It’s time to recognize the squads that survived the season-long carnage that came in the 2023 outdoor track and field slate.
The county and conference championship stretch brought chaos, and then came sectionals. Two different girls teams won titles for the first time and four cracked dry spells of 20-plus years.
At groups, five of the six champs won their first state titles and the other kept a long streak alive. Which teams made 2023 their year?
Below, find the final NJ.com girls track and field Top 20.
1-Union Catholic
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Union Catholic won the Non-Public A title for the eighth-straight season last weekend and ran away from the pack that included Immaculate Heart, Paramus Catholic, Pope John and Red Bank Catholic. The Vikings enjoyed titles at the Union County relays, county conference championships and county championships before extending their group championship streak. Simply put – the dynasty continues for the small school in Scotch Plains.
2-Elizabeth
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Last weekend was storybook for Elizabeth. The Minutemen won the first Group 4 title in girls program history behind a 34-point effort from senior sprinter Cynthia Boakye, who won the 200-meter title at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. In the beginning of the month, they won their first sectional title in 20 years and second in program history. Elizabeth was right behind Union Catholic at every county meet aside from the county relays.
3-Timber Creek
Last week’s ranking: No. 11
The Chargers lost by six points to Winslow at sectionals and rebounded with a Group 3 championship last Saturday. It’s the first state title in the history of the program. Timber Creek followed it up on Wednesday with three gold medals at the M of Cs. Junior Naylah Jones won the 100 dash and the 4×100 and 4×400 foursomes also left the track at Franklin High School victorious.
4-Eastern
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
The Vikings came up just short at the Group 4 meet. Elizabeth won with 59 points and Eastern took second with 44 points. The heartbreak was used as fuel at the M of Cs as senior Kadence Dumas collected the 800 title and helped engineer a second-place finish behind Timber Creek in the 4×400. Junior javelin standout Zoe Goldberg also finished third. Eastern entered the year with high expectations and despite some struggles along the way, it ends the season with a lot to be proud of.
5-Old Tappan
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Old Tappan finished fourth in Group 3, but it will pride itself on winning its second sectional title in a row earlier this month. The Golden Knights went on to see three winners at the M of Cs. Junior Abby Dennis gold medaled in the 100 hurdles and fellow junior Layla Giordano swept the discus and shot put. These two give this team a chance to be special once again next season.
6-Winslow
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
After winning its ninth team title in the past 11 years and 14th overall, Winslow placed third at the Group 3 meet behind Timber Creek and Ocean City. The Eagles did however overwhelm Timber Creek at the Camden County Championships in May – more than doubling the Chargers’ point total with 147.5 to 73.
7-Point Pleasant Boro
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Point Pleasant Boro didn’t get the best showing at the Group 2 meet with a tie for fourth place, however the Panthers’ season will ultimately be remembered for what happened in the week prior. The girls won the program its first sectional title in 45 years and third overall. Point Pleasant Boro was second at the Ocean County Championships behind Toms River North and third at the Shore Conference Championships.
8-River Dell
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
The Golden Hawks tied for fourth with Point Pleasant Boro at the Group 2 meet. Their meet of the year came in the week prior – a North 1, Group 2 title that broke a five-year drought and earned the program its sixth crown overall. River Dell also won the Big North Patriot Division title in May.
9-Demarest
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Demarest finished eighth at the Group 2 meet and second behind River Dell at sectionals, but that shouldn’t define its season. The girls won team titles at the Bergen County relays, Big North Division championships and then at the county championships. The Norsemen graduated a pair of two-time M of Cs gold medalists in 2022 and they reloaded despite it.
10-Rumson-Fair Haven
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
RFH stays put at 10 to end this year’s rankings. The Bulldogs finished sixth in the team standings at the Group 2 meet, although a team title at the Monmouth County Championships to go with second-place efforts at the county relays, Shore Conference Championships and at sectionals. Sophomore Clemmie Lilley placed second in the 800 and steered the Bulldogs to a bronze medal in the 4×400 at the M of Cs.
11-Willingboro
Last week’s ranking: Unranked
Willingboro is the biggest riser in the final rankings of the season. The Chimeras put a bow on the year with a Group 2 championship. It’s the program’s first state title since 2002. Sophomore sprinter Nester Wea was the team’s hero with 40 of their 72 points. Willingboro first showed signs of greatness this spring when it squeaked out a Woodbury Relays title in Group 2 over Sterling and Paul VI.
12-Haddonfield
Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Few teams ended the season more successfully than Haddonfield did. The Bulldawgs placed second behind Willingboro at the Group 2 meet a week after the program’s fifth sectional championship and 22nd overall. Then came the M of Cs. Junior distance phenom Ava Thomas rallied from way behind St. Rose senior Tilly O’Connor in the 3,200-meter championship to beat her for gold in the final few strides.
13-Toms River North
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Toms River North produced only 27 points at the Group 4 meet and finished sixth. The Mariners had an up and down season, but their best moments did include a pair of team titles. They rallied on Day 2 of the Ocean County Championships to outlast Point Pleasant Boro by 10 points. They went on to run away with the team trophy at the Shore Conference Championships as well.
14-Immaculate Heart
Last week’s ranking: No. 15
IHA finished second at the Non-Public A meet. The Blue Eagles manufactured 77.5 points to stay clear of Paramus Catholic (45.5), Pope John (45) and Red Bank Catholic (40). IHA fought off Paramus Catholic for E Division titles at the Bergen County relays, Big North Division championships and county championships.
15-Ocean City
Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Ocean City was second behind Timber Creek at the Group 3 meet. It was an impressive season for the Raiders, who took the team title at the Cape May County Championships in landslide fashion. Junior hurdling and jumping standout Sophia Curtis ended her first year with the program with a M of Cs title in the triple jump. She was second in the event at the Penn Relays earlier this spring.
16-Washington Township
Last week’s ranking: No. 18
The Minutemaids bounced back from their fourth-place effort at sectionals with a third-place showing at the Group 3 meet. Washington Township cleaned up on the field at the Gloucester County Championships with a team title and did the same in the Group 4 standings at the Woodbury Relays in April.
17-Hillsborough
Last week’s ranking: No. 12
Hillsborough placed 15th at the Group 4 meet last Saturday, however it was still another great spring for the Raiders. They won their third-consecutive sectional title and eighth overall to go with four titles at the Somerset County and Skyland Conference relay and championship meets.
18-Hasbrouck Heights
Last week’s ranking: Unranked
Hasbrouck Heights won its first group championship on Saturday in a dominant 77.4-point effort over Clayton (47), Hawthorne (39), Audubon (36), Emerson Boro (32) and Wallkill Valley (32). Clayton had won Group 1 the past two years. Along with ending the Clippers’ lethal run, the Aviators won their third sectional title in a row two weeks ago.
19-Wilberforce
Last week’s ranking: Unranked
Wilberforce at last saw its cross-country hardware translate to the track and field. The program won its first state title in school history last Saturday. The Wolverines paced Non-Public B with 83 points, well ahead of Montclair Kimberley (59), Eastern Christian (56) and Lodi Immaculate (55). The cherry on top was Wednesday’s M of Cs title in the 4×800 from the quartet of senior Sophia Park, sophomores Adeline Edwards and Gwen Mersereau and freshman Laura Sallade.
20-Piscataway
Last week’s ranking: No. 13
Piscataway rounds out the Top 20 rankings after finishing sixth at the Group 4 meet. While the Chiefs didn’t perform as well as they did this past indoor campaign, they won the GMC Championships for the second year in a row. Senior Brooke’Lyn Drakeford wraps up the season with N.J. top six times in the 100 hurdles, 200 and 400 hurdles.
Dropped out: No. 16 Ridgewood, No. 19 North Hunterdon, No. 20 Somerville
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Ryan Patti covers girls track and field. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ryanwpatti.