Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.
Today: Laurel Conway, Sterling
Laurel Conway brought a javelin PR of 104-4 into her senior year at Sterling, but by the end of the season she was one of the top throwers in New Jersey.
As a sophomore, Conway threw 104-4 at 2022 South Jersey Group 2 sectionals at Delsea, where she placed 3rd. She won sectionals as a junior but her best throw was a 103-4 at the Haddonfield Invitational.
But on her second throw of senior year she hit a lifetime-best 108-0 when she won the Don Danser Relays at Rancocas Valley and after a win at the West Deptford Relays with a small PR of 108-10 she broke through at Woodbury with a 122-8 and 2nd place behind eventual Meet of Champions runner-up Zoe Goldberg of Eastern.
Conway then popped a 131-3 on her 4th and final throw to win the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township by nearly 40 feet. That broke the school record of 128- set by Saraly Gonzalez at the 2018 Haddonfield Invitational.
She won the Nick Baker Invitational and SJ-2 sectionals and then threw well at West Philly Nationals with a 123-11. She’s the only girl from Sterling ever to win a sectional javelin title, and she’s now won two.
Conway finished the year ranked No. 2 in South Jersey behind Goldberg’s 146-1 to win South Jersey Group 4 sectionals and she was ranked No. 5 in all of New Jersey.
All-Time Camden County Javelin List
152-9 … Kate Johnston [Haddonfield], 2012
148 8 … Caitlin Cielo [Eastern], 2002
146-1 … Zoe Goldberg [Eastern], 2024
142-3 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
136-6 … Danielle Still [Bishop Eustace], 2002
132-4 … Kelsey Reese [Paul VI], 2011
131-8 … Laurel Conway [Sterling], 2024
129-1 … Aniyah Smith [Eastern], 2024
128-5 … Saraly Gonzalez [Sterling], 2018
127-11 … Pam Watson [Haddon Heights], 2016
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 