Aliya Rae Garozzo ran the fastest 400-meter intermediate hurdles time in South Jersey this spring on Monday when she won her second straight sectional title.
The Paul VI junior ran 1:02.15 at the South Jersey Parochial A Championships at Donovan Catholic in Toms River. That’s No. 1 in South Jersey and No. 6 in the state.
Garozzo’s previous season-best time was a 1:02.42 at the Camden County Championships last week at Haddon Township. Her PR remains 1:01.41 from last year’s Meet of Champions, when she placed third. She won states in 1:01.46.
Garozzo is set up for a nice race at states against junior Mariah Fede of Paramus Catholic, who won the North A race Monday in 1:02.10 at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, and Nicole Barbara of Academy of the Holy Angels, who ran 1:02.29 behind Fede.
Those three are more than a second ahead of anybody else in Parochial A, and they’re ranked No. 5, 6 and 8 in the state.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 