No time to pause as Mario Heslop chases sprint goals

By Brian Towey for DyeStat

NEW YORK -- After Franklin NJ junior Mario Heslop set a New Jersey state record in the 55 meters with a 6.26-second win at the Eastern States Championship at The Armory on Tuesday night, he had little time to celebrate.

"Get water, jog and you've got a 200 coming up," said Heslop's coach, Dashaun Gourdine. 

A 200 prelim followed before Heslop streaked to a 21.09 win in the final, good for US#2 this season. 

"I'm really disappointed that I didn't break 21," Heslop said. "Every day I'm going to get after it (in practice)."

Heslop's daily schedule is already more taxing than most. He works out with the track team following school. Then, four or five days a week, he heads to the local Wawa to work a shift pumping gas.

"I need to help my mother pay the bills," Heslop said. "I have to make sure to spend a certain amount of time at practice, so I'm not late to work, and that I get enough sleep."

As championship season approaches, Heslop is shifting into gear. He's already run 33.28 in the 300 and will seek the 55- and 400-meter titles at the New Jersey Meet of Champions this weekend.

EASTERN STATES RESULTS

Pittston Area PA senior Abby Norwillo cleared 13-0.75 to equal her PR and win the girls pole vault over Warwick Valley NY junior Kaeli Thompson (12-6) and Bernards NJ senior Francesca Porambo (12-6).

"To finally be at 13 feet again feels really good and gives me a lot of confidence," Norwillo said. 

Danbury CT junior Malcolm Going won the 800 in US#4 1:53.99, outpacing Hillsborough NJ senior Dominic DiNardi (1:55.20) after St. Benedict's NJ junior Jackson Burnett had pushed the field through a 54-second opening 400.

"I'm trying to win the New England Championship in the 600 meters," said Going, who won the event at the Connecticut State Open Meet on Feb. 17 in 1:20.40. "All the top guys are really close. I think we can push ourselves to have a tight group under 1:20."

Montclair NJ senior Shelby Bigsby won the shot put with a national-leading 50-2. It's the first 50-foot effort in the country this year.

Delsea Regional NJ senior Khaliel Burnett won the triple jump in 49-1.

Northport NY won the boys 4x800 relay in US#2 7:48.26. The quartet of Elijah Claiborne, Thomas Fodor, Dan O'Connor and Isaiah Claiborne (1:54.4 anchor leg) easily won the event by nearly nine seconds over North Hunterdon NJ.

"It's a good sign because our last three legs kind of ran alone," O'Connor said. 

Robeson NY junior Toshel Goffe won the girls 55 in 6.97, edging Phillipsburg NJ junior Sydney Hawkins (7:03).

"I'm pretty excited because (breaking seven seconds) was my goal for the season," Goffee said. 

East Orange Campus NJ senior Al-Tariq Dunson edged out West Side NJ senior Isaiah Greene in the 55 hurdles as both were timed in 7.32.

"Ever since (University of Florida freshman) Cory Poole left everyone has been saying, 'Who's next up?'" Dunson said. "I feel like me and Akeem Lindo have taken that over. We're both running 7.30s."

Atlantic City NJ junior Claudine Smith won the girls 55 hurdles in 8.05.

"I felt it in my bones today," Smith said. "As soon as I started warming up I had a different kind of energy."

Winslow Township NJ won the girls 4x200 relay in 1:39.75, as Flora Ahiarakwe, Janeya Hammond, Nylah Perry and Shakira Dancy combined for the win.

"The most important thing is that we keep improving within ourselves," Ahiarakwe said. "And keep hitting our best times at the same time."

Hopewell Valley NJ won the boys distance medley relay in 10:16.72 over St. Peter's Prep NY (10:21.39). Teddy Meredith, Tim Dolan, Michael Pavicic and Sean Dolan came together for the victory.

"It just kind of happened today," Dolan said. "We just threw it together at the last minute."

At New Balance Nationals Indoor, Hopewell Valley will focus on the 4xmile relay, the event in which they placed third at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.

North Hunterdon won the girls distance medley relay in 12:07.65 over Benjamin Cardozo NY (12:10.70) as the relay of Chloe Gonzalez, Angela Kearsley, Ellie DiMarcello and Gabby Beneducci took the win.

Ridge NJ won the girls 4x800 in 9:16.56 over Pingry School NJ (9:20.56). The quartet of Olivia Cicchetti, Morgan Lyons, Meghan Convery and Kaitlyn Van Baalen took the win for the defending national indoor champions.

"We definitely want to repeat as state champions in the 4x800 meter relay," Convery said. "And we were actually number one at nationals last year, so we want to repeat that."

Uniondale NY, keyed by senior Christopher Borzor's 21.53 anchor leg, won the 4x200 relay in 1:29.80, edging out Elizabeth NJ (1:29.85). He was joined by Asiel King, Giordano Williams and Tyler Edmeade.

One of the most exciting relays was the day's last. Rumson-Fair Haven, using a 56.38 anchor leg by sophomore Lily Orr, edged out Union Catholic NJ 3:56.85 to 3:56.97. Campbell Devlin, Olivia Rehder and Katie MacGillis joined with Orr for the dramatic win.

During the meet, a ceremony was held for Dr. Norb Sander, who was posthumously honored with the Stan Saplin media award.