Trenton’s Willis setting high bar for himself
Semaj Willis has lofty expectations when he steps inside Franklin Field this weekend at the 123rd annual Penn Relays.
And why wouldn’t the Trenton Central senior believe he has a chance to walk out with the high jump championship?
Coming off a state indoor championship when he cleared a personal record 6-10, Willis is the No. 5 seed in Friday’s event.
“I know there is going to be good competition because I jump against some of the guys all the time,” Willis said. “It will be fun. My PR is 6-10, and hopefully, before I graduate I can get to 7-2 or 7-4.”
Competition for local athletes starts on Thursday with the girls taking center stage.
That means a chance for Robbinsville senior Bonvie Fosam to land a podium place in the triple jump.
Fosam, the state runner-up at last year’s Meet of Champions, is the No. 9 seed and top-ranked jumper from New Jersey. She recorded 39-4 at the MofC last June and likely needs another effort in that range to be near the top. She went 37-9.75 at last Saturday’s Mercer Relays.
On Friday, the boys get their turn with most of Mercer County’s eyes on Willis, the Rutgers-bound high jumper, but his teammate, Mulual Mu, will compete in the mile as the No. 12 seed in the 16-runner field.
Trenton has won three Penn Relays titles with the last two coming in 1978 as a 4x400 and 4x800 double.
“I love the competition,” Willis said. “There’s something about being the main attraction to everyone’s eyes. I just love it. It gives me that motivation to want to do better.”
West Windsor South’s A’Nan Bridgett joins Willis in the high jump competition, and both Princeton and West Windsor North get a crack at the DMR. On Saturday, a pair of CVC hurdlers are in action. Nottingham senior Boaz Madeus, the No. 9 seed, and West Windsor North senior John Owens, the No. 25 seed, compete in the 400 hurdles.
Madeus was forced to scratch from last year’s Penn Relays because of a pulled hamstring.