Junior Aaron Keith won the 800, junior Luke Andresen won the 1,600, junior Peter Simpson led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 3,200 and Haddonfield’s distance team led the Bulldogs to their 12th indoor state championship but 1st in six years Saturday at the Bubble in Toms River.
Haddonfield scored 50 of its meet-record 56 points in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. The highest previous point total in Group 2 was Haddonfield’s 55 in 2016.
Haddonfield previously won Group 1 in 1987, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016 and Group 2 in 2017 and 2019.
Keith dropped his PR to 1:56.54 winning the 800, Andresen ran a huge PR of 4:17.56 to win the 1,600 and Simpson, senior Bennett Wright and junior Benjamin Andrus all ran indoor PRs in the 3,200 – Simpson winning in 9:29.65, Wright 2nd in 9:33.25 and Andrus 3rd in 9:35.73. Wright also placed 4th in the 1,600 in 4:21.36 and Andrus was 5th in 4:21.61.
Haddonfield’s outscored Demarest 56-41, with Bernards 3rd with 34 points.
The Bulldogs’ non-distance points came from senior Brant Nichols, who cleared 13-0 in the pole vault for 3rd place.
Sterling senior Bright John, who had never before even reached a state meet in any sprinting event, won the 55 in 6.55, matching his PR from last month at Ocean Breeze. He’s Sterling’s first indoor state champion in 12 years, since Jimmy Daniels won the 2013 Group 2 3,200 in 9:14.31.
Cinnaminson senior Ed Frey cleared 14-6 and placed 2nd in the pole vault. He matched his indoor PR, which is No. 10 in South Jersey history and tied for the Burlington County indoor record with Seneca’s Mike Maira in 2009, Moorestown’s Kyle Loveland in 2016 and Moorestown’s Ethan Plut this year.
Oakcrest junior Davon Hannah ran a PR 6.57 and placed 2nd in the 55. His previous PR was 6.61 last weekend at sectionals on the same track.
Willingboro senior Justin Banks threw 49-10 for 5th in the shot put, senior Jamere Brooks ran 7.92 for 6th in the hurdles and senior Christopher Scott ran 6.66 for 6th in the 55.
Pleasantville senior Melvin Lewis ran 2:00.40 and placed 6th in the 800, and Cedar Creek senior Ryan Hassa tied for 6th in the pole vault at 12-6.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 