A Long-o road back

Schalick’s Longo wins boys sectional pole vault title in first competition of season, Stewart wins two more events; Salem County produces 7 champions, 30 state qualifiers through first full day of SJ Group I sectional meet

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

MEDFORD – Sal Longo spent his entire senior outdoor track season rehabbing a hamstring injury he sustained at the indoor Meet of Champions and didn’t compete once for Schalick during the spring. He made his long-awaited season debut Friday and what does he do – just become a sectional champion.

Just a week clear of being cleared to compete and with only four days of practice to prep him, Longo won the South Jersey Group I boys pole vault title with a vault of 13 feet.

“I was so stressful,” he said. “I didn’t know if I was going to make the opening height, to be honest. It’s been two months since I’ve done any competition, so clearing that opening bar was really a big weight off my back.

“I’m very proud of myself. I didn’t really think I would get first place at my first meet of the season let alone sectional. Honestly, it’s just a big stress reliever knowing that I’m back to how I was in winter track.”

Longo was one of five Salem County athletes to win an event in Friday’s first full day of sectional competition at Lenape High School.

Teammate David Stewart added two more titles to his collection, winning the long jump (22-8.5) and 400 hurdles (55.33); he won the triple jump Wednesday. Woodstown’s Josh Crawford won the 800 (1:54.31) in a 1-3 finish with teammate Karson Chew and teammate Aidan Taulane won the discus (159-2). Schalick’s Navaeh Robinson won the girls javelin (118-3) in s 1-2 finish with teammate Sebrina Bradford.

Salem County athletes picked up 30 qualifying spots to the state meet – 17 in boys, 13 in girls. The remaining spots are up for grabs Saturday.

Schalick is currently second behind Glassboro in the boys team standings and fourth in the girls race. Woodstown is fourth in the boys standings, and fifth in girls.

Longo sustained a Grade 3 strain in his left hamstring on March 8 and had been out of competition ever since. While his teammates were outside chasing PRs, he stayed inside anxiously waiting. He resisted the temptation to go out for fear of aggravating what had been healing. He passed on the Salem County Championships knowing all along the sectionals were the target date for his return.

He entered the competition Friday night at 11 feet and cleared the bar on his third attempt. He went through 11-6 and 12-feet and eventually he and Haddon Twp.’s Bobby McIlvaine were the last two standing as the bar went to 12-6.

Longo made it on his second attempt and McIlvaine went through on his third. Longo cleared 13 feet on his final attempt and had the gold after McIlvaine missed on his third try.

Longo made a bid for the Schalick school record, but missed all three attempts at 13-3.

“Sal’s a competitor and has been working hard for this moment for four years; he deserves every bit of this title,” Schalick coach James Turner said. “I really wasn’t sure what he was going to be capable of doing. Because of the injury he wasn’t even allowed to practice, or at least practice at our facility, until he was cleared, which happened this week. His dad told me yesterday he jumped 12-6 so I knew he was going to be able to do that.”

“I was really excited for him,” Stewart said. “He got injured right before Meet of Champs and that was really discouraging, so for him to just work past that and put the hard work in and see him win this is a really good feeling.”

Stewart had a stressful time of it as well. He was dealing with a leg issue left over from Wednesday’s triple jump competition, but he persevered.

He barely made it into the long jump finals with a jump of 20-3.25, then on his first jump in the final he went 21-8 to take the lead, which was matched by Glassboro rival Moses Robles. He fouled on his second attempt, then won the event by soaring 22-8 on his final attempt. He won the triple jump Wednesday on the final jump of the competition.

“I had to deal with some hamstring problems so today I was mainly just trying to focus on advancing to the next round, but I ended up winning the event,” he said. “I didn’t jump that good in the prelims, I barely made it through. I was mad, like why am I jumping bad? Turner texted me that I made it through to the finals, so I went over there and was stretching. I felt loose and then I just popped a great third jump which led to the 22-8.”

The leg problem that bothered him Friday isn’t expected to impact what he has left. He still intends to run the open 400 Saturday in a bid for four sectional golds.

“I’m still going to go out there and give it everything I got,” he said. “I’m going to run.”

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I MEET
(Event winners, Salem County state qualifiers (top six))

BOYS
Team scores: Glassboro 74, Schalick 48, Camden 34, Woodstown 32, Haddon Twp. 16, Salem 16, Penns Grove 12, Gateway 10, Burlington City 9, Clayton 8, Buena 6, Maple Shade 5, Woodbury 4, Palmyra 2, Audubon 2, Pennsville 1
4×100: 1. Camden 42.32; 5. Salem (Bergen, Beverly, Stevenson, Clayton) 43.98
800: 1. Josh Crawford, Woodstown 1:54.31; 3. Karson Chew, Woodstown 1:57.94
400 Hurdles: 1. David Stewart, Schalick 55.33; 4. Grady Buzby, Salem 59.09
100: 1. Jaiden Steele, Camden 10.74; 4. Kylee Goodson, Penns Grove 11.14
3200: 1. Jaeden Wesley, Glassboro 9:34.67; 5. Jacob Marino, Woodstown 9:52.70
Discus: 1. Aidan Taulane, Woodstown 159-2; 2. Ethan McLean, Schalick 151-9
Long Jump: 1. David Stewart, Schalick 22-8.5; 2. Will Roy, Penns Grove 22-0.25; 4. Donovan Weathers, Salem 21-0.25; 6. Danny Knight, Pennsville 20-9
Pole Vault: 1. Salvatore Longo, Schalick 13-0
Triple Jump (Wednesday): 1. David Stewart, Schalick 48-7.25; 3. Jerry Seals, Salem, 43-9.5 4. Andrew White, Woodstown 43-0

GIRLS:
Team scores: Audubon 75, Glassboro 57, Haddon Twp. 29, Schalick 24, Woodstown 15, Salem 11, Burlington City 10, Buena 10, Clayton 8, Maple Shade 8, Woodbury 8, Camden 6, Penns Grove 6, Paulsboro 4, Pennsville 3, Palmyra 3, Gateway 2
4×100: 1. Glassboro 49.72
800: 1. Riley Fayer, Audubon 2:16.66
400 Hurdles: 1. Emily Madden, Buena 1:07.13; 5. Brooke Valentine, Schalick 1:11.62; 6. Lia Covely, Woodstown 1:11.90
100: 1. Kayla James, Glassboro 12.68; 4. Anyzha Williams, Salem 13.01
3200: 2. Riley Fayer, Audubon 11:21.91; 3. Abby Marino, Woodstown 11:36.00.
Shot Put: 1. Sunny Moore, Glassboro 44-4.5; 4. Zoey Ceasar, Penns Grove 35-10
Javelin: 1. Navaeh Robinson, Schalick 118-3; 2. Sebrina Bradford, Schalick 105-0; 6. Kaliyah Taylor, Salem 87-11
High Jump: 1. Julianna Lazton, Audubon 5-2; 2. Kami Casiano, Woodstown 5-2; T-4. Kallie Morrison, Pennsville 4-10
Triple Jump (Wednesday): 1. Nyima Burley, Burlington City 37-8.5; 3. Ramiyah Jones, Salem 35-6; 4. Jaelynn Jarmon, Schalick 35-0; 5. Arianna Dowe, Penns Grove 34-1

Top photo: Schalick’s Sal Longo clears the bar to win the South Jersey Group I sectional pole vault title in his first competition of the spring. (Submitted photo)