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: Brianna Growalt, Atlantic County Tech
You name the event, Brianna Growalt was one of the top freshmen in New Jersey this year.
Growalt, a freshman at Atlantic County Tech in Hamilton Township, ran 12.43 at sectionals, 25.60 at the Cape Atlantic County Championships and 15.16 at sectionals and long jumped 17-2 ½ at the Atlantic County Championships.
Wow.
Growalt was the No. 6 freshman in New Jersey in the 100 and No. 2 in New Jersey [behind Willingboro’s Maya Bolden, 12.07], No. 5 in the 200 [and No. 3 in South Jersey behind Bolden, 24.54, and Timber Creek’s Amaya Jones, 25.38], No. 3 in the 100-meter hurdles and No. 1 in South Jersey and No. 3 in the long jump and again No. 1 in South Jersey.
Growalt’s first big meet was the Atlantic County Championships at Buena, where she won the 200 in 26.09, won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.71 and placed 2nd in the 100 [1-100th of a second behind Pleasantville soph Sunya Powell] and long jump [behind Absegami’s Jaidah Garrett].
At the Cape-Atlantic Championships at Bridgeton, she won the 200 with a PR 25.60 and hurdles in 15.43 and placed 3rd in the 100 in 12.69 and long jump at 16-6 ¼.
Then it was off to South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken, where she placed in the 100 [PR 12.43], 200 [25.62] and hurdles [PR 15.16].
Growalt’s 15.16 is fastest ever by an Atlantic County freshman. Her 12.43 is 3rd-fastest, 25.60 is 4th-fastest and her 17-2 ½ is 4th-best.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 