Let’s have a round of applause for Kate Ashley and Isaac Skrivanic, who both earned first place medals for the Verona High School winter track team at Friday’s NJSIAA Group 1 winter track championships in Toms River.
Ashley added to her incredible three-week run of wins by capturing the state Group championship 800m and adding it to her Essex County and state Sectional 800m championships. Kate broke out in front of the pack after 150m and ran to victory in 2:23.75.
Skrivanic, who is a junior, threw a personal best in shot put of 48-02.50, easily out-distancing the second-place finisher from Willingboro, who threw 47-08.00.
Here is our NJSIAA Group 1 Shot Put Champion! Congratulations to Isaac Skrivanic throwing a personal best of 48’2 1/2!!!!! pic.twitter.com/NAFMx1yh7P
— Verona Boys XC/Track (@VHSBoysXC_Track) February 15, 2019
Owen Fogarty tied for third place in pole vault at 12′, and will also compete in the winter track Meet of Champions with Ashley and Skrivanic. Joining them at the Meet of Champions on Sunday, February 24, will be teammate Lily Benanchietti who got sixth in pole vault with an 8’6” jump.
Among other Verona athletes, Michael Maglione finished ninth in the 1600m and 17th in the 3200, and David Navarro finished 14th in the boys 800m and 17th in the 1600. Aidan Murphy was tenth in the 400m. The boys 4×400 team finished 16th in that event.
The girls 4x400m relay team of Alex DeVivo, Chelsea Gruskin, Brianna Rigney and Kate Ashley finished eighth in a field of 20 teams, missing the Meet of Champions by two seconds. Sophomore Bridget O’Donnell was eighth in the 3200m with a time of 12:15. Francesca Esposito and Rebecca Katsios also competed in pole vault, tying at 7’6”.
