Indoor Track and Field: Season Highlights

Indoor track and field faced its first competition of the season at the Spiked Shoe Invitational on December 21, with senior Ludi Zhu taking second in the long jump (16' 4.5"). The following week at the Somerset County Championships, Sahara Ensley '16 took sixth in the 3,200 meter (12:36.77) and Nicole Johnson '18 took sixth in the 800 meter (2:39.27). Chief among the day’s highlights was senior Greg Niccolai breaking the school shot put record with a throw of 39' 8".  In the State Non-Public Relays on January 16, the distance medley relay team of N. Johnson, Zhu, Samantha Bittman '17 and Ensley took fifth, with a time of 14:16.8. In shot put, CJ Licata '18 and Niccolai combined for a distance of 75' 4.75” to take the number five spot. The following day, Bobby D'Angelo '18, Licata, Niccolai, Mathieu Petit '17 and Zhu competed in the Poreda Invitational at the Lawrenceville School. The team rounded out January with the Skyland Conference, in which Niccolai broke his own shot put record, setting a new school record of 41' 2.5".

 

In early February, the athletes returned to Lawrenceville for the Prep B Championships. The boys' team placed third overall and the girls' team placed fifth. Highlights included the top four distances in shot put: Niccolai in first (41' 6.25"), CJ Licata in second (39' 5.5"), William Metzler '16 in third (35' 8") and Erica Phiansunthon '17 in fourth (26' 3.5"). Contributing to the boys' team, Petit claimed second in the 800 meter (2:07.90) and third in the 1,600 (4:38.14); Will Dadouris '17 took third in the 55 meter hurdles (10:46); Ianconni took third in the 800 (2:13.74 ) and fifth (4:58.96) in the 1,600 and D'Angelo took fourth in the 3,200 (10:34.97 ). For the girls' squad, Zhu took second in the 200 (28.06) and third in the 55 meter (7.80) and Ensley took second in the 1,600 (5:32.61) and fifth in the 3,200 (12:36.65).

 

The team rounded out the season with trips to the Group B State Championships, in which Petit claimed third in the 800 (2:04.90) and Ensley third in the 3,200 (11:58.82), and then to the Meet of Champions in Toms River.

 

Looking ahead to next winter, the team will miss the contributions of this year's seniors: Ensley, Michael Iannaconi, Metzler, Niccolai, Jacqueline Roettger, Lillie Wilson and Zhu. Next year, the team will look to juniors Bittman, Dadouris, Petit and Phiansunthon to take the lead, with increased contributions from Felix Andersen and Olivia Wilson. Boding well for the future of the program is the talented sophomore squad of D'Angelo, N. Johnson, Joe Johnson and Licata. The team's freshmen, Alicia Amoroso, Lily Fischer and Giordano will be expected to play larger roles next season as well.