Boys track preview: Toms River North the Shore's best ever? Plus: top 25 athletes, ranked

Mamadi Diawara would do anything to help the Toms River High School North boys track & field team. This past winter, that included running a leg on the 4x800 relay.

The senior, known as a sprints and hurdlers star, gave it a shot, and he was so green that he lost count of the laps.

“I thought for the last lap, I was going to get a bell,” he said. “I could have run a lot faster.”

He still split 2:00 – a time most distance runners would envy. The story illustrates the confluence of natural talent and whatever-it-takes attitude that permeates the Mariners’ roster. In the end – which is coming for their phenomenal core of seniors – it’s why Toms River North might just be the best boys track team in the storied history of the Shore Conference.

Toms North Anchor Mamadi Diawara in 4X100. NJSIAA Track Meet of Champions at Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, NJ on June 12, 2024.

“It’s an incredible group of kids,” head coach Mike Barrett said. “They’re never satisfied with what they’ve done.”

What have they done? Last spring, they won both the 4x400 and 4x100 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. This past winter, they broke the state indoor records in the 4x400 (3:14.35) and sprint medley (3:25) and placed second in both events at the indoor nationals while winning the national title in the shuttle hurdles.

In team competitions, they ran the table indoors, edging rival Christian Brothers Academy for the Shore Conference trophy and then winning the state Group 4 crown. The only title they haven’t captured is outdoor state Group 4, having finished second to Westfield last spring.

“As seniors that’s definitely the big goal for us,” Diawara said. “We’re going to put it all out there – it would be a great way to send us off to college.”

Toms River North's Mamadi Diawara (left) took first in the Boys 55 Meter Hurdle final while teammates Camryn Thomas and Jael Hester finished second and third. Shore Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Toms River January 30, 2025.

Diawara is headed to Rider University on a track scholarship and will pursue a career in nursing. Before then, he’d like to see Toms River North break Camden’s vaunted state 4x400 outdoor record (3:09).

“I think we can do that, 100 percent,” he said.

“They think they can do anything or win anything,” Barrett said. “Obviously they’re super talented, but they put in the work.”

Beyond the sprints and hurdles, Toms River North’s dominance extends to the jumps and middle distances, and the Mariners even score big in the throws. Barrett and assistant coach Tyler Pinto, who draws up the workouts, have pushed all the right buttons.

“All that we’ve accomplished could not be done without them,” said Diawara, who described their practices this way: “Some of us like to go fast, and some of us like to go even faster.”

But, he added, “Everything in track comes down to mental – having the mental strength to push through. That sets the foundation for everything you do physically.”

Because of changes to the NJSIAA’s calendar, the championship-meet schedule is more bunched together than usual. That could prompt some teams and top individuals across the conference to opt-out of certain meets, which has been an increasing trend over the past few years anyway.

That will not happen with Toms River North.

“The kids are going to want to go for it all,” Barrett said. “They’re seniors man, and they’ve literally won everything they’ve done this year.”

It’s legacy time for these Mariners, and although it’s difficult to pick a single greatest track team in Shore Conference history, this one is poised to add the punctuation mark to a very strong case.

“They’re 17-, 18-year-old kids, so they don’t think about that kind of stuff,” Barrett said. “But they do know how good they are, and they want to make sure they’re remembered.”

Top 25 Shore Conference boys track athletes

Southern Regional’s Cole Isaac Cramer wins the Boys 100 meter dash at the 2024 Shore Conference Track Championships at Neptune, NJ on May 18, 2024.

1. Cole Cramer, Southern

As a junior last spring, Cramer broke the Shore Conference records in both the 100 dash (10.35) and 200 (21.01) and clocked an all-conditions (no wind gauge) time of 10.22 in the 100 dash – third-fastest in state history. This past winter the senior won the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in the 55-meter dash while placing second in the 200. He’s headed to Tennessee on a track scholarship.

2. Hunter Celkupa, Colts Neck

The senior won the NJSIAA Meet of Champions 1600 indoors with a meet-record time of 4:09.21. Last spring, he ran top times of 4:08.92 in the 1600 and 9:08.44 in the 3200 and won both events at the Group 3 meet. He’s headed to Cornell.

3. Joe Barrett, Christian Brothers

Last spring, Barrett set the state record in the 3200 (8:43.26) and also clocked 4:08.06 in the 1600. As a senior he’s won the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in cross country and indoors took gold in the Shore Conference 1600 (4:13) and 3200 (9:06). He’ll run collegiately at North Carolina.

4. Mordecai Ford, Toms River North

The senior might be the state’s most versatile track athlete, with personal bests of 52.85 in the 400 hurdles, 6-4 in the high jump, 22-3.25 in the long jump, 15.09 in the 110 hurdles and a 1:58 800 split.

5. Mamadi Diawara, Toms River North

This winter, the senior clocked 49.59 in the open 400. Last spring, he posted top times of 48.09 in the 400, 22.26 in the 200, 54.46 in the 400 hurdles and 15.01 in the 110 hurdles.

6. Camryn Thomas, Toms River North

Last spring, he won the 110 hurdles (14.31) and 400 hurdles (53.40) at the Shore Conference meet and also split 1:57 in the 4x800. This past winter, the senior placed third in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions’ 55-meter hurdles (7.36) and posted a leap of 22-7.25 in the long jump.

7. Luke Hnatt, Christian Brothers

The junior placed second in the 3200 at the NJSIAA’s indoor Meet of Champions in 9:05.31 and clocked 8:59.41 for two miles indoors. Last spring he ran 4:15.74 in the 1600.

8. Taysaun Wilson, Toms River North

The senior placed second at the indoor NJSIAA Meet of Champions in the 800 (1:52.09). He also clocked 4:24 in the 1600 and 51.36 in the open 400.

9. Marcus Blasucci, Christian Brothers

The senior broke out this past winter with a 65-2.25 heave in the shot put. He won the Shore Conference in the event and placed fourth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

10. Jael Hester, Toms River North

The sophomore owns personal bests of 22-10.75 in the long jump, 6-4 in the high jump, 14.67 in the 110-meter hurdles and 51.56 in 400.

11. Royalty Riley, Central Regional

A throwback three-sport senior star in football, basketball and track, Riley posted top marks of 23-0 in the long jump and 10.78 in the 100-meter dash as a junior last spring.

12. Ryan Schmitt, Christian Brothers

The senior owns personal bests of 9:03 in the two-mile and 4:15.85 in the 1600. He placed third in the 3200 at the indoor NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

13. Tyler Zacharczyk, Shore Regional

The senior clocked 49.58 indoors in the 400. Last spring, he posted top times of 49.69 in the 400, 22.23 in the 200 and 11.11 in the 100 dash.

Essien Plummer of Neptune wins the Group boys 110 hurdles. The NJSIAA Track Sectionals Central Groups 2 & 3 boys and girls meet takes place at Jackson Liberty High School.
Jackson, NJ
Saturday, June 1, 2024

14. Essien Plummer, Neptune

The sophomore was a freshman sensation last spring, clocking 14.21 in the 110-meter hurdles, winning Central Group 3 and placing second in the Shore Conference. He also ran 22.02 in the 200.

15. Alex Mastroly, Christian Brothers

The senior owns personal bests of 4:13.65 in the 1600 and 9:16 for two miles. He placed sixth in the 1600 at the NJSIAA indoor Meet of Champions.

16. Albert Yodakis, Christian Brothers

The senior put the shot 60-6 this past winter after throwing it 55-9 last spring. He also posted a top discus effort of 157-6 as a junior.

17. Joe Seib, St. Rose

The senior put the shot 60-5.5 indoors and finished sixth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in the event. Last spring he posted top marks of 58-4.5 in the shot and 156-10 in the discus.

18. Yianni Papanikolas, Toms River North

The senior put the shot 57-0.25 indoors. Last spring as a junior he posted top marks of 166-6 in the discus and 53-6.5 in the shot.

19. Lucas Lundh, Holmdel

The junior owns personal bests of 6-4 in the high jump, 21-11.5 in the long jump and 45-7 in the triple jump.

20. Nasir Jackson, Toms River North

The senior owns personal bests of 10.90 in the 100, 22.97 in the 200 and 20-11.25 in the long jump.

21. Jay Adimala, Colts Neck

The junior owns personal bests of 9:06.41 for two miles, 4:18.53 in the 1600 and 1:56.77 in the 800. He placed fifth in the 3200 at the NJSIAA indoor Meet of Champions.

22. Michael Card, Howell

The senior owns personal bests of 1:52.94 in the 800 and 4:16.59 in the 1600 and placed sixth in the 800 at the indoor NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

23. Nnaemeka Amaechina, Central Regional

The senior owns personal bests of 23-1.75 in the long jump and 46-1 in the triple jump.

24. Clay Stevens, Manalapan

The junior owns personal bests of 4:18.24 in the 1600, 9:14.65 in the 3200 and 1:56.36 in the 800. He also placed second in the cross country NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

25. Louis Izzo, Rumson-Fair Haven

The senior owns a personal best of 13-6 in the pole vault and is the defending Shore Conference champ in the event.

Top 5 Shore Conference boys track teams

1. Toms River North

2. Christian Brothers Academy

3. Colts Neck

4. Southern Regional

5. Rumson-Fair Haven

Major meet schedule

April 24-26: Penn Relays at Franklin Field, Philadelphia

May 1: Monmouth County Relays at Middletown North

May 2: Ocean County Relays at Southern Regional

May 6 & 8: Monmouth County Championships at Monmouth Regional

May 7 & 9: Bill Bruno Ocean County Championships at Jackson Liberty

May 16-17: NJSIAA sectionals

May 21: Shore Conference Championships at Neptune

May 30-31: NJSIAA state group championships: 4 & 1 at Franklin, 2 & 3 at Delsean, Non-Public A & B at Stockton University.

June 4: NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Pennsauken

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Boys track & field: Is Toms River North the Shore's best team ever?

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