IHS girls' track team wins state Group 3 Relays title

The Irvington High School girls’ indoor track and field team made history.
The Lady Blue Knights, under head coach Marvin Hawkins, won their first state championship in school history as they tied for first place overall at the state Group 3 Relays last Sunday Jan. 15 at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
The girls tied with Mendham and West Windsor-Plainsboro North for first place in the team standings with 26 points apiece, based on the top-six finishes in each event.
Janaya Lewis and Sarah Ojinnaka combined to win the team shot put with a combined throw of 68 feet to lead the Blue Knights.
In the 4x200-meter relay, Dashana Ransome, Denesha Ransome, who is Dashana’s sister, Kimoy Connell and Nazmia Thomas-Cancel took second in a combined 1:49.32.
Dashana Ransome, Krystal Williams, Constancetine Morgan and Lewis ran a combined 34.08 to finish fourth in the shuttle hurdles.
Dashana Ransome, Kasey Cox, Connell and Thomas-Cancel also finished fourth in the 4x400 in 4:15.57.
Ransome split 7.8 on the shuttle hurdles, 26.9 on the 4x200 and 65.3 on the 4x400.
Thomas-Candel and Khadesha James took fifth in the team high jump with a combined 9-8.
The IHS boys’ team meanwhile took 11th place.
Charles Michael, Samaad Jenkins, Josmar Adames, Joe Clarke took fifth in the shuttle hurdles in 33.85.
In the 4x200, Clarke, Michael, Marc Desir, Kahleef Gravesande ran a combined 1:36.30 to finish fifth overall.
Clarke, Michael, Desir and Gravesande placed fourth in the 4x400 in 3:34.7.
Hawkins’ notes: The shot put relay win was the first for IHS in this event.They are coached by assistant coach Dan Tulino. The Blue Knights will rebound and get a boost from the return of Kevin Gordon in the sprints and Kadeem Willis in the middle distance at the Essex County Individual Championships on Feb. 5 at Seton Hall University.
STATE GROUP 3 RELAYS
GIRLS
TEAMS: 1-Irvington, Mendham and West Windsor-Plainsboro North 26 points. 4-Winslow 21. 5-Toms River South 17. 6-Lacey 16. 7-Jackson Liberty and Mount Olive 14. 9-Kingsway 12. 10-Teaneck 11. 11-Shawnee 10. 12-Cumberland and Middletown South 9. 14-Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Woodbridge and Neptune 8. 17-Middletown North and Clearview 6. 19-Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro South 4. 21-Mainland 3. 2-Roxbury and Timber Creek 1.
BOYS
TEAMS: 1-Oakcrest 50. 2-Jackson Liberty 34. 3-Seneca 24. 4-West Windsor South 20. 5-Morristown and Kingsway 18. 7-Mendham 12. 8-Central Regional 11. 9-Montville 10. 10-West Windsor North 9. 11-Toms River South, South Plainfield, Timber Creek, and Irvington 8. 15-Ocean City, Princeton, Teaneck, and Mount Olive 6. 19-Shawnee 4. 20-Winslow, West Milford and Pennsauken 2. 23-Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Monroe, Clearview and Demarest 1.