STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The New Jersey City University (NJCU) track and field team had a strong performance at the St. Thomas Aquinas Spartan Invite, held on Friday, Jan.10, at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. Sophomore Jezena Aponte (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) made history by breaking the school record in the 3,000-meter race, while junior Reyanna Henderson (Pemberton, N.J./Pemberton Two) qualified for the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Championship in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes.

Aponte led the charge for NJCU, finishing in 19th place in the 3,000-meter race with a time of 10:53.37, setting a new school record. Henderson also had a standout performance, finishing eighth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.23. She followed up with a 14th-place finish in the 200-meter dash, clocking in at 26.17 seconds, securing her qualification for the upcoming regional championships.

Freshman Raven Orange (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) also competed in the 200-meter dash, finishing 19th with a time of 26.70. In the field events, junior Lucy Pelaez (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) marked a 6.51-meter throw in the shot put, placing 52nd overall. Junior Shyanne Anson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) participated in the weight throw, registering an 11.03-meter mark to finish in 31st place.

Freshman Tonna Ogina (North Brunswick, N.J./Highland Park) had a strong performance in the jumping events, recording a 4.98-meter jump in the long jump for a 13th-place finish. She also competed in the high jump, clearing 1.55 meters to secure a fifth-place finish for the Gothic Knights.

One of the men's team's best performances came in the 4x200 meter relay, where the Gothic Knights finished 7th out of 21 teams with a time of 1:34.08. The relay team consisted of junior Pratt Charles (Jersey City, N.J./University Charter), freshman Isaiah Ramirez (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens), sophomore Anthony El Helou (Beirut, Lebanon/Kfarchima), and freshman Gerard Victor (Irvington, N.J./Payne Tech).

Individually, freshman Christan Palmer (Union, N.J./Union) posted the best performance of the day for NJCU. He placed 52nd in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.59 and finished 71st overall in the 60-meter dash, winning his section with a time of 7.42. Additionally, Charles impressed in the long jump, finishing 21st with a leap of 6.29 meters.

Ramirez had a standout performance in the 400-meter dash, finishing 19th with a time of 51.27. He also competed in the 4x200 meter relay, contributing to the team's top-10 finish. Fellow freshman Victor also contributed significantly in the 400-meter dash, placing 45th with a time of 53.25, as well as in the relay event.

El Helou competed in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. He placed 117th in the 60 meters with a time of 8.10 and finished 100th in the 200 meters with a time of 25.77.

In the field events, junior Sirell Clark (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) had a solid performance in the weight throw, placing 20th with a mark of 12.58 meters. Freshman Daniel Jackson (Jersey City, N.J./Lincoln) represented the Gothic Knights in the shot put, finishing 34th with a throw of 10.07 meters.

Freshmen Kenny Balisage (Roselle, N.J./Roselle Park) and Steven Maldonado (San Juan, Puerto Rico/James J. Ferris (N.J.)) rounded out the individual sprint performances for NJCU. Balisage finished 110th in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.86, while Maldonado placed 115th with a time of 8.01. In the 200 meters, Maldonado clocked in at 25.77, earning a 100th-place finish, while Balisage finished 45th in the long jump with a mark of 5.22 meters.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex next Friday, Jan. 17, for the NYC Gotham Cup. Events begin at 12:00 p.m.

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