Matt Bogdan Stuns in Record-Setting
Steeplechase Performance
LoRusso
& Rodriguez
Realty
is committed to making
a difference in the
community we serve.
Lillian LoRusso
Broker of Record
908-489-1005
334 US 9 N, Englishtown
732-538-7500
lorussoandrodriguezrealty.com
— JUST LISTED —
154 Cedar Drive, Colts Neck
16 AUGUST 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY TIM MORRIS
Matt Bogdan was looking for a change of pace. The
Colts Neck High School distance standout took a
liking to the steeplechase, an event in track and
over water jumps.
“I always thought it was cool,” Bogdan said of the
sophomore year, I decided, ‘Why not do something a little
different than running a straight race?’”
Bogdan thought the combination of hurdling and dis-
turned in a respectable 6:13 for the 3,000-meter race. He
was looking forward to improving that time his junior year,
but with the pandemic, he had to wait until this spring, his
senior year. A 6:07 early in the spring was an indication that
Bogdan was more than competitive; he was dominant. The Colts Neck
senior turned in the sixth fastest time ever run in the event, 5:49.94, and
won the national championship.
“I felt awesome. My legs felt really good,” recalled Bogdan. “It’s
the best I’ve ever felt in a high school race.”
Bogdan’s attention to details paid off in Eugene. Instead of just relying
on his track speed (4:12 for the 1,600 meters), he focused on his
hurdling technique, working on it throughout the outdoor season. While
many just rely on their speed and stutter step to the hurdles before jump-
smoothly in stride. That would prove to be the difference maker in the race.
Bogdan saw that the leaders were jumping over the hurdles and
losing momentum. That was the time to strike. When they were jumping
over the hurdles and breaking stride, he would make his move and
last 800 tore the race apart. He had time in the homestretch to take it
all in and appreciate what he had accomplished winning by just under
The championships were held at historic Hayward Field on the
“It’s the coolest venue I’ve ever been to,” said Bogdan. “Hayward
Field is the Holy Grail of running.”
Bogdan left his mark on the track made famous by the late Steve
Prefontaine, as his winning time was a new facility record for the
2,000-meter steeplechase. The mark was also No. 2 all-time in New Jersey,
just .02 seconds off Steve Slattery’s 5:49.92 record
Bogdan will now start the next step of his running career at North
Carolina State University. While he will be running a variety of distances
for the Wolfpack, you can be sure he’ll running the steeplechase too.
While Bogdan was winning his national championship, a quartet
of Cougar girls were gaining All-American honors in the 1,600 Sprint
Medley Relay. Led by state 800-meter champion Lilly Shapiro, Colts
Neck won the bronze medal, clocking 4:04.24. Grace Suhocki, Isabella
It has been quite a year for Shapiro. In addition to her state championship
and All-American team honors, the junior was named New
Jersey’s Girls Track and Field Player of the Year by Gatorade.
/lorussoandrodriguezrealty.com
/TheJournalNJ.com