Montclair High track field brings home state awards

BY ANDREW GARDA
garda@montclairlocal.news

The last of the spring postseason awards are in, and as has been the case all season, the Montclair High School track and field team has garnered an array of accolades.

As he had all spring, recent MHS graduate Jessie Legister led the pack.

Legister, who will be attending and running at Northeastern University next season and ran the fastest 400-meter dash in the state at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on June 19, was awarded First Team All-State in the 400. 

He was also named to the First Team, All Group 4 in the event. 

Legister’s time of 47.63 seconds at the Meet of Champions was the capper on a season where he has been at or near the top of each 400 event and in which he set the bar every other sprinter in the event was reaching for.

Along with gaining First Team accolades in the 400, Legister and the rest of the boys 4x100 meter team — Truman Williams, Michael Robinson and Reuven Frye — were named to the Second Team All-State squad. 

That group placed second at the Meet of Champions on June 19, just a quarter of a second behind the first-place runners, finishing the season strong.

The MHS girls 4x100 team was named to the Third Team All-State. Stephanie Webb, Ella McAdams, Anna Glorie and Kiya Lawson were fast all season, and finished second in their event at the Meet of Champions, running with a time of 48.64. 

Looking at the rest of the All Group 4 awards, the boys 4x100 gained Second Team honors there as well, while the Mountie girls were well-represented on the Third Team.

Lawson was honored for her efforts in the 400, as was the girls 4x100 team and the 4x400 team of McAdams, Webb, Lawson and Krisantha Spencer. The girls 4x400 team took fifth place at the Meet of Champions.

Finally, Elizabeth Fitzgerald was named to the All Group 4 Third Team for pole vault. Fitzgerald was the lone pole vaulter for MHS this year and finished fourth at the Meet of Champions with a vault of 12 feet.

She actually tied with the top five pole vaulters, but due to tiebreakers was awarded fourth. Her jump of 12 feet was the highest of any female high school athlete this season. It also set a personal record for Fitzgerald and a program record for MHS.

Fitzgerald won the event at the SEC County American and Liberty Conference Championships, the Essex County Championships and the NJSIAA North 1 Groups 1 and 4 Sectionals, before placing fourth at NJSIAA Groups 2 & 4.