Rupprecht Breaks Sectional Record Twice in Historic Hurdles Performance
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February 5, 2026
Mount Olive High School senior Cadence Rupprecht delivered a record setting performance at the North 1, Group 3 sectional indoor track meet, rewriting the record books in the 55 meter hurdles and securing his place among the state’s top athletes this season.
Motivated by a second place finish at last year’s sectional meet, Rupprecht returned this season determined to take the title. That determination showed immediately. In the preliminary round, he clocked a 7.68, breaking the previous sectional record and standing as the only hurdler in the field to run under eight seconds.
He followed that effort with an even faster run in the finals, posting a 7.57 and lowering the sectional record again. His time beat the former record by nearly two tenths of a second and marked a new personal best. The performance also ranks him among the top hurdlers in New Jersey this season.
Rupprecht’s achievement is especially impressive given recent challenges. After the county meet, he battled a calf injury that sidelined him from training for a week. He credited renewed focus and preparation in the days leading up to sectionals for helping him perform at his best when it counted most.
"I think the second-place finishes put a a lot of pressure on me, but pressure makes diamonds", said Rupprecht. I think me really just pushing my potential, doing a lot of training for that, and just knowing that I'm going to be first place, and I'm going to do what God has in store for for me, and just use this process. I think that's really just put into the races that I've been running and I'm just very grateful to be able to set these records and put Mount olive on the map".
This season, Rupprecht has been dominant in the hurdles, remaining undefeated across multiple major invitationals and earning the Morris County title. With sectionals behind him, Rupprecht now looks ahead to the group state meet with the goal of capturing a state championship and challenging the Mount Olive school record.
His record breaking run is a proud moment for Mount Olive High School and a strong example of perseverance, preparation, and competitive excellence.
Rupprecht has verbally committed to Sacred Heart University, where he plans to continue his academic career while competing in Division I track and field. The Mount Olive community is incredibly proud of his achievement and excited to see all that he will accomplish at the next level!
