The Kingsway Boys and Girls Winter Track and Field teams both have a storied past. Prior to this season, the girls program had won three state championships, while the boys program also had won three championships.
Well, each team added to those totals, as they each won state team championships in January. All told, the winter track teams now have won eight of the 20 state championships that Kingsway has won since the school opened.
Going into the season, the expectations were high. The distance squad for each team was a proven commodity. The boys’ team had many members from its two-time state cross country championship teams anchoring it. The girls distance squad was fresh off of its fifth consecutive South Jersey Group 4 cross country championship. With experienced sprinters and jumpers as well, the mix seemed right.
Entering the state championships, the boys were considered a major contender. With wins in the distance medley relay and the 4×800 as well as a close second in the sprint medley, the boys entered the final event, the 4×400, behind by one point. Although they were the fourth seed, they stormed to a come-from-behind win to clinch the team title.
The girls, on the other hand, were not considered a favorite entering the meet. However, after huge wins in the distance medley and 4×800 as well as top six efforts in the sprint medley, pole vault relay, and 4×400, the girls found themselves tied at the end with Ridge, a perennial powerhouse.
Interestingly, Kingsway’s first state title win back in 2007 also was a tie…with Ridge.
At that point the celebration was on. The Kingsway girls and boys team showed they still should be looked at as one of the premier track and field programs in New Jersey.
“We take a lot of pride in winning state titles with ‘Kingsway’ across our chest,” said star distance runner Stone Caraccio. “There’s nothing better than bringing this home for our school. We work really hard to make our community proud.”
“Our girls and boys teams train together and support each other in everything that we do,” said star pole vaulter Allison Bobst. “It only makes sense that we would accomplish this together as well. It was our goal to bring both home to Kingsway, and we did just that. I am so proud of the girls and boys in our program.”
With the individual portion of the winter track season in the horizon, expect to see more fireworks from this crew.
By Christian Lynch
