Howell boys, Freehold Borough girls win district titles
Second straight crown for Rebels led by Ostrowicki
By tim morris
Staff Writer

JEFF HUNTLEY Colts Neck’s Israel Payan runs the 3,200 meter race at the Freehold Regional Winter Track and Field Championships at Red Bank Regional High School Jan. 29.

Howell and Freehold Borough took similar paths to capturing Freehold District Indoor Track and Field Championship titles, balance and depth.

Freehold Borough’s girls scored in every event en route to rolling up 89 points and turning back Freehold Township (75.5) and its domination of the 1,600 and 3,200 meter events at Red Bank Regional High School on Jan. 29.

Howell’s boys repeated as District champions because they were able to overcome Colts Neck’s individual wins in every running event from the 400 meters to the 4x400 relay by scoring in all but one event to edge the Cougars, 69-62, in the fourth annual championship event.

"All of the girls on the team did a great job," said Colonial Coach Joe Lykes. "It was a total team effort. A lot of our freshmen and sophomores stepped up and got some big points for us.

JEFF HUNTLEY Marlboro’s Brandon Portelli runs the 400 meter race at the Freehold Regional Indoor Track Championships in Red Bank on Jan. 29.

"This is as good of a team as we’ve had," added Lykes, whose Colonials won the very first indoor title three years ago. "We’ve had more talented individuals, but not as well rounded a team as this one."

Howell Coach Kevin Dee described his Rebels’ performance as a blue-collar, lunch pail effort. What Howell lacked in its overall depth, the Rebels made up with their versatility, the ability to score in more than one event.

Greg Ostrowicki led the effort. The senior won the high jump event as expected clearing 6-2. But he gave Howell bonus points in the high hurdles. Running the 55-meter hurdles for the first time this winter, Ostrowicki was second to Manalapan’s Sujoy Banerjee, who won the event for the second straight year in convincing fashion (7.6-8.2).

Ostrowicki was Howell’s lone winner, but his unexpected second place in the hurdles was typical of the night enjoyed by the Rebels.

While Colts Neck dominated the 400 meters and up on the track, Howell was able to offset that with points behind the Cougars.

In the 3,200, Matt Forys pushed Israel Payan and finished second (10:14-10:20.25) and set a school record in the process. Matt Theriault picked up a point in sixth place (11:48.6).

In the 800, Chris Ehlers (2:12.0) and Matt Coupland (2:12.6) combined to give Howell more points than Colts Neck, 14-10, which had Jorge Ventura race to the victory (2:07.4).

Another pleasant bonus was the second place of Mike Cerchia, who saved his best race of the indoor season for the District meet. His 4:49.2 was second only to the Cougars’ Jesus Salinas (4:44.9).

"Mike Cerchia really stepped it up and ran a big race for us," said Dee. "Forys was a huge surprise placing second. He battled Payan the whole way."

Also on the track, the Rebels got points from Jared Coupland (sixth in the 55-meter dash and 400 meters) and his brother Matt Coupland (fourth in the 500).

In the field, Justin Haug supported Ostrowicki’s win with a third place in the high jump (5-10).

"Getting first and third in the high jump was big for us," noted Dee. "The Coupland brothers came through with points in the sprints that we needed."

With the 16 points from the high jump, Howell went into the final event of the evening holding a safe margin of nine points. The team of Jared and Matt Coupland, Ehlers and Cerchia (running shortly after the 1,600), finished second out of the unseeded section and clinched Howell’s second straight championship.

The high jump was the key for Freehold Borough as well as Debra Vento took everyone by surprise. Jumping for the first time in competition, the sophomore won the high jump with a 5-2, beating Manalapan’s Justine Wilmot via fewer misses. Both equaled the meet record which they share with a bevy of jumpers, including Manalapan’s Lauren Tomossone, Howell’s Libby Tierney, Freehold Borough’s Kalee Whitehouse, Freehold Borough’s Latasha Keene, Howell’s Cara Hammond and Wilmot (from last year).

With Kathleen Doran finishing fourth (4-10) the 14 points the Colonials earned were enough to sew up the championship before the relay.

Vento and Erin-Turner Byfield were the Colonials big scorers.

Along with winning the high jump Vento was third in the 55-meter hurdles, fourth in the 55-meter dash and ran a leg on the 4x400 relay team that was second.

Veteran Turner-Byfield won the 55-meter dash (7.6) over Hammond (7.7) and was nipped in the 400 by Freehold Township’s Kate Cherewich (1:04.8-1:04.9). She also ran on the second-place relay team.

The Colonials’ biggest edge of the meet was in the shot put where throwers Diana Costanzo (33-11 1/2) and Barbara Barth (32-2 1/2) came through with a big one-two and 18 points for Freehold. Costanzo added the meet record to her win, topping the 32-8 by Howell’s Amy Briamonte in 1998.