Track: Three Shore Conference winners at NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions (2025)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Shore Conference produced three gold medalists at the NJSIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions Sunday, including a record-breaking performance and the winner of a coveted title -- state's fastest schoolboy.

The latter is Southern Regional High School senior Cole Cramer, who won the boys 55-meter dash and placed second in the 200-meter dash at the state-of-the-art Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

The record was set by Colts Neck senior Hunter Celkupa, who lowered the meet standard in the boys 1600 meters.

Also striking gold was Toms River North's boys in the 4x400, who repeated as state champions.

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Southern's Cole Cramer takes home gold, silver

Cramer placed first in the 55 dash with a time of 6.24, which ranks among the top 10 schoolboy times in the nation this season and was just .02 off of the meet record set last year by Burlington City's Malachi James. He also finished second in the 200 with a time of 21.28, also a top 10 time in the nation, and finished just .03 behind Jordaine Johnson from East Orange Campus in that event.

The Tennessee commit strained his hamstring within the first few weeks to start the season. He had to sit out the first month and started two weeks before sectionals. With only had two weeks of practice, he just wanted to get back to his normal self. You could say he did that, routing the field in the 55 dash final by .13 seconds, a huge margin in that event.

"My mindset going into it was just focus on getting to race speed," said Cramer. "I wasn't worried about the time or how it would look. I just wanted to get to that speed again so coming out and winning it all was just a compliment on top of that."

Colts Neck's Hunter Celkupa wins in record time

Celkupa set a new meet record in the 1600 with a time of 4:09.21. The previous record was 4:09.42 by Union Catholic’s Shane Brosnan, who's now at Harvard, back in 2022. He was pushed to the tape by Delsea junior Matt Littlehales, who finished second in 4:09.37.

"I feel like what I did what I came there to do," Celkupa said. "I was really proud to represent Colts Neck and to get a meet record. I wasn't really expecting that whatsoever. I figured I had to run pretty fast but I didn't expect to go 4:09 or anything like that, but I was pleased with the outcome."

Though Celkupa has run faster, the Cornell commit was proud of the accomplishment.

"My school record is actually 4:08.27, so I was kind of hoping I'd do something closer to that to break it but it's alright," Celkupa said. "That's my goal for nationals. I definitely think it's very special. I don't know how many Olympians came through New Jersey but I know there's been awesome athletes, and looking up there and seeing my name as a Meet of Champion winner is just a dream come true."

Toms River North boys reign again in 4x400

The Mariners came in to the weekend as the favorites to win and did just that in the boys 4x400 with a time of 3:15.70. The runners were Mordecai Ford (49.46), Camryn Thomas (48.53), Taysaun Wilson (49.58) and Mamadi Diawara (48.14). The group has been a force to be reckoned with since last year, and Sunday was no different.

Winslow came in second, just .27 behind. It was a battle from start to finish.

"Super proud," Mariners coach Mike Barrett said. "We knew we were the favorites going in but we knew that Winslow wanted it too, so for our guys to go in and back it up being the favorites, very proud."

Wilson also placed second in the boys 800 in 1:52.09. The day capped another sensational track season for Toms River North, which also won the Group 4 team title.

"They're all super competitive in their own way," Barrett said. "They like winning, or maybe I should say they hate losing. So they all get themselves motivated in different ways. They all end up coming together and they want to win for each other too so I think that plays a big part."

No shoes, no problem for Shore Regional runner

Though Shore Regional sophomore Brady McHugh finished eighth place overall in the 800 meter run, he finished first in his heat with a time of 1:56.18, his fastest lap being 27.91. His time allowed him to qualify for nationals. He was the only underclassmen to receive a medal in the event.

Security later found the person who took his spikes, but he's even more proud of his performance after what happened.

"It was crazy like 20 minutes before my race; I make one lap they're there, I come back and they're gone," McHugh said. "Very thankful for the security that are all here they helped me figure all this out. I fought through the adversity and finished top eight."

Other Shore Conference medalists

Boys Long Jump

Evan Beam, Manchester - 7th place (21-10.50)

Nnameka Aaechina, Central Regional - 8th place (21-10)

Boys Shot Put

Marcus Blasucci, CBA - 4th place (60-7.25)

Albert Yodakis, CBA - 5th place (59-10.75)

Joe Seib, St. Rose - 6th place (59-0.75)

Boys 4x400 Meter Relay

CBA (Colin Burke, Ethan Fianko, Michael Poskay, Liam Wheeler) - 4th place 3:21.95

Boys 3200 meter Run

Luke Hnatt, CBA - 2nd place (9:05.31)

Ryan Schmitt, CBA - 3rd place (9:06.39)

Jay Adimala, Colts Neck - 5th (9:09.07)

Boys 800 meter Run

Taysaun Wilson, TRN - 2nd place (1:52.09)

Michael Card, Howell - 6th place (1:53.70)

Boys 1600 meter Run

Alex Mastroly, CBA - 6th place (4:13.65)

Joe Barrett, CBA - 7th place (4:13.70)

Boys 4x800 Meter Relay

Colts Neck (John ShapiroKyle SchandallMason McQuaggeDominic Marino) - 6th place (8:10.14)

Toms River East (Duke SnowdenJoe MitchellRyan MacomRyan Mazza) - 8th place (8:11.45)

Boys 55 meter Hurdles

Camryn Thomas, TRN - 3rd place (7.36)

Jael Hester, TRN - 5th place (7.42)

Mamadi Diawara, TRN - 7th (7.45)

Girls Shot Put

Julia Santos, Toms River South - 2nd place (45-11)

Girls High Jump

May Hanlon, TRN - 2nd place (5-6)

Girls 4x400 Meter Relay

Rumson-Fair Haven (Cassedy StypulHannah NitkaClemmie LilleyReese Reynolds Malone) - 3rd place (3:49.18)

Girls 3200 meter Run

Leah Starkey, Ocean - 3rd place (10:24.86)

Amelia Pattwell, Middletown South - 5th place (10:40.46)

Girls 800 meter Run

Clemmie Lilley, Rumson-Fair Haven - 2nd place (2:06.02)

Reese Reynolds Malone, Rumson-Fair Haven -3rd place (2:08.49)

Girls 1600 meter Run

Jessica Abbott, Manalapan - 3rd place (4:53.84)

Ivy Slavinski, Point Pleasant Borough - 4th place (4:54.85)

Sadie Honig, Manalapan - 8th place (4:59.46)

Girls 400 meter Dash

Abigail Hanemann, Point Pleasant Borough - 7th place (56.71)

Girls 4x800 Meter Relay

Red Bank Catholic (Charlotte HeatonGrace HeatonRhiannon HillKiera McInerney) - 3rd place (9:29.65)