Track stars Tozduman and Cruz-Fletcher medal at Meet of Champions

Julia Tozduman had achieved just about every goal she set for herself during her high school athletics career. On Wednesday, the Lyndhurst senior managed to score one last goal in her final varsity game.

Tozduman bowed out one of the greatest track careers of an Observer girl by placing sixth in the long jump with a score of 18-00.50 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in Pennsauken.

With her performance, she became the first Lyndhurst girl to win a medal at the Outdoor MOC in over a decade.

Tozduman was one of two Observer Area girls to medal at MOC, joining Bloomfield’s Mercedes Cruz-Fletcher, who finished eighth in the 100-meter hurdles.

“I was extremely proud of myself for being able to medal (at MOC) my senior year because that was always the end goal,” Tozduman said.

As a junior, Tozduman took fifth place at the indoor MOC in the long jump. A medal in the outdoor season had eluded her, however, as she took ninth place during her sophomore and junior seasons.

Tozduman recorded a 17-00 on his first vault of the day. It was on Tozduman’s second vault that she knew she was in line to qualify for the final and secure that elusive top eight.

“I was very excited to be able to jump an 18-footer on my second jump,” Tozduman said. “It gave me the confidence to qualify for the final, which would allow me to finish in the top eight.”

“Once she hit 18, I knew everything was OK,” Tuero said. “As soon as she hit 18, there were only a few girls who were 18 and 19, so I knew she was in the final.”

Although Tozduman failed to eclipse the 18-00.50, it was enough to achieve one of the few goals she had failed to achieve during her time at Lyndhurst.

“I was extremely emotional and there were also tears,” Tozduman said. “I couldn’t believe this was my last jump in this LHS uniform with Coach Tuero as my coach, but I was also very proud of myself for being able to accomplish such an incredible thing. Placing in MOC has always been a goal and I was very happy to achieve it in my last season.

While the Meet of Champions marked the final chapter of Tozduman’s Sacred Heart-bound career, Cruz-Fletcher still has a year to go.

In her preliminary heat, Cruz-Fletcher ran a blistering time of 14.78 – the second best of her career, to advance to the final and secure a spot on the podium.

“When we talked to him, we told him you have to do your best to make the finals,” Bloomfield coach Terry Iavarone said. “She knew she could do it and it was all her hard work that paid off. And when we found out she had made it to the final, it was all worth it. It was incredible.”

Cruz-Fletcher followed up with a 14.81 in the final to finish in eighth place. Even after a season that saw her place eighth in the state and win an Essex County championship, Cruz-Fletcher is far from satisfied.

“She ran her best race and once we knew she had made it to the final it all worked out, you made it. And she says, ‘I want to do more,'” Iavarone said. “His state of mind is incredible.

“What I like about Mercedes is that she has goals written on a sheet of paper and she already has her goals for next year. She wants to win the county and the section. She wants to be an indoor and outdoor All-American. She has a plan, she knows she’s going to do it and with the hard work she puts in, she will.

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