Union Catholic Sweeps Union County Track and Field Championships

by | May 14, 2025

By Jim Lambert for NJ MileSplit

Union Catholic extended its remarkable winning streaks with a dominating sweep of the team titles, some history was made, and several athletes completed impressive doubles and repeated as champions when the Union County Championships concluded on Friday at historic Milt Campbell Track and Field Complex at Hub Stine Field in Plainfield.

In the girls competition, UC won eight of the nine running events, and finished first in three field events on the way to racking up an astounding  207.67 points to win their 10th straight title. Oak Knoll was second with 60 points.

On the boys side, the Vikings picked up two wins from Jalele Williams and victories from Noah Cooper and Keandre Kelly en route to their fifth straight championship, 108-82 over runner-up Westfield.

Let’s take a look at all the winners from Friday’s second and final day of competition.

UPSETS IN THE 800

Two of the biggest storylines of the meet came in the 800’s.

In the girls 2-lapper, sophomore Sophia Thompson of Union Catholic knocked off Nike Indoor National Champ Reagan Moore of Oak Knoll, 2:09.35 to 2:11.01.Thompson, who ran a PR, took it out in 62.5 to grab the lead and Moore couldn’t stay with her. Moore, a sophomore, won the 400 on Thursday and has won two Meet of Champions titles in the 800 (one indoors and one outdoors)

The boys 800 also featured an upset when UC junior Keandre Kelly blasted out to a quick lead with a very fast 24.5 first 200. Aft going through 400 in 52.7, Kelly held a 10-meter lead on Indoor Meet of Champs winner Ryan Daly of Westfield. Daly got on Kelly’s hip with 200 to go, but Kelly fought him off on the course and then found another gear with 100 to go to secure the win, 1:53.14 to 1:53.73.

CIRCLE SWEEPS
Seniors Remy Warfield of Rahway and Caleb Duvelson of Union swept the shot put and the discus titles.
Warfield, who won the shot put on Thursday with a 35-11, added the discus title on Friday with a 107-9. It’s the first two county titles in Warfield’s career.
Duvelson, who won the discus with a PR of 163-2 on Thursday, won the shot put for the second straight year with a 56-1. Duvelson also finished first in the shot put at the county indoor championships, so he finishes his career with a total of 4 county titles!
DOUBLE WINNERS
Morgan Holley of UC was the only athlete won won two individual titles on Friday. The sophomore finished first in the 100 hurdles in 14.97 and then soared 18-2.25 to win the long jump. She also tied for fourth in the high jump.
UC senior Taylor Aska also won two golds on Friday. She  won the half-lapper for the second straight years in 24.14 and anchored the winning 4×400 that ran 3:53.51.
Plainfield senior Eatoniel Brown and UC sophomore Jalele Williams each picked up their second victories of the meet. Brown, who won the 400 on Thursday and was second in the 400 hurdles, ran 14.80 to win the high hurdles. Williams, who broke the 43 year-old meet record with a 23-6.75 in the long jump on Thursday, captured the 200 on Friday in 22.46. Williams held off 100 champ Warren Jean of Linden, who ran 22.58.
HISTORIC VICTORY
Connor Bassolino ran his way into the history books by becoming the first county outdoor champ ever for Oratory.
Bassolino, a junior, used a 63.3 final 400 to rally for the win in the 3,200, stopping the clock at 9:26.61 to take down the school record. The 9:26.61 is a 13 second PR for Bassolino, who proved that if you believe in yourself and take a risk by sticking right with the leaders, you can surprise yourself and run the race of your life!!!
CK2 GOES BACK-TO-BACK
UC sophomore Cayleigh Kaiser left no doubt about her dominance in the girls 3,200 as she completely ruled the race for second straight year, stopping the clock at 11:16.34.

BLUE DEVILS RULE THE POLE VAULT

Seniors Andrew Geocos and Liam Morris gave Westfield a 1-2 finish in the pole vault. Geocos cleared 14-0 to win and Morris made 12-0 to take second.

AIR COOPER

UC senior Noah Cooper regained his title in the triple jump by soaring 45-1.50. Cooper, who missed this meet with an injury last year, finished his amazing career in the horizontal jumps with seven county titles (4 outdoors and three indoors).

MORE HIGHLIGHTS

Oak Knoll senior Danya Spoor, one of the state’s best all-round performers, won her first outdoor county title by clearing 5-2 to win the high jump. It was the first time competing in the HJ this season for the Clemson-bound Spoor, who owns a PR of 5-0. Spoor, who won the county indoor title in the HJ, also placed second in the 400 hurdles, third in the 400, and was seventh in the 100!!

Senior Michael Aranda of New Providence unloaded a throw of 160-2 to win the boys javelin.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood won the boys 4×400 for the first time in several years by clocking a 3:24.23. Westfield was second in 3:26.28.

The splits for SPF were 50.9 for sophomore Max Handler, 51.5 for sophomore Justin Timchak, who gave up baseball to run track this season, 51.9 for senior Justice Larkin, and 49.8 for senior Blake Jackson. In case you are wondering, Jackson is the brother of SPF legend Julia Jackson, who now stars at Duke.