Brandlein, Gray, Gaines top all-district track team
By tim morris
Staff Writer

Manalapan and Marlboro field the area’s best track and field teams while a trio of standouts led the way individually in the Freehold District.

Manalapan’s well-balanced team prevailed during the regular season, capturing the Shore Conference A North Division title.

Marlboro, which lost by two points in its dual meet with Manalapan, exacted its revenge at the Freehold Regional High School District Championships, where the Mustangs edged the Braves by half a point.

Marlboro’s Earl Gray was again the track star at the meet, winning the 100-200-400 triple. He went on to set a District record for the 400 and place fifth at the NJSIAA Outdoor Meet of Champions.

Manalapan’s Chris Brandlein had the best season of any track and field athlete, winning the Group IV state title in the discus and then placing second at the Meet of Champions.

Colts Neck’s David Gaines was the other dominating individual, placing sixth in the 800 at the MOC.

Gray, Brandlein and Gaines top the News Transcript’s 2003 All-Freehold Regional District Boys’ Track and Field Team.

Joining them on the squad are: Marlboro’s James Coomber (3,200), Manalapan’s Chris Franzoni (110-meter high hurdles), Manalapan’s Joe Quintano (400-meter intermediate hurdles), Marlboro’s Preston Pleuretes (javelin), Manalapan’s Joe Kircher (shot put), Marlboro’s T.J. Meagher (pole vault), Marlboro’s Tom Zubulake (long jump), Freehold Township’s Paul Diercksen (triple jump), Marlboro’s Andrew Salomon (high jump) and Freehold Township’s 1,600-meter relay team of Stephen Blenderman, Greg Hartlein, Dan Ceparano and Bryan Allman.

Brandlein, who will continue his track career at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, had a big-time year. The senior managed to have the best throw in the state this year, 179-9. He repeated as Freehold District champion and then had his only setback when he fouled three times and failed to make the finals at the Monmouth County meet. The Braves bounced back strongly with wins at the Shore Conference, Central Jersey Group IV and the Group IV state championships. He threw 169-9 in placing second to Lakewood’s Sydney Murray at the MOC.

He had the finest season an area thrower has had since Freehold Borough’s Dave O’Rourke was winning state championships.

Gray is still just a junior, but has already established himself as the best 400-meter runner in District history. His 48.32 run at the Group IV state championships made him the first District athlete to run under 49 seconds. Gray came back with a fifth-place finish at the MOC (49.27). He was second to rival Erison Hurtault at both the Monmouth County and Shore Conference meets and fourth in Central Jersey. Gray’s goal is to turn a lap in 47 seconds, and don’t be surprised if he does.

Gray found great success in the 200 this spring, and that helped him run the 400 faster than ever. He stunned everyone at the Shore Conference, winning in 21.75. He added a third place in Central Jersey and a fourth in Group IV.

With no one taking charge of the cen­tury, Gray’s win in the 100 at the Freehold District championships was enough for him to grab the spot.

Gaines will long remember his last race in New Jersey. He won his heat at the MOC 800 in a personal best and school record 1:54.62, which was good enough for him to earn a sixth-place medal. He is the first Cougar athlete to medal at the MOC.

Gaines was one of the state’s best two-lappers. He was the District, Monmouth County and Shore Conference champion, and finished second in Central Jersey and third in State Group II.

With no one stepping up in the 1,600 meters, Gaines gets the spot on the strength of one race, his win in Central Jersey Group II in the fastest time of the year (4:23.6). It was the Monmouth University-bound Gaines’ only championship 1,600 effort, but it was enough to earn him a spot on the team.

Marlboro’s Coomber was the top dis­tance runner in the District this spring. He finally won his first Freehold District titles when he won both the 1,600 and 3,200 races. He had a solid year in the 3,200. He was seventh in the Shore Conference, fifth in Central Jersey (9:35.20) and ninth at Group I.

Franzoni was the best hurdler in the District. He followed up his outstanding indoor season with a big outdoor season. The senior not only won the District title in 14.8, but was fourth at the SC, fourth in Central Jersey and 14th in Group IV. The James Madison University-bound Brave also dab­bled in the 400 intermediate hurdles where he was third at the Districts.

Quintano, a junior, was slowed by an illness in the second half of the season, but he had done enough to solidify his place on the all-district team, led by his win at the District meet (58.0).

Freehold Township has consistently been fielding the best 1,600-meter relay teams and the Pats again had the top quar­tet in the area. Blenderman, Hartlein, Ceparano and Allman were the best of the units that were first in the Freehold Dis­trict, fourth (3:27.8) in the county and fifth in the SC. This unit will return intact next fall and could be ready to put down some very fast times.

The pole vault started off as a two-way race between Meagher and Freehold Township’s Paul Diercksen. Meagher won the Freehold District title, but Diercksen bounced back to win Monmouth County. From there, the Marlboro senior took charge. He won the Shore Conference title in a school record 14-6, then added the Central Jersey Group IV title to his résumé. He placed fourth at the Group IV champi­onships.

Kircher enjoyed a fine season in the shot put, giving the Braves the two best throwers in the District. The junior won the Freehold District crown and, from there, gained momentum. He was third in the county, sixth in the Shore Conference with his best throw 50-9 1/2, second in Central Jersey, and 11th in Group IV. Kircher was competitive in the discus as well, finishing fifth in the county.

The Freehold District meet did not set­tle who was tops in the javelin. Freehold Township’s Ken Horton won the District gold, but its champion was Pleuretes, who shined the rest of the season. Pleuretes won the Monmouth County title, edging Horton (163-3-161-7); took third at the SC and was fourth in Central Jersey.

The long jump and triple jump competi­tions were a dual between Zubulake and Diercksen. Zubulake was second in the District in the long jump, but came back to win the Monmouth County title with the best jump of the year, 21-0 1/4. It came on his final jump of the competition. Zubulake was ninth at the Shore Conference.

The triple jump was added to the track and field program this year, and Diercksen proved to be the most consistent. He was second to Zubulake at the District meet but beat him at the SC with a ninth-place fin­ish. Diercksen, one of the best all-around track and field athletes in the area, had the best jump of the year, 39-7. An ankle sprain he suffered while pole vaulting at the SC ended his season early. Diercksen was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the Freehold District Championships.

A hamstring injury suffered at the Dis­trict championships almost cost Salomon his season. He missed out on the district, county and conference meets. However, in his absence, no one took the bull by the horns. Salomon returned at Central Jersey and tied for fourth place. He went on to take eighth at the Group IV champi­onships. With the best jump of the year (6-5), and as the only jumper to advance to the state championships, Salomon earned his place on the District team.

Those earning honorable mention in 2003 are: Zach Tedoff (1,600) and Ryan Jagielski (800), Colts Neck; Bryan Collier (100-200), Jose Melendez (400, 800), Nick Arnone (110 high hurdles) and Dave Hickey (high jump), Freehold Borough; Joe Florio (shot put, discus), Ken Horton (javelin), Greg Lepore (javelin) and Mike Rodriguez (triple jump), Freehold Town­ship; Mike Morgan (800), Mike St. George (1,600), Kavan Desai (3,200), Sameer Sinha (shot put), Dave Ridore (high jump) and Scott Glatstian (discus), Manalapan; and Wes Friedman (100-200), Dan Guidaro (110 high hurdles), Doug Fertig (pole vault), Rodney Salomon (high jump) and Dan Guidace (long jump), Marlboro.