Montclair junior Corinne Stewart (front), far ahead at the state sectional indoor meet,. She went on to win the 800 meter race. Montclair girls track and field team came in third in team standings for the North 1 Group 4 indoor meet. The meet took place at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River on Feb. 3. The Mounties boys came in eighth place in the same meet. (PHOTO COURTESY MAE KELLERT, NJ MILESPLIT)

Montclair High School girls indoor track and field team followed up an Essex County title with third at the state sectional meet.

The Mounties girls finished with 48 points, only behind Morristown and Ridgewood who won the North 1 Group 4 title at John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River on Feb. 3. 

“Ideally we would’ve liked to win it but that’s sports,” said Montclair head coach Daryl Washington. “To finish in the top three is a statement in itself. The girls team has continued to prove they are contenders.”

Washington added that Ridgewood’s depth was the difference. If his team competed at the top of their game the Mounties could have won the team championship.

“The loss to Ridgewood was definitely due to depth. However, if we scored the way we could’ve, the championship would’ve been ours. But we are the type to live in the what ifs,” said the Montclair head coach.

Montclair senior Ashley Noel (center) finished second in the 55 meters at the state sectional indoor meet. (PHOTO COURTESY MAE KELLERT, NJ MILESPLIT)

On the boys side Montclair finished with an eighth-place mark on the team side, seven points.

Both the Mounties boys and girls had several athletes qualify for the Group 4 indoor title on Feb. 17, also in Tom River. There’s an opportunity for a bid at State Indoor Meet of Champions, March 3, at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.

“The goal now is to learn from and fix the issues we had at sectionals, compete harder at groups and have a good amount of athletes compete at the Meet of Champions,” said Washington.

Leading the way for the girls at the sectional meet was junior Corinne Stewart who won the 800 meters (2:25.05).

Montclair girls team had a pair of second place finishes with junior Tori Robinson in the shot put (37-feet-6) and senior Ashley Noel in the 55 meters (7.35).

Montclair senior Sean Overton (front) finished third in the 1,600 meters. Overton was sixth in the 3,200 meters at the state sectional indoor meet. The Mounties boys came in eighth place in the same meet. (PHOTO COURTESY MAE KELLERT, NJ MILESPLIT)

Also, there were three, third place finishes. Junior Darriel Whiting in the 55 meters (7.42), senior Avery McAdams in the 1,600 meter (5:18.07) and the 1,600-relay team (4:09.77) Stewart, Noel, senior Lennah Jordan and senior Maya Kim. McAdams also took fourth in the 3,200-meters (11:48.05).

For the boys, senior Sean Overton had the best finishes – a third in the 1,600 meters (10:16.18) as well as the sixth in the 3,200 meters (10:16.18). Senior Daniel Nixon finished eighth in the 55-meters (6.85).

Edward Kensik writes sports coverage for Montclair Local.