You know it’s officially springtime here when the track and field athletes are back in full swing. And for Lakeland Regional High School, the 2022 spring track and field season has been nothing short of amazing so far.

For the first time in girls history, the girls won the county championship title. The boys competed strong and hard as well, taking sixth place overall. Several of the Lancers on both the boys and the girls side broke school records at the county meet, including senior Hanna Miles in the 400 meter run, junior Owen Horevay in the 1600 meter run, junior Shannon Harnett in the triple jump, and seniors Abigail Horevay, Caitlin Fahy, Angelina Perez and junior Morgan Uhlhorn in the 4×800 meter relay. Perez also set two new county meet records in both the 1600 and 3200 meter run.

The victory streak did not end there as the Lancers, both on the girls and boys side, fought their way to become the 2022 Big North Independence Conference Champions. The team also placed second in the Passaic County Co-Ed Relays, and the girls took first in the Passaic County Relays with the boys shortly behind. 

Ready, Set, Race! 

An abundance of hard work allowed for the track portion of the team to continue their tradition of excellence. The sprinters, relay runners, and distance runners put in a phenomenal effort to do well this season.

To start, the girls team made history. They won both the conference and county championship meets. In addition, Perez also won the prestigious Penn Relays 3000 meter run, in a sizzling time of 9:18, which was the third fastest time in meet history. The girls set a new record for their score earned at state sectionals, with a whopping 94 points for a third place finish. At this meet alone, many incredible records were shattered and redefined. Perez set a new state and meet record in the 1600 meter run, a meet record in the 3200 meter run, and school record in the 800 meter run. Senior Hanna Miles took first in the 400 meter run and set a new school record. The 4×400 meter relay team consisting of Miles, senior Alyssa Devita, sophomore Alexa Goll, and freshman Rebekah Setti also set a new school record with their second place finish.

But the girls were not the only successors; the boys team had a solid season as well. They won the conference championship meet for the fourth time in Lakeland history. Big performances from O. Horevay, senior James Catalioto, and senior Owen Gibson contributed to the team’s success and helped the team get where they needed to become conference champions. The boys also finished fifth in the state sectionals with many of the athletes medaling and advancing to state groups. O. Horevay took first place in both the 1600 and 3200 meter run, with junior Nathan Caldwell taking fourth place in the 3200 meter run and senior Owen Gibson taking fifth in the 1600 meter run to add to the team’s success. The boys 4×100 meter relay team, consisting of junior Izaiah Pagan, senior David Hammerle, sophomore Sean Walker, and senior Lucas Hebner, finished strong in third place.

Caldwell is satisfied with how his season as a distance runner turned out. When asked what meets he felt the team excelled in, he said, “The conference championship meet had to be our best one so far. [The team] pulled a great win and were able to achieve [their] goals.” 

When asked what his best memories of the season were, he said it “had to be the county relays and the Co-Ed Relays. Both these meets were super fun, as they weren’t very high stakes. Both teams excelled while enjoying the feeling of being on the track again.” 

The Stars on the Field 

Switching over to the field, the boys and girls were nothing but spectacular. From the jumpers to the throwers to the pole vaulters, the Lancers were always achieving outstanding goals and setting new records.

Jumping coach specialist Thomas McCormack is incredibly proud of his jumpers and the “tremendous success” they have had “in both events for the boys and girls.” Coach McCormack highlighted Catalioto, junior Matthew Adams, senior Hannah Boorse, freshman Laiana Anderson, and Harnett for their outstanding performances and “medals won.” 

McCormack also told The Lancer Ledger that Catalioto, Harnett, and Boorse also were “all awarded first and second team all conference honors,” and Harnett took first place in all three of her events at conference championships. She has also broken the school record for the “triple jump…and is working on the high jump and long jump records.”

And the success does not end there; all of the field athletes excelled at state sectionals. Harnett took first in the high jump, setting a new meet and school record, along with setting a new school record in her victory in the long jump. Boorse took fifth in the long jump and Harnett placed second in the triple jump, both successes contributed to the girls team success. Senior Matthew Minunni took fifth place in his pole vault event, helping the boys rack up some points. 

A Big Congratulations 

With the season beginning to unwind and come to a close, the Lakeland community is incredibly proud of all the Lancer track and field athletes on their great successes this year. From setting new records to making history, this season was one that will never be forgotten. The Lakeland community is excited to see what more the team will accomplish in the future.