richardson and Williams. Other 800 winners were Alex Waterbury (sixth), Burrus (third) and Gyebi-Ford (third). In the 1,500-meter run, new runners midget boys Declan Wollard and Aron Moloney burst on the scene with gold and bronze medals. Waterbury placed seventh. Gyebi-Ford, who also moved up to the intermediate division, came in fourth place. In the relays, the Jaguars had a fourth-place win from the bantam boys, silver by the midget girls, seventh-place by the midget boys, gold by the youth girls and bronze by the youth boys.
Week three of the Colgate Women’s Games preliminary meets found Jaguar girls continuing their quest to Madison Square Garden. Asiah Cooper pointed in the 200 with a personal best of 34.6. Trigg placed seventh in the 400 and fourth in the 800 improving her time to 2:36. Winston showed up in the hurdles placing seventh with a time of 9.6. Campbell and Hinton also earned points by placing seventh and 11th in the 200. Baker achieved a milestone with a 62.1 in the 400 and a bronze medal.
Next stop on the Jaguar indoor circuit was a return to Chester, Pa. where the Jaguars continued to post personal bests and win medals on Jan. 17. On the girls’ side, sub bantam girl Lupton again broke into the top six with a sixth-place finish in the 200. Bantam girl Dahria Lewis placed fourth in the 55 and second in the 200. Newcomer Niara Smith was a fourth-place finisher in the 800. The midget girls dominated in their category with first, fourth and fifth wins by Parlavecchio, Waldron-Winston and Dahnaasia Knighton in the 55, a gold medal for Parlavecchio in the 200 and a fifth-place win by Daria McClamb in the 800 beating her seed time of 2:52.23. The midget girls came in second in the 4-lap relay with a time of 1:42.08. Youth girl Rasool was sixth in the 55 and fifth in the 200. Williams was a gold medalist in the 200 followed by fourth-place Richardson. Richardson also took fifth place in the 800 with a time of 2:44.61. The youth girls continued their relay winning streak with a first-place in the 4-lap relay with a time of 1:34.40. Jaguar Burrus was a triple-medal winner coming in fourth in the 55 and fifth in the 200 and 800. On the boys’ side, the Jaguar bantam boys placed second and sixth in the 4-lap relay. Jaguar Wollard won a bronze medal in the 800 and a gold medal in the 1,500. Midget boy Moloney placed fourth in the 1,500 meter run. Youth boy Tyler Cooper placed third in the 55 and sixth in the 200. Alex Waterbury was a double medalist in the 800 and 1,500 placing fourth and fifth. The youth boys also placed fifth in the 4-lap relay. Gyebi-Ford was the winner of the 800 and placed third in the 1,500.
The Garden appearance was that much closer for some of the girls in week 4 of the Colgate Women’s Games. Trigg continued to gain points in the 400 and 800 with seventh-place finishes. Winston continued to improve her hurdle times to 9.3 placing seventh also. Olivia earned the eighth spot and Hinton stayed alive with a 12th-place finish.
The Colgate Women’s Games semifinals on Jan. 24 brought out the best in the Jaguar girls. Asiah Cooper, Trigg, Waldron-Winston, Winston, Campbell, Baker and Hinton were all eligible to compete in the semis as the top 12 finalists from the four preliminaries. The top three finishers received a trophy for their efforts. Asiah Cooper placed fifth in the 200 with a time of 35.73, Trigg won a third-place trophy in the 800, Winston blew the hurdlers away and won a third-place trophy with a personal best time of 8.82. Campbell placed eighth in the 200 and Baker placed fourth in the 400. Waldron-Winston was ninth in the 55.
The Colgate Women’s Games final was very exciting for the Jaguars. Teammates turned out to cheer the girls on. Athletes Asiah Cooper, Trigg, Winston, Campbell and Baker qualified to run at the Garden. Each received trophies for their hard work. Trigg tied for third place and received an educational grant for being in the top three finishers.
The final Seton Hall FAST Camp Youth Indoor Development Meet was held on Feb. 8. The Jaguars stepped on the track and left it there with numerous personal bests and medals. Sub bantam Lupton continued her medal streak with a fifth-place finish in the 55 and a personal best of 9.32. Lewis placed seventh in the 400 with a personal best of 1:20.30 and fifth in the shot put. Smith just missed a top-eight placement. She posted a personal-best, however, of 3:15.05, 15 seconds off her best time. The bantam girls relay team placed fifth in the 4×200 relay race. The midget girls were in the house with a tie for third between Parlavecchio and Mickens with a time of 7.94, a personal best for both in the 55. Parlavecchio also placed fourth in the 400 with teammate Trigg outpacing her with a silver medal. Trigg was a double-silver medalist in the 800 as well and a personal best of 2:31.90. The “A” relay team of Trigg, Parlavecchio, Knighton and Mickens received a gold medal. Several youth girls also showed up ready to run. Ballew and Campbell placed fifth and seventh in the 55 with personal bests of 7.41 and 7.46. Campbell also took third in the 400 with a personal record of 61.90. Hinton was right behind in fifth place with a personal record of 62.41. Winston continued her medal count in the 55 hurdles with a bronze win and a personal best of 9.04. The Jaguar “A” relay team of Campbell, Ballew, Richardson and Hinton placed first to teammates on the “B” team of Winston, Rasool, Baker and Amanda Faison, who placed third in the 4×200. Sub bantam boy Rowe added to his medal count with a fifth-place finish in the 400 and a silver medal in the 800. The Jaguar “A” relay (Morris, Hackett, Kamau Rowe and James) team came in second place in the 4×200, followed by the “B” team (Jaris McClamb, Taj Hall, Hill and Sekou Rowe). Morris out-threw all his other competitors and took first in the shot put. Midget boy new Jaguar Jamil Best placed seventh in the 400 and improved his time by 2 seconds. Wollard achieved a personal best and out-leaned his competitor with a photo finish to take first place in the 800 and a personal best of 2:31.21. He also was second in the mile race with a time of 5:34.84. Moloney also earned points with an eighth-place finish. The midget boys relay team of Wollard, Moloney, Best and Omoyemi Mebude were fourth in the 4×200 relay. Youth boy Cross ran a fast time of 6.88 to take fifth in the 55. Waterbury also received a point in the 800 with an eighth-place finish and a personal best time of 2:30.45. The youth boys relay team (Cross, Tyler Cooper, Kaleem Harris and Paolo Dato) placed fourth in the 4×200. Gyebi-Ford placed fourth in the 800 and third in the mile.
Valentine’s weekend found Jaguar parents, coaches and athletes in Delaware at the First State Indoor Track Classic. The first race of the day was the 1,500. Moloney placed eighth, Waterbury seventh and Gyebi-Ford fifth. The 55 sprints were the next event of the day. Lupton, Hackett, and Hinton were fifth in the 55, Parlavecchio was third, Cross blew the field out and won first place and Burrus and Tyler Cooper placed seventh and eighth. The 200-meter sprint followed the 55-meter dash. Morris placed fifth, Parlavecchio second and Cross had another double gold in an outstanding race. The youth girls dominated in the 200 with Campbell taking second, Baker third and Richardson seventh. Tyler Cooper also gained a silver medal in the 200. Next up on the track was the 400 and the Jaguars continued to rock and roll. Morris and James placed third and fifth, Trigg third, Campbell first, Richardson fifth, Hinton seventh and Burrus seventh. Smith added to her 800 medals with a fifth-place finish, Trigg seventh, Baker fifth and Gyebi-Ford third. The Jaguars ruled the 4×200 relay races. The bantam girls Lewis, Trinity Hart, Asiah Cooper and Juanita Sellers placed third with a time of 2:27.54 and the bantam boys Morris, James, Kamau and Hackett placed second with a time of 2:16.38. Midget girls Trigg, Parlavecchio, Knighton and Mickens won their relay with a time of 1:57.19. Midget boys Best, Moloney, Montaj Pennant and Mebude placed seventh in a time of 2:18.46. Youth and older teams ran the 4×400. The youth girls Campbell, Hinton, Richardson and Baker dusted the field with a winning time of 4:12.90. Youth boys Harris, Tyler Cooper, Cross and Waterbury placed third.
The final regular season meet was the Tommy Burns USATF-NJ Youth Indoor Series in Toms River, a highly-competitive meet which brought out the best in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Jaguars competed on a high level. Parlavecchio placed fourth in the 55 and had a personal best of 7.85. She won the 200 with teammate Trigg coming in second. Trigg won the 800 with a personal best of 2:31.06. The midget girls 4×400 relay team of Parlavecchio, Trigg, Mickens and Waldron-Winston came in fourth place. Midget girl Halia Rosemond earned her first medal of the season in the shot put with a throw of 6.38 meters. In the 55, Rasool came in third with Ballew placing fourth. In the 200, the Jaguars earned four of the top eight places with Baker (third), Campbell (fourth), Ballew (seventh) and Richardson (eighth). Baker was the first youth girl to hit a time of 26.74 in the 200 during this indoor season. In the 800 youth girls, Baker and Richardson came in sixth and eighth. Winston hit a new personal best of 8.73 with a silver medal in the 55 hurdles. The Jaguar youth girls Campbell, Richardson, Hinton and Richardson were phenomenal in the 4×400 with a time of 4:07.50. The Jaguar B relay team (Winston, Rasool, Ballew and Williams) came in fourth. Intermediate Burrus placed fourth in the 200 and seventh in the 800. Her 800 time was a personal best of 2:43.05. Kamau Rowe, normally a middle distance runner, proved he could sprint as well. He placed eighth in the 55 and fifth in the 800. The bantam boys (Morris, James, Hill and Jaris McClamb) 4×400 relay placed third. Morris won the shot put with a personal best of 6.50 meters. Distance runner Wollard placed eighth in the 200 and second in the 800. Shot-putters for the first time, brothers Omoyumi and Omoyemi Mebude placed ninth and 12th. Cross was second in the 200 and third in the 55. Tyler Cooper placed sixth in the 55. Gyebi-Ford continued to medal in the 800 placing second.
The Jaguar track program is committed to athletes successfully improving their fitness and setting personal athletic goals. The athletes work hard towards goals that they establish with their coaches. While all athletes do not receive medals, they are celebrated for their improvements. The following athletes improved their times this season: Donte Cobb from 10.81 to 10.43 in the 55; DeAnte McClean hit 9.19 in the 55 from 9.47; Akyah Carter dropped her time from 1:31.9 to 1:25.80 in the 400 and 10.10 to 9.35 in the 55; Cole Hockman went from 3:18.4 to 2:59.03 in the 800; Kai Kelly from 11:44 in the 55 to 11.03 and a five-second drop in the 200 from 50.22 to 45.20; Amani Sweet Jordan dropped times in the 200 from 33 to 31.08 and 1:23.4 to 1:14.40 in the 400; Aigner Bobbitt reduced her time almost 9 seconds in the 800 from 2:57.39 to 2:48.70; and Courtney Cherrington in the 800 with a time which dropped from 3:11.8 to 2:57.39. Congratulations to the Jaguars for a successful season.
The Jaguar postseason took them to the New York Armory on March 1 and Prince Georges County Md. on March 7. The Jaguars had to meet a qualifying time to be eligible for the postseason.
South Orange NJ Events | salinarockson March 14, 2009 | 
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