The Manville Mustangs boy’s and girl’s track and field teams kicked off the new year with their first race of the 2023 season. The Mustangs competed in the 2023 Somerset County Track and Field Championships for the second year in a row. The races occurred at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island on January 2, 2023. All of the Manville runners raced to their best ability, but it was the performances of Haisha Lasluiza and Yavier Alvarez that really stood out! 

Both runners arrived at the track preparing for their 400-meter dash. Their races were run on a 200-meter track which meant they needed to run two laps. Senior, Yavier Alvarez, stepped onto the track first and completed his race with an official time of 54.55 seconds. That time meant that Alvarez would be the 400-meter Somerset County champion! 

Sophomore, Haisha Lasluiza, took on her race not long after Alvarez completed his. She hit a new personal record and finished her race with an official time of 65.31 seconds. Lasluiza won in the fastest heat which meant she ran among the fast people competing which resulted in her joining Alvarez in being named Somerset County champions. Haisha Lazluiza did not expect to be named the winner before the race but when asked how she felt after the race she said, “Honestly, I didn’t really believe it at first. I knew I got first in my heat, but not first overall. It was a huge accomplishment being named a Somerset County champion.”

The Manville Mustangs are looking forward to a fast and successful indoor and outdoor track season!