Dunbar, Morris Hills 4x800 earn All-America
Nickolette Dunbar added another title to her illustrious shot put resume on Sunday afternoon. Dunbar, a Whippany Park junior, finished second at New Balance Outdoor Nationals.
Sophia Rivera of Brentwood, Mo., won both the NBON shot put and javelin this weekend. Rivera threw a personal-best 53 feet, 1 inch on her second attempt to take the title. Dunbar finished at 50-51/2, after what Thrower Nation coach Anthony San Filippo called “the best series of her career.”
The Penn Relays and NJSIAA Meet of Champions shot put winner, Dunbar had two throws over 49 feet, and her last two were both over 50. It is the first time she’d broken 50 feet twice in a single meet.
Dunbar has lost just two shot put competitions this year, indoor and outdoor nationals — both to Rivera. They are both expected to compete at USA Track & Field’s World Youth Trials in Lisle, Ill., on July 1.
All-American Scarlet Knights
Morris Hills won its heat of the Championship 4x800 late Saturday, and went on to place sixth overall. The Scarlet Knights — Ian McNally, Jason Schweizer, Connor Spalt and Alex Pai — are the first All-Americans from their school since the shuttle hurdles and sprint medley in 2012, following in the large footsteps of the NBON champion 4x800 in ‘09.
McNally, a junior, shifted back to the leadoff role, and turned in a clutch performance from the inside (1:58.74) to get the Scarlet Knights into a virtual tie for first place at the handoff to Schweizer (1:57.3). Spalt (1:57.46), the lone senior on the squad, kept Morris Hills ahead. Pai, who was part of the 4x800 at Penn Relays, returned to the squad and had a late charge (1:55.93) in a one-on-one battle with Danbury (Conn.) to hold the lead.
“It was a phenomenal experience for sure,” Morris Hills coach Sean Robinson said. “I felt being in our heat was a better chance for us, and that's kind of how it played out. Every guy ran his best. Ian put us in position, and it let every guy do his job.”
• Morris Knolls junior Tymia Joseph finished third in the Emerging Elite long jump, with 18-1/2 on her first attempt of the finals on Sunday morning.