Sending multiple athletes to the NJSIAA Meet of Championship once didn’t seem possible at a small school like Lyndhurst. Now it has become the norm for the Golden Bears’ girls track & field team.
For the third year in a row, Lyndhurst had two girls competing at MOC, which was held at Pennsauken High School on Wednesday as senior Yasemin Ugurlu and junior Nikalena Iacono represented the Bears.
While neither medalled in their respective events, it was just the latest reminder of how they, along with senior Asya Akar, who initially qualified for the Triple Jump and was tied for one of the final spots, but was bumped from the field after a score adjustment, have continued to raise the bar for the program.
“They really set the tone with their work ethic,” head coach Rich Tuero said. “All three girls – Yasemin, Asya and Nikalena work all year round to set a very high bar.”
Ugurlu placed 17th overall in the Triple Jump when she recorded a mark of 36-0. While the mark ultimately fell short of medal, it was the fourth time in four weeks where the senior eclipsed the 36-foot mark.
During that month-long stretch, Ugurlu took first place in the Gene Littler Bergen County Championships, the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 Championships and the Bergen County Meet of Champions. She also took second place in the Group 2 Championships and Ugurlu will graduate as school record holder in the Triple Jump.
For her career, Ugurlu was a three-time Group 2 medalist and twice competed in the MOC.
“It was truly remarkable. It was a tremendous ride,” Tuero said. “All the boxes were checked as far as goals on the season and career.”
For Iacono, Wednesday marked her first career MOC appearance, qualifying in the Shot Put. The talented multi-sport junior had a rough start to the day, fouling on her first throw, then posting a very disappointing score on her second attempt.
Iacono bounced back on her third and final attempt, throwing a 34-11, which was good for 18th place in the state.
The throw served as one more highlight in a breakout junior season in which Iacono took first in the Gene Littler Bergen County Championships and in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 Championships.
“It’s huge momentum for her,” said Tuero. “This is what she has worked for. We are looking forward to a huge 2026.”
If recent history is any indication, Iacono certainly won’t be the only one with a huge 2026 season.
Also at Wednesday’s Meet of Champions, Bloomfield senior Alexander Travers finished in 17th place in the Boys 400 Meter Hurdles with a time of 56.83 to cap off a career that saw him win the Essex County Championship this spring and help give the Bengals their first team title since 2001.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)