Governor Livingston Track and Field Claims Multiple Conference Championships at Union County Meet

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — The Governor Livingston Highlanders track and field team turned in a strong performance at the Union County Conference Championships, held April 30 and May 1 at Governor Livingston High School, with multiple individual champions and a deep roster of point scorers across both the boys and girls sides.The Highlanders hosted the championships for another year, with the occasion marked by the school's signature bagpipers and mascot Hank the Highlander welcoming competing schools from across Union County.The boys team, competing in the Mountain Division after winning the Valley Division title last year, scored 77 points to earn a fourth-place team finish. The girls, also competing in the Mountain Division, scored 43 points for a fifth-place finish.Conference ChampionsFour Highlanders claimed individual Mountain Conference titles on the boys side. Noah Abdalla swept the distance events, winning both the 1600 meters and the 3200 meters. Darius Francis won the high jump and Eduardo Nascimento took the pole vault.On the girls side, Briana Garro captured the high jump championship.Standout Performances The meet produced several individual highlights worth noting.Nascimento set a personal record in the pole vault, clearing 12 feet to claim the county title — the best vault of his career. Abdalla, the double conference champion, moved into fourth place all time in the 1600 meters at Governor Livingston after unleashing a late kick to win his first race of the championships on Thursday.Francis and Garro, both top seeds entering the high jump, delivered when it counted — winning their respective events without posting season-best marks. Head coach Mickey Cassu noted that competing when the moment demands it has been a point of emphasis all season.Sophomore Chris Yue had a standout 800 meters, finishing second by just six-hundredths of a second at the line. Upperclassmen Tyler Weissman, Eden Facey, Juliana Pangis, Gavin Schiller and Cadin McQuilkin continued to perform at a high level, while freshman Josh Cinque made an impression with a strong finish in the grueling 3200 meters.Full List of Point ScorersPoint scorers are determined by the top six finishers in each event.Boys Point Scorers:Chris Yue — 2nd, 800 metersTyler Weissman — 3rd, 1600 meters; 2nd, 3200 metersGavin Schiller — 3rd, 110-meter high hurdlesJosh Cinque — 6th, 3200 metersCadin McQuilkin — Tied 3rd, high jump4x400-meter relay (Chris Yue, Nico Coviello, Julien Plaza, Ivan Zubrinic) — 4thGirls Point Scorers:Eden Facey — 2nd, triple jump; 4th, long jumpBriana Garro — 2nd, pole vaultGrace Dahn — 5th, 100-meter high hurdlesJuliana Pangis — 3rd, high jump; 6th, 100-meter high hurdles4x400-meter relay (Grace Dahn, Juliana Pangis, Sara Romero, Rylee Conover) — 4thJV Championships and What's NextSeveral Highlanders also competed at the Union County JV Championships at Westfield High School on Monday, May 4. Freshman Josh Cinque highlighted that meet by breaking the five-minute mark in the 1600 meters — a significant milestone for the young runner.The future looks bright for this group, with many athletes finishing the conference championships with their best marks of the season.TAPinto will have results from the Union County Individual Championships, held Thursday and Friday at Hub Stine Field in Plainfield. Check back for that coverage in the coming days.