Steinert senior Ashley Navarro displays her medal after taking fourth place in the 800 meters at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions Saturday. (Photo by Carol Navarro).
By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Feb. 25: Ashley nailed it.
Always on the quest for a personal best time, Steinert High senior Ashley Navarro got it at the very best time as she ran a PR of 2:15.35 to take fourth place in the 800 meters at Saturday’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
It’s the first MOC medal for Navarro, who will be running track for Monmouth University next season.
“It feels amazing to place at MOCs,” Navarro said. “Just knowing that you are one of the top runners in the state running against some of the best in the state, too, is just unreal. It shows me that all the hard work on the track and off the track has really been paying off. Also I have been telling my coaches I want to run a 2:15 and it was great to do it at my last indoor meet.”
Navarro got off to a slow start but still thought “my race went great.” As the gun went off, she did not get out how she hoped and found herself last after the first two laps. On lap three, she made her move and began picking runners off.
“The last lap I was in sixth place but once I got to the last 200 meters I just kicked as much as I could to make it into fourth,” Navarro said. “It was the huge PR that I was looking for. The race felt so good I didn’t even realize I ran a 2:15.35.”
It was Navarro’s second straight trip to the indoor Meet of Champions and she blew away her 19th-place time of 2:19.88 at last year’s MOC. It makes her all the more anxious to get started on the outdoor season, where she will also be going for a second straight Meet of Champs berth.
“My confidence heading into spring is definitely very high after this race,” Navarro said. “This race has helped me realize I am a top runner in the state, it just assures me that I can do anything if I put my mind to it and work as hard as I can. As for outdoors I am definitely setting a goal to make it to New Balance Nationals and run under a 2:10. I can wait to see what spring has ahead of me.”
