Five individual athletes and two relay teams qualified for this season’s meet.
By JOHN HAPP
Special to the Sun
The NJSIAA outdoor track and field season culminates with the Meet of Champions, which features the best of the best athletes in the entire state. This year Cherry Hill had five individual athletes and two relay teams advance to the meet. To advance to the Meet of Champions, one must first finish in the top six of his or her event in the group sectional, which includes 20 South Jersey Group IV high schools. Then one week later the athlete must again finish in the top six of the state group final, which includes the best athletes from the 80 largest high schools in the state. In addition to the top six from the group the next best eight from all groups are awarded wildcard entries into the meet.
The Meet of Champions was held at Northern Burlington County Regional High School. This year, junior Kervens Mezilus was the only East male athlete to run in the meet. In the State Group IV finals Mezilus finished sixth in the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 54.24 seconds. In the Meet of Champions, he took almost a second off of his time and finished third in the entire state when he ran 53.28. Mezilus was the only non-senior in the top five.
The girls had their strongest showing in at least the last 20 years and probably the best ever with four individuals and two relays competing. For comparison, Cherry Hill East had seven girls in the Meet of Champions this year, while in the previous 20 years they sent just five girls to the meet: Elyse Mitchell (2003), Theresa Cattuna (2004–2007), Ceharra Wellington (2005), Chelsea Campbell (2012–2014) and Jessica Bryant (2015–2016).
Junior Alana Cohen joined Elyse Mitchell as the only Meet of Champions qualifiers in the pole vault when she finished fourth in the state Finals when she cleared ten feet, tying her school record. Junior Analisa Groble became the first Cougar to compete in the Meet of Champions in the javelin. In the group final, Groble set a personal record when she threw 115-feet, 10-inches and finished in sixth. Sophomore Maya Drayton finished as the ninth fastest 200m dash runner in the entire state when she ran 25.29 at the Meet of Champions.
Freshman Nylah Perry simply runs fast and continues to set school records. She is only the second Cherry Hill East freshman to run in the Meet of Champions, joining Theresa Cattuna (2004). She is also the only Cougar ever to qualify for the meet in more than one event — 200m and 400m. In the 200m dash, Perry ran 25.35 seconds and finished 12th. In her best event, the 400m, she ran against 2016 Olympian Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic High School. Perry ran 55.97 breaking her own school record and finishing fourth behind McLaughlin’s 51.91. She was the only underclassman in the top six.
Perry was also part of Cherry hill East’s 4x100m relay team that finished eighth in the Meet of Champions in a new school record time of 48.28 seconds. Also running for East in the relay was Drayton, and juniors Danielle Allen and Giavanna Roberson. East’s 4x400m relay team advanced to the Meet of Champions by finishing second behind Hunterdon Central in the Group Final with a time of 3:54.91. Running in the 400m relay were Junior Star Beasley, Perry, Drayton and Allen. These are the first two girls relay teams from East to make it to the Meet of Champions.
