CHESTER, PA…Freshman HYRON GRIFFITH (Jersey City, NJ/Combesmere Secondary, Barbados) set a meet record in the long jump by soaring 6.29 meters, and sophomore JOHNNIE TAYLOR (Newark, NJ/Barringer) matched his own meet record of 1.87 meters in winning the high jump, as the New Jersey City University men’s track and field team opened the 2004 outdoor campaign at the Danny Curran Invitational at Widener University on Saturday. There was no team scoring.
Griffith’s jump of 6.29 meters equated to 20-7.75, as the rookie won by six inches. Taylor was tied for third in the long jump in 6.01 meters (19-8.75). Taylor’s jump of 1.87 meters (6-2) matched his height from 2003’s Widener meet. He was also fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.81 seconds and 16th in the 200-meter dash in 23.63 seconds, to wrap up his four-event afternoon.
Griffith was 10th of 43 athletes in the 200-meter dash at 23.40 seconds, and 19th of 44 in the 100-meter dash in 11.75 seconds.
Freshman MARVIN JOSEPH (Newark, NJ/Technology) had a nice all-around effort as well, taking fourth in the 400-meter dash in 51.69 seconds, and 15th in the 200 meters in 23.62.
Sophomore JOSE CAMACHO (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) was 11th in the 44 in 54.96 seconds, and 17th in the 200 in 23.67.
Freshman CHRIS SMIGA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) placed 15th in the 800 meters in 2:04.53 and 33rd in the 1500 meters in 4:31.75. Sophomore JOSEPH CARROLL (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson County Prep) was 21st in the grueling 5000-meter run in 17:27.45 and 32nd in the 1500 (4:29.38). Freshman DAVID PEREZ (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) listed 35th in the 1500-meters at 4:32.58 as all three NJCU participants were separated by slightly more than three seconds.
Junior CARLOS FRANCO (Lyndhurst, NJ/Weehawken) was 17th in the 400-meter dash in 1:02.79 before finishing in 26.94 in the 200-meter dash.
Next week, the men’s track and field team will compete at the Trinity College Invitational in Hartford, CT, when the 10 am event is held on Saturday, April 3.
