Sports
Chargers Win Fourth Straight Group III State Crown Behind Byrd; Highland's Harper Wins Title
The Chargers win only a single event, but do just enough to hang on for a fourth straight state crown.
It was a busy day for both the Highland and Timber Creek track and field programs. Below is a recap of how the teams fared at the NJSIAA Group III State Championships, held in South Plainfield this weeekend.
Timber Creek
The Timber Creek boys' track and field team won their fourth consecutive New Jersey Group III state title this weekend, but had to do most of it without top performer Damiere Byrd. Byrd, who was held out Saturday with a sore left knee, won the 100-meter title Friday night—a race in which teammate Kevin Potter also scored with a fourth-place finish.
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Despite Byrd's absence, the Chargers outlasted an array of competitors with 55 points behind a total team effort. Integral to the team's victory were performances by Potter, Quanzell Lambert, Donnie House and Josh Gray.
House and Potter finished third and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles, while Gray's third-place finish in the long jump and second-place finish in the triple jump also earned valuable points. Additionally, House finished third in the 400-meter hurdles.
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The Chargers clinched the group championship when Lambert's throw of 56-4 1/2 earned him a second place finish.
Over on the girls' side, the Lady Chargers were led by Bryanna Williams, who finished third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.10 seconds.
Highland
In what may have been one of the biggest upsets of the weekend, Highland standout Megan Venables fell to West Morris Mendam freshman Mackenzie Barry in the girls' 3200-meter. Venables' time of 10:44.18 was bested by Barry, whose time of 10:42.05 was just enough to outlast the Villanova-bound senior from Blackwood.
The Highland boys' were led by Brandon Harper who won the state crown in the javelin throw Friday night after a toss of 179-3, nearly 7 feet better than that of second-place finisher, Charlie Woods, of Demarest.
Algeron Johnson finished second in the 400-meter hurdles, just behind Fontaine Johnson of Burlington Township.
