By Wayne Witkowski
There was little surprise that sophomore high jumper Kassidy Mulryne was the last athlete competing, along with distance runner Devon Hoernlein, for Allentown High School in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) at Central Regional High School on June 8.
Mulryne had qualified for the indoor MOC Feb. 27 at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex, finishing 10th based on misses by clearing 5-4 — the second highest jump of the day. It tied the school record set in 2009.
On March 1, she matched that height at the Eastern States Regionals at the 168th Street Armory in New York City, finishing in second place.
A year earlier, Mulryne cleared 5-0 as a freshman to finish 12th in the high jump in the indoor MOC.
When Mulryne decided to skip girls lacrosse to compete in outdoor track this spring, many fans set the bar high for her.
“I thought I would be giving up a lot because I had a good indoor season, but it was too short,” Mulryne said. “I wanted to see if I could get a new [personal record], but I was out for a month. I came back but I was not as strong at first. It took a while to come back, and I did what I could.”
By the end of the season, she said she felt better and stronger running in the relays and the 400, as well as competing in the long jump and high jump.
She was among 13 girls who cleared 5-2 in the high jump at the outdoor MOC but placed 18th based on misses. Courtney Campbell of South Brunswick High School was the only competitor to clear 5-6 and a dozen others cleared 5-4. Mulryne was somewhat satisfied after she had battled through stress fractures in her shins earlier in the season that were sustained at the end of the indoor campaign.
“I felt good,” she said. “Some did not perform their best, but I felt good.”
Mulryne cleared 5-2 on her first jump and just touched the bar at 5-4 on a few tries as it fell to the ground. She also cleared 5-2 in the Group III championships and finished in the sixth and final automatic qualifying spot for the MOC. She also ran the 200 dash in the group meet that day, finishing 13th in 26.45. Her best time is 25.8.
Mulryne had qualified for the national championships in the high jump but skipped it to attend her brother’s graduation.
A versatile athlete, she had run under a minute in the 400 and as fast as 12.7 in the 100.
Mulryne said she is encouraged to train hard for the indoor season in the winter and compete again in outdoor track and field. But she is slowing things down a little this summer, with only workouts for the girls soccer team this fall. She plays forward. She scored two goals last season and is looking to pick up more of her offense with the graduation of prolific goal scorer Kali Hartshorn. That team was 16-5, losing to Wall High School, 3-1, in the Central Jersey, Group III quarterfinals.
