Track Brothers Leap to New Heights at National Competitions

Connor and Noah Cooper aren’t sitting around this summer.

They’re competing on a national stage and showing the country’s young athletes what track stars from Hopatcong are made of.

Connor and Noah – incoming fifth and first graders, respectively – spent the last two weeks with the Morris County Track Club competing in the USATF and AAU Junior Olympics.

Older brother Conner just missed making the finals in the long jump at the USATF event in Greensboro, North Carolina, notching a leap of 12-feet, 2 inches. He is now an Olympian with a rank of 27th nationally.

• Elrom Akasreku placed fifth in the 13-14 year old long jump event at that competition, and took 36th in the 100 meter dash.
• Rawle Workman took 33rd in the 9-10 year old long jump as well.

The first week of August brought another event, this time in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where Connor notched a time of 30.7 seconds in the 200 meter dash. Younger brother Noah, at the age of 6 and competing in the 8 and under category, took 54th place in the long jump with a distance of 8-feet and 7.25 inches. With two years to go in that age group, Noah Connor is sure to be among the best in the field.

Other Morris County Track Club members faring well in the competition include:

• Micaela Cassidy, 43rd place in the 8 and under long jump
• Aidan Kamp, 11th place in the long jump
• Rawle Workman, 20th place in the 10 year old long jump; 75th place in the 100 meter dash
• Marcus Workman, 76th place in the 14 year old long jump
• Avery Brown, 43rd place in the 13 year old long jump 

Information provided by Sandi Cooper.