Catching up on township’s track & field exploits Moore, Pitroski and two relays take gold for Hornets at Mercer Coaches Invitational

Fish 4 Scores Sports
Nottingham track
The Nottingham boys’ track team celebrate after winning the team title at the Long Branch Invitational on Saturday.

By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com

May 7: Tyler Moore, Jon Piotroski and two relay teams made it a day to remember for Hamilton West at Saturday’s Mercer County Coach’s Invitational, as each brought home a home a gold medal for the Hornets.

Piotroski won the javelin with a throw of 157 feet and 4 inches, while Moore took the 100 meters in 10.81 seconds. The Hornets 4×100 throwers relay team took first in 48.71, while the 4×400 team won in a time of 3:31.01.

They highlighted a day in which Hamilton grabbed an impressive 15 medals.

Taking home silver were Reidgee DiManche in the triple jump (43-.3.5) and Brian Rivas in the 400 (50.92). Bronze medals went to the 4×200 relay (1:31.65), Richmond Sasha in the long jump (20-9) and triple jump (42-7), Zach Harding in the discus (135-2) and James White in the shot (45-10.5).

Placing fourth was DiManche (long jump, 20-8.75); finishing fifth was Richet Barchue (400, 51.72) and claiming sixth was Javon Porter (100, 11.26).

At last weekend’s Penn Relays, Hamilton won its heat in the 4×100 with a time of 43.42, as the team of Francis Saydee, Dimanche, Porter and Moore finished 40th overall.

The Hamilton girls had a solid day at the Mercer meet with six medals, highlighted by third-place finishes from Ariella Callender (pole vault, 8-6) and the 4×200 relay (1:50.98). The 4×400 relay took fifth, as did Hannah Diaz (100 hurdles, 17.78), while taking sixth were the 4×100 throwers relay and the 4×800 relay.

Navarro sets Steinert mark in winning 400 at Coaches Invitational; Angelini wins javelin

steinert ashley navarro track

Steinert’s Ashley Navarro shows off her gold medal after winning the 400 meters at the Mercer County Coaches Invitational Saturday.

Steinert’s Ashley Navarro took first place in the 400 meters at the Mercer Coaches Invitational by running a school record 58.73 seconds.

Steinert pocketed three gold medals on the day as Jessica Angelini won the javelin in 102-8, and the 4×800 relay team finished first in 9:52.34.

The Spartans took eight medals overall, as Lauren Miller (5:18.42) and Samantha Woolf (5:25.05) were 2-3 in the mile, the 4×400 team finished second, Woolf was fifth in the 800 (2:24.81), Hannah Sangillo took fifth in the 1600 (5:54.28) and Emily Diszler was sixth in the discus (91-3).

The Spartan boys grabbed six medals as the 4×100 throwers relay was third in 51.67, Hagen Delakowski (4:44.35) and Hunter Kwok (4:48.77) took 4-5 in the 1600, Keon Cooper was fourth in the javelin (148-11) and sixth in the discus (131-0) and the 4×200 relay was fifth (1:34.29).

Nottingham boys win Long Branch Invitational, Kiernan wins two golds for girls

Nottingham decided to forego the Mercer meet in order to see some different competition, and it was worth the trip to the Long Branch Invitational as the Northstars won the team championship with 92 points. Long Branch was second with 75.

The boys claimed five gold medals, including Boaz “Superman” Madeus (400 hurdles, 56.97), Jon Torres (3200, 9:51.69), Kenley Souffrant (800, 2:00.09), Deiby Polanco (pole vault, 12-0), and the 4×400 relay team of Godfred Akuffo, Madeus, Emilio Selesnick and Franklin Sanchez (3:31.11).

Zion Bethea won a silver medal with a throw of 155-6 in the javelin, while bronze medals went to Dana Ridley (200, 23.20) and Sanchez (400 hurdles, 59.99).

Boaz Madeus

Coach Jon “Big Dawg” Adams (right) and Boaz “Superman” Madeus display Supe’s fourth-place medal after last week’s 400 race at the Penn Relays.

There were a slew of other point producers as well, including fourth-place finishes by Kier Jenkins (discus, 133-1), Sylvester Freeman (shot, 44-7.25) and Louis Abpadogo (100, 11.55); fifth-places from Akuffo (100, 11.68; 400, 54.26), Jose Colon (3200, 10:40.86) and Calvin Cox (high jump, 5-8); and sixths from Abpadogo (200, 23.67), Selesnick (6th, 54.30), Sanchez (110 hurdles, 16.23) and Daevon Clark (high jump, 5-6).

At last week’s Penn Relays, Madeus finished fourth in the high school 400 hurdles race in a school record time of 52.84, while the 4×400 team of Madeus, Selesnick, Akuffo and Souffrant finished second in their heat in 3:22.

In the girls meet at Long Branch, Nottingham finished in eighth place as a team, but Bailey Kiernan definitely turned some heads in the Northstars direction.

Kiernan was a double winner in the long jump (15-4.25) and triple jump (33-5) and took fifth in the high jump (4-8).

Also medalling for the Stars were Alijah Dunkins (6th, 100 hurdles, 17.99), Chadsity Molder (6th, 400, 1:04.88); 6th, 100, 13:34), and the 4×400 relay (6th, 4:42.46).

About The Author


Rich Fisher has been around the Hamilton Township sports scene for so long that he actually got Rich Giallella’s autograph when Giallella was still a player! Proud product of Hamilton YMCA and Lou Gehrig baseball leagues and former teammate of Jim Maher on a very average Barton & Cooney rec basketball team, Fish graduated from Nottingham Junior High and Steinert High school and has covered township sports since 1980. His goal in life is to convince Maria Prato that Jersey tomatoes are at least 100 times better than California tomatoes.