Inside this issue:
SIX09 Health & Wellness COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
JULY 2022 FREE
Ninja warrior
Mercer airport to get major expansion
LHS sophomore competes on NBC obstacle course racing show
BY BILL SANSERVINO
BY BILL SANSERVINO
James Sannella, a sophopmore at Lawrence High School, recently appeared on the new season of American Ninja Warrior, currently airing on NBC. Typically only adults are allowed to compete on the show, but last year they began inviting teens they believed could be competitive. Sannella debuted on the June 13 episode of the show. He qualified to move on to the semifinals, finishing in sixth place with a time of 2:22:01. Sannella said that getting onto the show was his main focus after winning his age division in the National Ninja League World Championship on June 28 last year. Sannella began training for American Ninja Warrior, a televised version of the sport known as obstacle course racing, in the fall of 2018 and immediately qualified for the National Ninja League World Championships in Hartford Connecticut, held in February 2019. He has qualified for each world championship since then, getting See NINJA, Page 3
High hurdler Isabelle Nicolas at the track at Lawrence High School.
Junior runner makes championships BY RICH FISHER
Isabelle Nicolas had pretty much no athletic background when she went out for the Lawrence Middle School track & field team. Little did she know, however, she had already been in “training” for what would become her best event. “My dad got me into track because I was a dancer for most of my life and he said ‘You know, you should try out a sport,’” Nicolas said. “He got me into track & field and I ended up lov-
ing it, and here we are now.” Where we are in Nicolas’ junior year is that she made it to the NJSIAA Group III championships in the 100 high hurdles by finishing fourth in the Central Jersey Group III meet in a PR (personal record) of 17.13. That came after taking sixth in the Mercer County Championships and seventh in the CVC Invitational in her first true full season of high school competition. Nicolas’ ability to become a hurdler was hastened thanks to her back-
ground in dancing. “It definitely helped a lot.” she said. “I feel like my form was a lot more advanced than most people as a beginner hurdler. I already knew what my technique was, all I had to work on was my speed and getting up to date with that. I was very flexible so it helped me to have a straighter lead leg. Pushing myself forward and things like that helped a lot to make it a more enjoyable experience.” Nicolas was unable to advance See NICOLAS, Page 6
Mercer County is currently working on plans for the construction of a major expansion at the TrentonMercer Airport in Ewing Township that will increase the size of the current terminal by almost five times and allow for an increased number of flights from the facility. The terminal expansion passed a major hurdle recently when the federal government gave the county the green light to move forward with the design and construction of the new terminal and other improvements on the site. “The county is hopeful to begin the design phase this summer and break ground for construction in late 2023,” said Julie Willmot, director of communications for Mercer County. Once started, construction of the expansion is expected to take place over a 26-month time frame. The project calls for replacing the current 28,000-square-foot terminal, which was built in the 1970s, with a new 125,000-square-foot facility to be located adjacent to the existing building. The current building will be demolished as part of the plan. After the project is done, passenSee AIRPORT, Page 4
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