Former Cherokee teammates Justin Kelly and Will Gross each won their first conference title Monday at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at Ocean Breeze.
Kelly, a Rowan junior, won the 3,000, and Gross, a Stockton senior, won the shot put.
Kelly won the 3,000 in a personal-best 8:37.89, finishing 10 meters ahead of Chris Anderson of Ramapo, who was 2nd in 8:39.74. Kelly was seeded 4th in the race with his season-best of 8:46.06 from two weeks ago at Ithaca.
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Anderson led most of the race, with Kelly tucked in just behind him. Kelly took the lead on the 11th lap.
Kelly came through 2,200 meters in 6:29.11 before surging over the final 800 meters, closing in 2:08.76. He needed a strong finish because Anderson closed in 2:10.42 with a 61.78 final 400 and 29.27 final lap.
Kelly’s complete 200 splits: 34.19, 35.10, 35.39, 35.47, 35.62, 35.91, 36.22, 35.79, 35.19, 35.30, 34.93, 32.33, 32.11, 32.12, 32.20.
Gross threw 49-2 ¾ on his final attempt to snag the win from top-seeded John Griffithof Montclair State, who led through five throws.
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Gross opened with a 44-9 throw, which was the early leader until Griffith hit 48-5 ½ on his second attempt.
Gross’s next two throws came up agonizingly short of Griffith – he threw 48-4 ¾ on his third throw and then opened the finals with a 48-5, just half an inch behind Griffth, before a 46-11 ¼ on his fifth attempt.
Meanwhile, Griffith – a graduate of Northern Highlands in Allendale, Bergen County – fouled on each of his final four throws, so going into his sixth and final attempt, Gross was half an inch away . But Gross came up huge with the 49-2 ¾ winner.
Griffith and Gross went 1-2 in the outdoor NJAC meet last spring at Ramapo in their only previous meeting. Gross began his career at Rutgers-Camden.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 