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ABOUT THE COVER
For most of his life, Sincere Rhea (left in photo) of St. Augustine Prep believed he would one day become a college football player. And he was well on his way, proving himself as a capable wide receiver and defensive back throughout his high school career and garnering offers from four universities. But then, a few years ago, he started jumping over hurdles as a way to stay in shape for football, and his whole life has changed. Like a lot of athletes, Rhea was introduced to the sport during his high school years and never thought it could provide a pathway to college. But like Brielle Smith of Oakcrest and Trey Henry of Egg Harbor Township, whom you’ll read about in this special track and field edition of Glory Days, Rhea has found a new opportunity in a sport he’s quickly gaining an affinity for. Rhea won a national indoor 60-meters hurdle championship as a junior, and recently capped his career with an outdoor 400 meters gold at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. It probably won’t be the last medal this young man ever wins. — Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE General contact: 609-788-4294/advertising@acglorydays.com Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher: sully@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDsullysays Giuseppe Ungaro, Managing Editor: gungaro@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDgisepu Amy D’Adamo, Graphic Design: advertising@acglorydays.com Bill Lynskey, Director of Advertising: bill@acglorydays.com STORY IDEAS/ADVERTISING: Have a story you’d like to see told in Glory Days Magazine? Want to get your business noticed with a marketing campaign in our digital or specialty print platforms? Call us anytime at 609-788-4294. Volume: 6 Issue: 26 Overall Issue Number: 133. Cover Photography: Dave O’Sullivan. 2019 Glory Days Magazine. All rights reserved.
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MAKING HEADLINES Sully takes a closer look at the athletes, coaches and teams who are generating news and highlights in the Cape-Atlantic League and throughout South Jersey.
u Diamond Divas: The Egg Harbor Township 12U Tornadoes Babe
Ruth softball team has gotten off to a hot start the Babe Ruth Softball World Series in Florida, winning its first three games and allowing just one hit in those three games. The team, which includes Isabella D’Agostino (left in photo) and Allison Amadio, will be competing until Aug. 3 with the hopes of bringing a World Series banner back to EHT. u ACBL playoffs: The Atlantic County Baseball League’s postseason is quickly coming to a crescendo, as the semifinals began this week. One of the semis features a rematch of last year’s championship, with Northfield taking on Hammonton. Northfield, the No. 2 seed this season, took care of Hammonton in three straight games a year ago to win its first title under coach Joe Bunting. Heading into Monday’s action, the Cardinals were five wins away from repeating as league champions.
glory days digital Want the best high school sports coverage every day of the week? Visit glorydaysonline.com for game coverage, features and more! You can also like us at facebook.com/acglorydays, and follow Sully on Twitter @GDsullysays. Get the best. Every day.
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OTHER BOYS TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Quentin Bundy Pleasantville/Senior Bundy had an outstanding season for the Greyhounds, spearheading some of their relay squads while also making a name for himself in the 400 hurdles, where he finished 12th at the Meet of Champions. He was also the 400-meter hurdles champion in the CapeAtalntic League. Bundy was a big reason why Pleasantville was able to challenge the likes of EHT and Oakcrest at the county meet the past two years.
Gobi Thurairajah EHT/Senior Gobi has long been one of the top distance runners in the CAL, and this spring was no different. He finished third in the 800 meters at the CAL meet, scored a top-10 finish at the Group 4 state championships in the mile, and clocked a 4:17.68 in the mile at the Meet of Champions to place 10th. He was also a team captain and helped lead EHT to a 39-0 dual meet record in his four years, as well as four Atlantic County team titles.
Malachi Melton Cedar Creek/Junior Melton might be more well known for his exploits on the football field, where he earned a scholarship to Purdue University, but he’s also an outstanding track and field athlete as a sprinter and jumper. He won the CAL title in the 100 meters, clocking in at 10.96 seconds and also took gold in the long jump. At the Group 2 state championships, Melton showed his diversity by taking fourth in the 200 meters while also grabbing fourth in the long jump.
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OTHER GIRLS TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Lauren Princz/EHT/Sophomore Sophomore slump? No way. After a breakout freshman season a year ago, Princz continued to build on her status as one of the best sprinters in South Jersey in her second varsity season. She easily won the CapeAtlantic League 100 meters title and edged out Oakcrest’s Shaunajah Davis Roberts, also a sophomore, to win the 200 meters. Princz continued to stay strong throughout championship season and made a return trip to the Meet of Champions, where she finished second in the 100 meters in a photo finish and also scored a fourth-place finish in the 200 meters.
Shaunajah Davis Roberts/Oakcrest/Soph. Davis Roberts certainly is a young sprinter to keep your eye on, as she gave EHT’s Princz a run for her money in the 200 at CALs and went on to finish second to Manchester’s Jada Ellis at the state Group 2 meet. Her talents took her all the way to the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, where she scored top-20 finishes in both the 200 and 400-meter hurdle events.
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OTHER GIRLS TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Camryn Dirkes/Mainland/Freshman Want to hear something scary? Track and field is Dirkes’ THIRD sport. The dynamic freshman burst onto the scene last fall as a potent scorer on the soccer field, then helped lead the Mainland Regional girls basketball team to a state championship, the first in school history. All she did for an encore in spring was become a very versatile athlete that fans should start taking notice of. At the Cape-Atlantic League championships, Dirkes finished second in the triple jump to eventual MOC champion Claudine Smith of Atlantic City and also finished sixth in the javelin. She capped her career with a top-25 finish in the javelin at the MOC.
Michaela Pomatto/EHT/Sophomore Pomatta started off her championship season with a Cape-Atlantic League title in the discus, beating out Holy Spirit’s Ariana Mack by nearly five feet, and went on to finish fourth at the Group 4 championships. Pomatto capped off her second varsity season with a top-10 finish in the discus at the Meet of Champions.
If you missed any of our great track and field photos this spring, check them out now at glorydaysonline.smugmug.com
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY Glory Days BOYS TRACK ATHLETE of the Year
More than meets the eye Prep’s Sincere Rhea is a national champion hurdler, but he can do so much more than just run fast and clear 39-inch obstacles By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer t’s never been done before at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, somebody winning the 400 meters and the 110-meter hurdles. There isn’t a lot of time between the hurdle prelims, 400 finals and hurdle finals, and it takes a special athlete to even think about attempting it. In June, St. Augustine Prep senior Sincere Rhea believed he could make history by winning both events. He came in with the fastest time in the hurdles, and when Franklin Township’s Mario Heslop pulled out of the 400 to instead concentrate on the 100 and 200, Rhea believed he had the opening he was looking for. But after clearing just two hurdles in the 110-meter finals — less than a half hour after winning the 400 meters — Rhea’s legs simply gave out on him and he pulled off to the side of the track with a DNF. It was disappointing, he said, but he also said he didn’t regret his decision. The Glory Days Boys Track Athlete of the Year and Penn State commit proved to the New Jersey track world that he’s more than just a one-trick pony. “There were mixed emotions. Going into the Meet of Champions, I had a couple objectives: to win the 400, win the 110 hurdles and win the 200. In
SINCERE RHEA/ST. AUGUSTINE PREP/SENIOR
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Glory Days Magazine file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
St. Augustine Prep’s Sincere Rhea capped his Hermits career with a Meet of Champions title in the 400 meters and a second-place finish at nationals in the 110-meter hurdles, his signature event. the 200, I run to my competition, but obviously Mario went sub-21 seconds in that event. On a good day, I know I could have won the MOC title in the 110, and I do kick myself sometimes because I don’t have an outdoor 110 hurdles title. But I do have a 400 title, which is weird to me. I don’t regret it because I showed people that I can do more than just jump over 39-inch ob-
stacles; that I’m an athlete,” said Rhea, a Millville native. “As soon as I got off the track after the 400, I felt like my body was done, but I couldn’t let other people see that I was tired. But, mentally, I was drained. I heard people at the starting line saying, ‘oh, man, Sincere is in the race, this is going to be a dogfight.’ I was trying to use that as fuel to keep going and motivate my-
self. In the back of my mind, I knew something wrong was going to happen, but I was trying to keep positive vibes. The first person to see me after that happened was coach (Matt) Forrest and he was like, ‘hey, keep your head up, you tried something nobody here
See Rhea, page 11
July 20, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Rhea, from page 10 would have even thought about.’ He just kept saying that, and that I earned a lot of people’s respect that day.” Rhea earned a lot of respect throughout his high school career. What he was able to accomplish considering he never even ran track before high school is impressive. He grew up as a football player, and as a junior last year finished in the top 5 at nationals in the 110 hurdles, an event he’d only been running for three years. He became a national indoor champion, and this spring he capped his career with a second-place finish at outdoor nationals. Pretty good for a football player. “My high school career was an incredible one. From start to finish, it was an amazing ride with St. Augustine Prep. From freshman year, with coach Forrest taking me under his wing and guiding me in the sport of track and field, he was the one who really brought me into the sport. And my teammates and friends really helped me out through the process. I didn’t even run track until my freshman year.
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Rhea ran a terrific time in the 110-meter hurdles prelims at the Meet of Champions, but wasn’t able to finish the finals after having spent so much energy winning the 400, which was held less than a half hour prior. I was a football player since I was 5 years old. I wanted to just study and go in the weight room, but Forrest coaxed
me onto the track team,” Rhea said. “When he first suggested the hurdles, I was like, ‘no way.’ It took a while.
Some people make it look really easy, but going into freshman year it was not easy at all. But my parents never raised me to be a quitter, if I start something I better finish it. I never got to the point where I was like, ‘forget it, I’m not good at this.’ If I find a challenge, I want to keep trying until I perfect it.” Rhea suffered through a devastating injury his sophomore year, as he fractured both hips, so he was out to make a name for himself as a junior. “There was some redemption going into junior year. I had missed a whole season and then just jumped right into football. My coach’s message to me that year was that people don’t really know who you are. I won an indoor state title my sophomore year, but that didn’t cause as much noise as I could have with an outdoor title,” he said. “So, going into junior year it was all about redemption and making my name known, and really getting my times down so I could start contacting colleges. That year, I won states indoor and outdoor, I won Meet of Champions
See Rhea, page 13
July 20, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 Rhea, from page 11 indoor, got All-American outdoor and got fourth at nationals. So, that was exactly what I needed, even though I felt like I could have done better.” Rhea was a solid football player at Prep and had several offers to continue his gridiron career at the college level, and said he never imagined he be at Penn State — as a track athlete. “I had four offers for football, Lehigh, Morgan State, Delaware State and Sacred Heart. Originally, before the track offers came, I was ready to send my commitment letter out to Morgan State. But my mom told me to just be patient, and that was key. Penn State came along and offered me in September of my senior year. I still had no clue what I wanted to do, but it became clear that Penn State was where I felt was home. I still can’t believe it. I still have my Hudl pass (for football) and watch highlights sometimes. I had been playing football since age 5, and look at me now, running track at Penn State. It’s crazy,” he said. “That’s what I’m really excited about. Some people started track when they were 8 years
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Aside from being a track star, Rhea also was a solid football player and had four offers from colleges to continue his gridiron career at the next level. old, and I didn’t start until I was 15, so I feel like I still have so much more room to grow as an athlete. I’m still learning about the sport.” At Penn State is where his track career will really get serious, as he’ll have to take on guys such as Kurt Powdar, a University of Florida recruit, who runs a 10.77-second 100 meters and goes 13.36 in the 110 hurdles. Rhea ran a 13.78 in the Meet of Champions pre-
lims and finished second to Powdar at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., in June. Powdar clocked in at 13.27 with Rhea running a 13.51. “He knows how to turn it on and off, and that’s what I haven’t been able to do,” Rhea said. “What I mean by that is, he can be fast enough to qualify for the finals, then go into super-drive mode and go even faster. With me, I
just sort of go, go, go. Kurt is 6-foot-5, tall and lanky, and he really uses that stride. When you go against him you have to be on your ‘A’ game because he doesn’t mess around. That’s what I’m working on now, mentally preparing myself to run fast, and then go even faster.” Of all the medals he has hanging in his bedroom, Rhea said the one that means the most is his indoor 60-meter hurdles national championship gold from his junior year. Becoming a national champion is a rare achievement for any high school athlete. “That indoor nationals gold medal means so much to me because I went through so many ups and downs, injuries that I never told anyone about,” Rhea said. “It was just unbelievable, all the emotions that went into that one race, and for it all to pay off was just incredible. I’m so thankful to all the people who supported me and helped make me a better athlete and young man. That medal just means so much to me.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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BOYS TRACK AND FIELD u Anthony Vazquez, Egg Harbor Township: Vazquez, a junior, finished third in the CapeAtlantic League in the 110-meter hurdles, less than a second behind champion Sincere Rhea of St. Augustine Prep and second-place finisher Kevin King of Ocean City. Vazquez also earned a berth in the Meet of Champions, where he took 10th in the prelims. u Josh Cohen, Egg Harbor Township: The senior proved he’s one of the top pole vaulters in South Jersey by winning the CAL championship and earning a bid to the MOC, where he finished 11th overall. u Lane Owens, Ocean City: Owens, a junior, already is one of the top javelin throwers in South Jersey. He won the CAL title and also finished fifth at the Meet of Champions. u True Robinson, St. Augustine Prep: A stur-
dy running back for the Hermits’ football team, Robinson is also a heck of a competitor in the field events. He finished second in the league in the shot put and also took 21st overall at the MOC in the triple jump. He also finished third in the CAL in the long jump. u Isaiah Whaley, Atlantic City: Whaley is a solid sprinter, winning the CAL gold in the 400 meters in a time of 49.52. He took 12th overall in that even at the MOC. u Gabriel Moronta, Pleasantville: A valuable member of the Greyhounds’ relay teams, he also had a lot of individual success this season, winning the league title in the 800 and taking eighth overall at the MOC. u Kevin Antczak, Mainland Regional: A premier cross country runner in the fall, Antczak is just as good in the 3,200, where he took sev-
enth in the league and 13th overall at the MOC. u Devin Anderson, Mainland Regional: Anderson put his football speed to good use this spring, finishing second to Prep’s Sincere Rhea in the CAL 200-meter finals. He also was 18th overall in the 400 at the MOC. u Kevin King, Ocean City: Another football standout, King took second to Rhea in the 110-meter hurdles at the CAL championships and was 17th in the event’s prelims at MOC. u De-Quawn Johnson, Holy Spirit: Johnson just finished up his junior year, so he’ll have another season to improve, but he was pretty good this spring as he took sixth in the 200 meters at CALs and finished 23rd in the prelims of the 100 meters at the MOC.
Anthony Vazquez/Egg Harbor Township/Junior/Hurdles
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Devin Anderson/Mainland Regional/Senior/Sprints
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GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD u Joslyn Whaley, ACIT: The freshman already is proving she’s going to be some tough competition for the likes of EHT’s Lauren Princz and Oakcrest’s Shaunajah Davis Roberts in the sprint events. Whaley took third at the CapeAtlantic League meet in the 100 and 200 meters and should be a challenger in both events for years to come. u Maya Harper, Pleasantville: Just a sophomore this spring, Harper took fourth overall in the 400 at CALs and made it all the way to the Meet of Champions, where she placed 20th in the event. u Diamond McLaughlin, Absegami: McLaughlin won gold at CALs in the 400 meters by clocking a 58.03, and also scored a top25 finish at the MOC in the 400-meter hurdles. u Anne Rutledge, Egg Harbor Township: Rutledge, another sophomore, scored a thirdplace finish at CALs in the 400 and was second to Millville’s Brianna Craig in the 400 hurdles, and capped her season with a trip to the MOC, where she was 28th in the 400 hurdles. u Ariana Mack, Holy Spirit: Mack capped her career by finishing second to EHT’s Michaela Pomatto in the discus at CALs, and carried that success all the way to the Meet of Champions, where she finished 24th overall. u Angela Bannan, Holy Spirit: One of the toughest distance competitors in South Jersey, Bannan capped her outstanding career with a 3,200 meters championship at the CAL meet. u Mariah Stevens, Egg Harbor Township: Another in the strong South Jersey sophomore class, Stevens finished third in the triple jump
Joslyn Whaley/ACIT/Freshman/Sprints, Relays behind Atlantic City’s Claudine Smith and Mainland’s Camryn Dirkes, and finished 23rd in the event at the MOC. Stevens also was a top10 finisher in the 100-meter hurdles at the CAL meet. u Sophia Crozier-Carole, Mainland Regional: The junior took home a league champion-
ship in the pole vault and also scored a fourthplace finish in the high jump at CALs. u Casey McLees, Ocean City: The junior helped lead the Red Raiders to another Cape May County title, and also won the 1,600 meters at CALs and finished third in the 3,200.
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Diamond McLaughlin/Absegami/Sophomore/Hurdles
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Glory Days BOYS FIELD ATHLETE of the Year
LEAP OF FAITH
Some may have thought Mubeen Momodu’s EHT track career was over after a knee injury freshman year. Others may have doubted he could get accepted to Harvard University. But Momodu always believed he could prove anybody wrong. By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ubeen Momodu’s high school track career was almost over before it really began. He blew out his knee freshman year, and Egg Harbor Township boys track coach Ryan Smith said he didn’t think the rising high jump and triple jump star would ever be able to set foot on the track again. But Momodu is a competitor, and he wasn’t about to let one injury define his entire high school track and field career. The Glory Days Boys Field Athlete of the Year began working his way back into jumping shape as a junior, and took off in this, his final season as an Eagle. Momodu began championship season on May 9 by scoring Atlantic County titles in the high jump and triple jump while also finishing seventh in the long jump, and a week later he cleared 6 feet, 2 inches to win the Cape-Atlantic League high jump title and recorded better than 44 feet to win the triple jump. His success continued later in May, as Momodu took home third in the triple jump at the state Group 4 championships, and seventh in the high jump. He qualified for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in both events, and took home a bronze medal in the triple jump despite coming in as the No. 8 seed. “At the beginning of the season, I was just an average triple jumper, but I set my goals to work hard in the weight room and at practice. I worked on drills and watched videos of professional triple jumpers, and just tried copying what they were doing. (Making the MOC) was kind of far out there. My main goal was to qualify for emerging elite nationals. Coming in third at the Meet of Champions was something I didn’t think would be possible at the beginning of the season,” Mubeen said. “My entire track career saw a lot of ups and downs, but I was glad I was a part of this team. The Egg Harbor Township track team is amazing, especially with this senior season and this group of guys. All the coaches and all the guys in general are amazing people, and I was so happy I got to spend my senior season doing it with Egg Harbor
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MUBEEN MOMODU/EHT/SENIOR
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Egg Harbor Township’s Mubeen Momodu capped off a spectacular senior season with a bronze medal in the triple jump at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. Township High School.” “He’s been with us since his freshman year, but that year he had a grueling knee injury in May and we didn’t know if he would ever be able to ever participate again. We knew about him because his brother was a discus thrower a few years before. But he came back out his sophomore year, participated a little bit, and then last year he started showing he had the ability to be great. We saw a little bit of wear-and-tear on him last year because we asked him to be a long jumper, triple jumper and high jumper, and anytime a team asks you to do all three of those, it’s tough,” Smith said. “This year, my main goal was just to keep
him fresh and healthy, and I thought we did that. He was able to pop some crazy jumps late in the season that sent him to greatness in our program’s history. We talked about his speed going down the runway — in those jumping events sometimes you see a guy and you’re like, ‘wow, that guy can jump off the track.’ To get him to that point he had to hit it right, the speed had to be right, and everything else just kind of took care of itself.” Before his final preliminary triple jump at the
See Mubeen, page 21
July 20, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 21 Mubeen, from page 18 MOC, Eagles assistant coach Cameron Bell told Momodu that if he didn’t jump at least 47 feet he should pack his bag because he wasn’t going to win a medal. “The entire day I had an ankle problem and my first two jumps that was bothering me, and I kind of let that get to me mentally. They weren’t my best jumps, maybe 44 or 45 feet, then my coach came up to me and said, ‘hey, you need at least 47 to get into the finals.’ I knew I just had to put the pain behind me and go out and do what I knew I could do,” Momodu said. “I went out there and jumped a 48 on my final attempt at qualifying, and that was good enough for third place.” “He was seeded eighth and had a couple jumps the previous weeks where we were like, ‘wow, that was a nice boost, how much further can he go?’ When (he hit 48 feet) I was actually at another event, and walking back and hearing what he did — there was a surprised look on his face, but also recognition that he could do it,” Smith said. “Mubeen was that type of com-
petitor. Obviously with his acceptance to Harvard, and he’s part of the Future Business Leaders of America, and he’s been able to translate that kind of success into sports. It was like, ‘I’ve seen success in my academics and everywhere else, now I’m going to go get it (on the track).’” Whether or not he had success on the track was secondary to Momodu, who had his sights set on getting accepted to Harvard. He accomplished that, and said he broke down in tears when he got the notification letter that he was in. “Harvard has always been a goal of mine, but placing in the Meet of Champions was one of the best moments of my life, right up there with receiving my Harvard acceptance letter. Most people have to sacrifice something, and I was willing to sacrifice sleep. Most nights, I typically wouldn’t get to sleep until 3 a.m. I’d get home at about 6:30 p.m. from practice, then doing my homework, studying for projects or tests, writing essays. Whenever I could, I would try napping. It was a pretty hectic schedule, but I made sure to find my way through it,” Momodu said. “When I opened the acceptance letter, that was the best moment of
my life. I remember screaming, I took a video and at the end of the video I started crying. It was one of the most emotional moments I can ever remember. I look back at it and have a smile on my face. And it wasn’t just me, it was my family always encouraging me and knowing what I was trying to do, so I’m grateful for everyone. I remember the first time I went to the campus, and I was so overwhelmed. It’s such a beautiful campus, and such a prestigious university where so many famous people have gone.” Added teammate Trey Henry, “Mubeen is a great teammate. He’s always high spirited, cracks jokes, has fun with it. He was never down on anyone and you’d never see him with a sad look on his face. Even if he didn’t perform well at a meet, he would come out the next day in practice and try to fix what he messed up on. He’s a really smart guy, going to Harvard. He was a great asset to the team, and personality-wise he’s cool and he’s a great friend. I’m glad to have him as a teammate and I hope he does really well at Harvard.” When you’re trying to get into Harvard you don’t have time for much of a
social life in high school, and Momodu said he endured his share of teasing for being a bookworm. But he has much bigger goals in life that being considered cool in a high school hallway. “That happened a lot, people would be like, ‘hey, come to this party,’ or, ‘hey, come hang out with us.’ But I’d have to tell them I had an essay to do or a test I had to study for. Some people would say, ‘OK, this guy isn’t really cool,’ but once it got to senior year and people realized what my goals were, they understood,” he said. “Just because I was always studying or working out on the track didn’t mean I didn’t find some time to hang out with my friends. I made sure to dedicate time each week to hang out with them, and they are very motivated people as well. There was some emotional stress in the beginning (of my high school career) seeing people out and having fun, and I’m only seeing it on Snapchats, but I knew it would be worth it in the end. I’m planning on studying biology on a pre-med track with the eventual goal of being a neurosurgeon.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Glory Days Boys Track Athlete of the Year Nominee
Risky decision paid off for EHT’s Henry Giving up baseball in favor of track led to MOC appearance, spot at Kutztown University By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer odd Henry was an outstanding baseball player during his days at Egg Harbor Township and went on to have a very productive career at Delaware State University, where he finished his career this spring with more than 150 hits and 59 RBIs. Younger brother Trey, a 2019 EHT High graduate, figured he would be following right along in his brother’s footsteps. But after his junior year, Trey said he was feeling kind of burned out on baseball, having played the game his entire life, and enjoying some success as a junior on the winter track circuit led Trey to make the decision to finish out his high school career as a sprinter rather than an outfielder. Safe to say it was a good decision. Trey Henry burst onto the scene as a senior, switching sports and becoming one of the top sprinters in the state, and he opened enough eyes to get recruited by Kutztown University, where he plans to spend the next four years developing himself as a 100- and 200-meter runner. A 2019 Glory Days Boys Track Athlete of the Year nominee, Henry finished third in the 100 meters at the Atlantic County Champion-
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Egg Harbor Township’s Trey Henry had virtually no track experience prior to his senior year, but scored top-5 finishes and counties and CALs in the 100 meters, and earned a berth in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. ships in mid-May, then clocked in at 11.12 to finish second behind Cedar Creek star Malachi Melton at CALs. He also scored a top-5 finish in the 200, and at the state championships later in May he was 10th in the 100 prelims and finished 17th overall in the 200. At the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, Henry clocked
an 11.1 in the 100 to place 17th in the prelims. He also helped lead EHT to a fourth straight county team championship and another undefeated dual meet season, the Eagles’ fourth straight. Not too bad for a
See Henry, page 23
July 20, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 23 Henry, from page 22 baseball player who is just scratching the surface as a sprinter. “Trey was the final piece of the puzzle this year. He was the sprinter we were missing, so he came in and filled those shoes really well,” said fellow senior Mubeen Momodu, who took third in the triple jump at the MOC. “He’s a great guy and a great character to have on the team, cracking jokes and bringing up the spirit. I think that spirit he brought helped everyone perform up to their abilities. He’s a freak athlete. He won “Most Athletic” in our school, and anything he does he’ll be amazing at.” “What a cool story he was. I had his older brother, who was also a baseball player but had come out for winter track a few times, so (Trey) had that in his mind. I saw him in the fall of his junior year and was like, ‘just try winter track.’ I finally got him out for winter, and the success he had there, combined with his desire to be at a high level in a sport — I think he just gravitated toward the sport,” said Eagles boys track coach Ryan Smith. “There is pressure in track, but it’s kind of like, hey, when the gun goes off, just go. You don’t have to judge a fly ball, you don’t have to read a curveball — it’s kind of like, just go be athletic. I think that’s what grabbed him in this sport. I would be at indoor races standing in the coaches section and guys would be like, ‘where did this kid come from?’ And I would say, ‘the baseball diamond.’ It was really cool to see him repeat that success he had indoors because he was really just a rookie in the sport this year and he just kept improving throughout the year.” “It was all about perseverance. I did really well my junior (winter) season and I really wanted to pursue track after that. Baseball wasn’t really my sport anymore, so I talked to my parents and made the decision to do outdoor (as a senior), got together with my coach and told him I really wanted to go out there and make something happen. We just kept working on my form, my drive and my starts. We knew the speed was there, we just had to tweak some things to go out there and beat the competition. I made the decision in October of my senior year. I felt like I had a great bond with the track guys and
I had fun going to meets and practices. After playing baseball for so long, it just didn’t feel like it was my sport anymore. Track was new, I enjoyed it, and I did well junior year in the winter season,” Henry said. “My brother ran winter track his junior and senior years, and that was the reason I did it, because I kind of knew coach Smith and it was easy for me to make a bond with him. But, honestly, I didn’t know anything about track. I didn’t know anything about times, trials, meets — nothing. The first time I even did a meet with blocks was senior year at indoor sectionals. After my senior winter season, after winning a sectional championship in the 55 meters, I felt like I could go out there in the 100 and be just as good because I was able to handle myself with the top guys. Sometimes I didn’t feel like I was the best out there, but sometimes I could go out there and feel like I could dominate.” Henry said he learned a whole lot about what it takes to keep your body in shape when you’re a sprinter, and working out to run 100 or 200 meters as fast as you can is much different that the movements required on a baseball field. “I learned I needed to drink a lot of water, I had to eat right and make sure my diet was good because I didn’t want to gain unnecessary weight. You have to work out right so that after a couple races in a meet you’re not physically drained. You have to really take care of yourself, eat right and drink right,” he said. “Track is really taxing on the legs when you get done a track season as opposed to a baseball season. Baseball is taxing just because of how long the season is, but it’s really different during a track season. You’re pushing your limits as far as you can and running as fast as you can, where as in baseball every now and then you’ll run fast or slide, but it’s not all the time. With track, it’s constant.” “I made sure that every race of his we got on film so we could dissect it afterward. His sectional win, and even his state championship performance, there were so many flaws but he still ended up in the Meet of Champions,” Smith said. “I think the best of his career is yet to come. I’m happy he’s going to be with an alumni of our program, Steve Morgan, at Kutztown. The
best of his track career is 100 percent ahead of him in college. When he gets up there at that Division II level, even at that level you’re going against some of the best guys in the world. The talent is crazy. There are people in the Olympic trials every year who weren’t Division I, so I think when he gets around the talent he’ll be with, I think his body can continue to grow and be more powerful. That atmosphere will set him up for big-time success.” Henry said being at the Meet of Champions and going up against guys like Mario Heslop of Franklin, Thomas Hampton of Clayton and James Bivens of Donovan Catholic was intimidating. “When I first showed up to the Meet of Champions, I felt like I was in the moment. I saw a lot of nationals bags, I walked around and almost everyone there had an indoor nationals bag or last year’s outdoor nationals bag. I felt like I didn’t belong, but at the same time, I achieved and did so well through the season that I deserved to be there,” Henry said. “I wanted to go out there and try to do something for myself. It was a crazy experience. I really enjoyed it. People were coming up to me and saying, ‘where did you come
from?’ I would line up for the start and I’d look to my left or right and I’d see guys like Mario and Danny Fenton (of Millville). It was like, ‘wow, I’m running against the fastest guys in the state.’ Your heart drops a little and you get butterflies.” Baseball will always have a place in Henry’s heart, but, looking back on it now, he said he feels like he made the best decision he could have when he switched to track. “I think it was a risk, but I felt like it was a good switch. My senior year I had a really good time and I performed well. Nobody really expected me to go out there and do what I did. I felt like it was the right thing to do,” he said. “My parents told me I should run track freshman year and I kind of just shrugged it off and said, ‘no, I’m going to play baseball.’ In the end, it was worth it and it was a really good end to my high school career. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ll be running at Kutztown University and hopefully I can break some barriers there. I’ll do the best I can and have fun with it.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Glory Days GIRLS TRACK ATHLETE of the Year CLAUDINE SMITH/ATLANTIC CITY/SENIOR Claudine Smith, a recent graduate of Atlantic City High School, had a storied career with the Vikings as she racked up more than two dozen championship medals during her four-year career. Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Peaking at the right time Atlantic City’s Claudine Smith saved her best for last, captured elusive outdoor MOC title By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer here are gold medals, and then there are GOLD medals. Every high school track and field athlete wants to win gold medals, even if it’s just at the county level. But the ultimate gold medal is won at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, and they are not easily earned. Claudine Smith, a recent Atlantic City High School graduate, Rutgers University recruit and Glory Days Girls Track Athlete of the Year, will be carefully packing her shiny MOC gold medal into her luggage when she
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departs for Piscataway in late August. Smith finished off a tremendous high school track career in June with her best performance at the Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington High School. She took second in the 100-meter hurdles and won gold in the triple jump, setting a Cape-Atlantic League record in the process. In both events she set personal bests. “This season couldn’t have gone better,” Smith said. “Everyone, as a senior, wants to end their season the right way and some seniors just get worn out after four years of pushing themselves to their peak. But I was glad I was able
to do that and get two PRs in my best events.” Smith came in as the favorite to win the 100-meter hurdle event, but finished less than a quarter of a second behind champion Grace O’Shea of Ramapo. O’Shea clocked in at 13.58 in the finals with Smith right on her heels at 13.67. They were the only two in the finals to break 14 seconds. “I knew it was going to be a close race because going into the Meet of Champions I had the fasted seed time, but it was only a few milliseconds faster than Grace, so I knew I would have to lay it all out there,” Smith said. “I did PR, which was good, and finished second. I wasn’t really disappointed because I knew I had another event coming up. I got top three, which I was aiming for, and a personal record. I had enough
time after the hurdles to get ready for the triple jump because they were still doing the boys triple jump when I finished hurdles. So, I had time to get my composure, relax, hydrate and be ready for the triple.” In the triple jump, Smith cleared 42 feet, going 42-02 to beat out Mahogany Jenkins of Watchung Hills and Tiffany Bautista of Paramus Catholic and earn her first MOC gold medal. That performance capped a career that saw her win three state titles, seven South Jersey championships, six CAL golds and six Atlantic County titles. She also won a gold medal in the 55-meter hurdles at this past winter’s indoor MOC. “This year I did get some big-time
See Smith, page 25
July 20, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 25 Smith, from page 24 records. My junior year, with the triple jump, I got the record at the Rowan Open, but this year was the year for me to go out and get big records to where I could make a name for myself. My thing when I’m competing, though, is just making my goals. For triple jump, I knew I wanted to make 42 feet, because once you hit that you’re out there in terms of being able to place well at nationals. Hopefully, in college, I can continue to improve and make it to the Big 10 Championships and NCAAs. At Rutgers, I’ll probably just let long jump go and concentrate primarily on the hurdles and triple jump. I’ll always remain a hurdler,” she said. “My technique is pretty good, but I need to work on my speed and getting down, and running really fast through the hurdles. Running like the hurdles aren’t even there is something I need to work on.
I’ve run track for a long time, but hurdles and triple jump are two events that I really didn’t get exposed to until high school.” Smith, who said she plans to major in history with a minor in sports management, said she believes her best is yet to come at Rutgers. “I’m really excited. I think that kind of training and exposure will make me a better athlete,” Smith said. “We have summer workouts, so in August that will be my biggest training. I’ve mostly been taking a break and laying off of track, but August will be time to pick it up and in September I’ll be with the team. I feel like I’m strong and will be able to handle (college track), and even if things get tough I know I can persevere.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullsays
Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Smith jumped better than 42 feet, a personal best and Cape-Atlantic League record, to win the gold medal in the triple jump at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in June.
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Glory Days GIRLS FIELD ATHLETE of the Year
IN A CLASS BY HERSELF Oakcrest senior dominated the field again to repeat as MOC champion By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer s a sophomore, Brielle Smith of Oakcrest finished second at the Meet of Champions in the javelin. Falcons assistant coach Kevin Wiesner figured he would give her the old, ‘good try, get ‘em next time’ speech. The reaction he got from a then-15-year-old Smith wasn’t what he expected. “I said, ‘I know you’re upset you didn’t win it,’” Wiesner said. “And she said, ‘we didn’t come here for second place.’ That just tells you about the intensity and the pride in what she does.” Smith — who promised to be an outstanding soccer and basketball player at Oakcrest when she first arrived as a freshman, and was (she finished her soccer career as one of the best goalies in the state and was a solid hoops player for two years) — picked up the javelin as a freshman as a way to stay in shape for soccer, and that one decision completely changed her life. The Glory Days Girls Field Athlete of the Year put together one of the most dominating girls track and field careers the Cape-Atlantic League has ever seen. As a junior, she won the Meet of Champions with a state-record throw and went on to become a national champion. She followed that up her senior year with another MOC gold medal, and even on what she considered an off day, she still beat the second-place finisher by nearly 10 feet. She’s also parlayed her track success into a scholarship to prestigious Stan-
BRIELLE SMITH/OAKCREST/SENIOR
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Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Oakcrest senior Brielle Smith fought through midseason injuries to claim her second straight Meet of Champions title in the javelin, and during her career she set the state record in the event and also won a national championship. ford University. “I’m really happy, I was just a little disappointed in my last couple of throws,” she said after the MOC at Northern Burlington High School in June. “I was hoping to PR but I was off just a little bit. I had a big setback in the middle of the season with injuries, so to be able to come close to where I was — I had an elbow injury and a back injury. It was a lot of overuse stuff. But to be able to come back and throw in the 150s and win it again is awesome.
It’s a good accomplishment, I just wish I could have thrown a little bit better. “It’s crazy how things work out, but I just have faith that things are going to go the right way. When one door closes, another one opens somewhere. I’m just happy I had the opportunity to come to Oakcrest and try new things, and I happened to find something I really love and that I am pretty good at.” “She came out for track to stay in shape for soccer, and she could do every event. As a freshman she was triple
jumping 31 feet, she was high jumping 4-foot-8 in the first week of the season,” said Oakcrest girls track head coach Joe Seaman. “I remember the first time she threw a javelin she threw 88 feet without even knowing what she was doing. I said, ‘Brielle, you’re pretty good at the javelin, we’re going to spend a little more time over here.’ A few weeks later, we were at Lower Cape May and she threw 120 feet,
See Brielle, page 28
Page 28 w Glory Days Magazine w July 20, 2019 Smith finished with a throw of 157 feet to win her second straight NJSIAA Meet of Champions title in June, beating out the second-place finisher by eight feet. Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Brielle, from page 26 and from there her career just took off. There are no words.” Not only did Smith graduate as one of Oakcrest’s best athletes ever, what she did off the track and athletic fields will, perhaps, leave a more lasting impression. She was one of the school’s best leaders and one of its most influential students. “She’s a role model for the kids and she gravitates toward kids who need to be picked up. I feel like I’m having a conversation with a kid who has already gone to college, graduated and come back. I always use the term ‘total package’ and that’s what she is — in the classroom, on the field, socially. The future is so bright for her. It’s going to be great to follow her (at Standford) and see what she does,” Wiesner said. “She’s like another teacher in the hallways. She gets along with everyone, has time for everyone, and if you need something she’s always there. If you had to clone what you want as the student-athlete, she would be it. And we’ve had some great ones, like Alec Rodriguez, who is going to Cornell, kids like that. We’re very proud of her and very happy for her.” And the value of all the accolades thrown her way aren’t lost on Smith. She used her notoriety to bring
“I feel like I’m having a conversation with a kid who has already gone to college, graduated and come back. I always use the term ‘total package’ and that’s what she is — in the classroom, on the field, socially. The future is so bright for her. It’s going to be great to follow her (at Standford) and see what she does.”
Kevin Wiesner Oakcrest assistant track coach
attention to all the good things happening at Oakcrest, and all the valuable people who helped her become a star athlete. “It’s definitely an honor, all the accomplishments I’ve had with track in general. It’s been a great season. All I can do is look back and be grateful, and realize how blessed I am. I’m excited to move on, go to new places, try new things and meet new people, and there will never be a moment where I look back
at my high school career and I’m disappointed or upset. I’m happy I was able to go through it and meet great people,” she said. “I’m just really grateful that I was able to have all these experiences, meet people like my coaches, find a family at my high school and in sports in general, and just to spread my wings and meet new people. I can’t really explain what it means to me. It’s everything.” Seaman said he has no doubt Smith will one day have a plaque hanging in the Oakcrest hallways as a Wall of Fame member. “She’s such a leader. Great GPA, the way she’s a role model in helping out younger throwers and younger players in soccer, it was fantastic to see her develop as a leader. It’s great to watch someone like her flourish. It comes down to her work ethic. She wins gold and is mad at herself for not breaking her own record. She never lets excuses enter the equation. She was hurt and we had to shut her down for three weeks, but that wasn’t an excuse for her,” he said. “She’ll be on the Oakcrest Wall of Fame, absolutely. There hasn’t been anyone like Brielle, and there won’t be anybody like Brielle. She stands alone, like Michael Jordan in the NBA. That’s Brielle Smith at Oakcrest High School.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays