According to the record books, it’s the most successful winter track season in Oak Knoll history, and it could be a harbinger of seasons to come. Our varsity athletes won first place in the New Jersey Catholic Track Championships, and the Royals qualified for seven different events at Nike Indoor Nationals, including the high jump, the 60-meter hurdles, the 800 meters, the 400 meters, the 4×200-meter relay, the 4×400 meter relay, and the 4×800 meter relay. Members of the 4×400 relay team earned All-American status after their 6th-place finish against the best in the country.

“I am excited and honored to be part of this team,” said Clare Ratliff ’27, who ran a personal best in her 400-meter event at New Balance Indoor Nationals. “Our hard work and dedication have paid off. This is my first year running track, and I am very excited. It was a fantastic experience to compete against runners from across the country, and it was inspiring to watch other races. I look forward to our spring season and am excited to see what we will accomplish!”

The team shattered many Oak Knoll records this season including running events in relays, sprinting, middle distance, hurdles, and Pentathlon, and field events like shot put and jumps. Congratulations to Danya Spoor ’25, who made First Team All-County in the High Jump, and competed at Adidas Indoor Track and Field Nationals where she finished 4th and bettered her Pentathlon mark by 20 pts.; Reagan Moore ’27, who was selected Second Team All-County in the 400 meters; Ally Sparno ’26, who made Third Team All-County in 800 meters; our 4X400 relay team consisting of Sparno, Spoor, Moore, and Anna Wojie ’25 who made Second Team All-County, and All-American at the Nike Nationals; and our 4X800 athletes Spoor, Moore, Sparno, and Sally Marchesi ’26, who made Second Team All-County.

“The future looks bright as we return many athletes for Spring Track in the coming weeks,” remarked Track and Field Coach Mickey Cassu.

Here are the highlights of the season:

Team Highlights

• 3rd place at Union County Relays (27 pts)
• 2nd place at Dick DeShriver Invitational
• 2nd place at Non-Public A State Relays (37 pts)
• 3rd Place at Union County Championships (24 pts)
• 1st place at NJCTC Championships(small schools)
• 2nd place at the Non-Public A State Championships (39 pts)

Relay Highlights:

• Shuttle Hurdle Relay (Lauren Soeder, Danya Spoor, Emma Walters, Heidi Pearce) 
  • 2nd Non-Public A Championship
  • 1st Wayne Gardiner Relays
  • 2nd Tony Passarelli Invitational
  • School Record 34.20
• 4×200 (Gaelle Jones, Heidi Pearce, Reagan Moore, Anna Wojie)
  • 1st Wayne Gardiner Relays
  • 1st Ocean Breeze Invitational (White Division)
  • School Record 1:46.72
• 4×400 (Caitlin Canal, Clare Ratliff, Danya Spoor, Ally Sparno, Reagan Moore, Anna Wojie)
  • 1st Union County Relays 
  • 1st Tony Passarelli Invitational
  • 3rd Union County Championship
  • 1st NJCTC Championship
  • 2nd Non-Public A State Championship
  • School Record 3:57.79
  • 6th Place at Nike Nationals (All-American) in 4:02.38
• 4X800 (Caitlin Canal, Danya Spoor, Sally Marchesi, Reagan Moore, Ally Sparno)
  • 1st Union County Relays
  • 1st Non-Public A State Champs
  • 1st Eastern States
  • School Record 9:28.17 (Easterns)
  • 7th Place at Meet of Champions 9:39.00
  • 14th Place at Nike Nationals 9:38.60 (second fastest time ever for Oak Knoll)
• High Jump Relay (Danya Spoor, Anna Wojie)
  • 3rd Union County Relays

Individual Highlights/Season Bests:

• 55 Hurdles
  • Heidi Pearce School Record 8.88
  • Danya Spoor 9.11
• 55 Meter
  • Gaelle Jones School Record 7.45
  • Heidi Pearce 7.93
• 200 Meter
  • Gaelle Jones 26.80
• 400 Meter
  • Reagan Moore School Record 56.65
  • Danya Spoor 58.90
• 800 Meter
  • Reagan Moore School Record 2:13.45 at Non-Public A Championships
  • Ally Sparno 2:16.51 (former school record where she finished 4th at Union County Championship)
  • Danya Spoor 2:23.36
  • Reagan Moore broke her own school record in 2:13.08 to place 18th at Nike Nationals, where she was the top freshman athlete
• 1600 Meter
  • Reagan Moore 5:17.01 (winner of Dick Deshriver Invitational)
• 3200 Meter
  • Sally Marchesi 11:45
• High Jump
  • Danya Spoor School Record 5-4
    • State Champion Non-Public A
    • 6th place at Meet of Champions in 5’4” (tie for her school record) 
    • 5th place at Nike Nationals (Emerging Elite) in 5’3” (second-best jump in Oak Knoll history)
• Long Jump
  • Gaelle Jones School Record 16-6.75
  • Danya Spoor 16-4.5 (former school record) 
  • Heidi Pearce 16-1.5
• Shot Put
  • Ellie McCabe 24-10.5
• Pentathlon
  • Danya Spoor School Record 3142 pts,
  • 2nd Ocean Breeze Invitational
  • 4th place at Adidas Indoor Track and Field Nationals (bettering her Pentathlon mark by 20 pts to 3162 pts.)