Wyckoff Runner Makes School History, Wins State Title In 400M Dash

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A Wyckoff student track athlete just received top honors from Bergen County, and earned her school's first-ever state championship title in the 400-meter dash.

Gina Certo, who is now involved in her fourth season of winter/spring track at the Academy of Holy Angels in Demarest, just earned First Team All-County honors, the private school said in a release.

Certo received countywide recognition alongside five other Academy athletes and the school's athletic director, the release said.

The sophomore is particularly proud of her personal record time of 56.84 seconds on the 400-meter dash, which she had lowered from her previous best of 63 seconds in the middle of the winter track season.

Her record won her first place in the Bergen County Championships.

“The 400 was a race that I didn't even run at the beginning of my track career,” Certo said. "I ended up running it at all meets toward the end of the season."

One of her most exciting achievements this season, however, was her win in the 400-meter dash at the group state championships.

"I was in the unseeded heat and projected to run well but not finish first," Certo said.

"The predictions were wrong."

She finished with a time of 57.69, making her the Academy's first state champ in this event.

She also posted a personal record in the 55-meter dash.

“At the beginning of my sophomore year winter track season, I ran the dash in 7.54 seconds," Certo said. "I managed to drop that time all the way down to my current personal record, 7.26."