By Andy Loigu

Warren Hills junior Alexa Westley is a Blue Streak in the truest sense of the term, and the best may be yet to come.

She has an opportunity this Saturday, at Northern Burlington High School, to win her second straight New Jersey Meet of Champions (MOC) title in the grueling 3,200 meter run.

This spring she won her second straight sectional title and on June 2 she captured the Group 3 championship for the first time, with a personal best 10:34.56 time at Central Regional High School in Ocean County. She ran them off their feet, winning by 18.78 seconds. Last year, she was second in the Group 3 meet, before winning at the Meet of Champions in a stunning 10:35.41 time. The MOC accepts the medal winners from all four group meets.

“As the defending champion, it is a learning experience, in how to handle the expectations, and  to push myself to keep getting faster,” she said at Central Regional. “I’m shooting to post a faster time, on each lap, than I’ve run before. In practice, I’m simulating how to come from behind, in case I find myself in such a situation in the race. You’ve got to be at your best every time you go out there, because the competition isn’t slowing down any.”

Also this season, in other distances, Alexa amazed the local track and field scene with a 2:21.04 time in winning the Skyland Conference championship in the 800 meters, and a 4:59.05 time to earn runner up honors in the 1,600 at the same meet (Chloe Gonzales of North Hunterdon won in a blazing 4:55.52).

Alexa’s 10:41.02 time in winning the NJSIAA North 2 Group 3 sectional title in the 3,200 at Middletown North on May 25 was the fastest by a Skyland Conference runner all spring, until she topped it in the Group 3 meet.

During the winter, Alexa keeps in shape by playing for the Blue Streaks’ girls basketball team.

William Carroll of Warren Hills also got to the Group 3 meet with a personal best 56.96 time in the 400 intermediate hurdles at the sectional meet. Yours truly can appreciate that time, since I ran that event at Rider in college days many years ago. After the first 300 meters, rigor mortis starts to set in.

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.