On May 8 and 9, the Blue Devils team kicked off the championship season at the Union County Championships with a fifth place finish overall.
Westfield started out strong on Thursday with multiple medal performances on the track and in the field. In the first distance event of the day, juniors Claire Sewald and Vanessa Larkin started strong with times of 5 minutes and 24.4 seconds and 5:29.83, respectively, in the 1600 meter race.
“I was a bit nervous [going into the race] because some of the fastest girls in New Jersey were there,” said Larkin. “But, when I found out that I got 5:29, it was the best feeling and made the whole experience positive.”
Shortly after the varsity 1600 meter, the Westfield freshmen toed the line for the Upcomers 800 meter race. Oriana Soloway captured a seventh place finish with a time of 2:35.50 and Evangeline Van Brunt followed closely behind in eighth place with a time of 2:35.90.
Over at the sand pit, senior Lilly Petrie finished in eighth place with an overall jump of 34-8.50 with senior Megan Samet following closely behind with a final distance of 33-1 in eleventh.
At the pole vault, Westfield held their own with two podium finishes against a highly competitive field. Freshmen Bridget Garrett and senior Kyra Lentzner captured fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively, with a clearance of 8-0 for both girls. Their combined 5.5 points put Westfield on the board and kept them in the running for a top five finish.
On the throwing side, the Blue Devils once again got multiple strong finishes in the javelin throw and shot put. Seniors Priscilla Dayon (117-11) and Emma Sullivan (113-11) were awarded fourth and fifth place for their throws in the javelin while seniors Livia Reyes (34-10) and Ashley Cunningham (34-2) captured third and fifth place finishes in the shot put.
After her event, Reyes remarked how the high-level competition motivated her and “five of us were throwing about the same, so we just kept beating each other throughout the different flights.”
Going into the second day, Westfield kept up the same high-energy and enthusiasm that helped them succeed in day one. Senior Olivia Thornton dashed her way to a 2:23.65 in the open 800 meter, and placed twelfth as a result.
On the straightaway, freshmen Lidia Wright captured a fourth place finish in the 100 meter hurdle finals with a blazing time of 15.57, making her the fastest freshman in the county. In the Upcomers 400 meter dash, sophomore Lena Wangerin got a seventh place finish with a time of 1:07.23 closely followed by sophomore Dhanya Alon who ran a 1:08.34 for twelfth.
As the meet came to a close, it was time for the 3200, where sophomore Anna Youssef proved her dominance in the event. Her time of 11:42.87 was enough for a bronze medal and six additional points for the Blue Devils. In the final event of the day, the girls 4×400 meter relay took to the track and placed fourth with a combined time of 4:07.29.
Once again, the Blue Devils off the track placed highly in all of their events and captured more points for Westfield. Sophomore Keira Carulli and senior Laura Oliveira both got 4-4 in the high jump for eighth place finishes, as Reyes captured fifth place in the discus throw with a final distance of 98-3.
As the girls review their performances from the meet, they continue to look forward toward sectionals, where they aim to capture their second consecutive title. Regarding multiple key competitors missing from the Westfield squad, head coach Joseph Berardi said how “a couple of girls are getting back to full strength ahead of next week, but I thought that the girls who competed ran well.”
Westfield will race next on May 16 and May 17 at Ridge High School in the North 2 Group 4 Sectional championship, where they look to defend their 2024 title.
