Update, 11:35 a.m.—the Meet of Champions has now been postponed to Monday at 5 p.m., due to the threat of more severe weather at Old Bridge Friday.
Megan Kirschling, Samantha Budd and Claudia Theriault made the hike up the Turnpike Thursday, on their quest for .
They'll have to make that hike again Monday, after Mother Nature wiped out the meet after just a handful of events.
Severe thunderstorms rumbled through, drenching Lombardi Field at Old Bridge High School just fifteen minutes into the meet Thursday, and meet director Don Danser made the decision to cancel, telling the Newark Star-Ledger a train of storms appeared to be headed toward the meet.
Danser also told the Star-Ledger there were concerns about the conditions for field athletes, had they only delayed the meet.
coach Mark Drummond said there was also word the local fire marshal was concerned about the number of people who had to be rushed into nearby gyms to avoid the thunderstorms, and said the inside lane at the track was flooded when they went to retrieve some equipment.
The move to Monday means a later start—events will kick off at 5 p.m. at Old Bridge. Kirschling is slated to compete in the high jump and possibly the 100 hurdles, while Budd is gunning for an overall title in the 800 meters. Theriault will compete in the pole vault.
