Vento, Hand, Cole, Hamilton Cherecwich tops in track
By tim morris
Staff Writer

National champion Debra Vento made the definitive statement in what was an outstanding year in the Freehold district for girls’ track and field.

Vento repeated as the NJSIAA Meet of Champions title holder and on Friday, in Raleigh, N.C., became the first Colonial to win a national title, clearing an outdoor best 5-10 1/2. She is believed to be the only district track athlete to win a national crown.

Manalapan’s Braves were the district’s best team. Relying on the versatility of Tanisha Hamilton, a stable of solid distance runners and balance in the field, the Braves enjoyed a perfect regular season (5-0), winning the Shore Conference A North Division title. They then added the Freehold district crown to their championship season.

Vento, naturally, tops the News Transcript’s 2003 all-Freehold regional district girls’ track and field team. Joining the national champion on the all-district team are: Manalapan’s Tanisha Hamilton (100 meters and long jump), Freehold Borough’s Rose Drayton (200), Freehold Township’s Katie Cherecwich (400), Howell’s Kellee Hand (800), Manalapan’s Sofia Machado (1,600), Howell’s Leslie Holleran (3,200), Freehold Township’s Katie Moltisanti (400 hurdles), Marlboro’s Chakhia Cole (shot put, discus), Freehold Township’s Mary Dowd (javelin), Howell’s Devin Barnett (triple jump), and Freehold Township’s Jenn Jeffreys (pole vault).

What else can be said of Vento who put together perhaps the finest track and field season ever in the high jump. She was jumping 5-10 back in April when many thought she would not hold her peak for the entire season. Yet last Friday she set another personal, school and district best with her 5-10 1/2 at the national championships.

On the way to Raleigh, Vento had a golden path. Rival Maura Burk, from Freehold Township, beat her at the district meet and again at the county championships, where both achieved 5-10. That would be the last time Vento finished second. She won the Shore Conference in a meet record 5-10, and then equaled or set meet records at the Central Jersey (5-8) and State Group IV (5-10) tournaments.

In the big showdown at the MOC, Vento only needed a 5-6 to top Burk and the rest of the competition for a second straight outdoor MOC win and fourth straight (counting indoor wins) win overall. Over the last two years, between the state relay, state sectional, group and MOC meets, the Colonial has won 12 straight state championships. No one has ever been better when a state title was on the line.

Headed for Duke University in the fall, Vento displayed a consistency never seen before in the state. Between winter and spring track, she cleared 5-10 or better 17 times. She failed to clear 5-8 only twice all year.

Not to be overlooked, Vento was again the best 110-meter hurdler.She repeated as district champion and was second in Monmouth County (15.8), edging Howell’s Barnett both times.

Far better known for her basketball talents, Chakhia Cole has become one of the state’s best throwers in her spare time. The Marlboro junior had another splendid season, finishing the year with an eighth-place at the MOC.

Along the way to South Plainfield, she picked up some championship hardware. Cole defended her Freehold district title and then won the Monmouth County and Shore Conference titles. She won once more in Central Jersey, where she was also third in the shot put (36-2 1/4). At the Group IV state championships, she came in second, spinning the platter a season’s best 134-4.

Cole expanded her talents to the shot put this year, winning the district title and taking third in Central Jersey where she had her best toss of the season. She was the most outstanding field performer at the Freehold District Championships.

If she concentrated on track and field more, Cole could seriously challenge for an MOC championship.

While the high jump has been the focal point in the district over the last couple of years because of Vento and Burk, the wave of the future is the distance events where a very strong underclass contingent is led by Howell freshman Hand.

Since emerging as the district’s best during the cross-country season, Hand has done nothing but impress and is poised to be the next great distance runner from the area. This spring, she ran the fastest 800 meters ever by a district runner, 2:16.09, topping the district and school mark of the area’s last great runner, Lindsey Gallo. Gallo is a former Rebel standout who is now starring at the University of Michigan.

Hand won the Freehold district title handily and then turned her attention to the championship meets where she was tested by the state’s best. She was third in Monmouth County and second at the SC, where she ran her school and district record 2:16.09. She was second in Central Jersey and seventh in Group IV.

Hand was also one of the better 400-meter runners in the area, taking third at the district championships.

Manalapan sophomore Machado was equally strong in the 1,600 and 3,200 me­ters. She won the district title in the 1,600 (5:29.8) and secured her place on the team there. She battled Howell’s Holleran in the 3,200, getting the edge in Central Jersey with her fifth-place finish.

Holleran, on the strength of her district win, and a fifth and seventh place in the Shore Conference meet, gets the nod for the 3,200. The senior was third in the 1,600 at the district meet.

Cherecwich has been the area’s best 400-meter runner for the last two years. The Patriot senior had another superb sea­son, winning her second straight one-lap ti­tle at the district championships. She was third in Monmouth County, fifth in the Shore Conference and sixth in Central Jersey (59.2).

The senior displayed remarkable range this year, competing in everything from the 100-meter dash to the 800 meters. She was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer at this year’s district champi­onships.

Cherecwich has been a mainstay on the township’s 1,600-meter relay team, which has been the dominant unit in the district as she teamed with Stephanie McLeod, Samantha Moody and Alyssa Diercksen. With Moltisanti joining McLeod, Moody and Cherecwich, the Pats won the district title in 4:11.2.

A knee injury sidelined Moltisanti before the county meet, and freshman Diercksen filled in admirably. The Township girls were third in the county and sixth in Central Jersey IV where they ran their fastest time of the season, 4:09.7. All save Cherecwich are underclassmen.

Moltisanti, a junior, makes the team at the 400 hurdles. Before her injury, she won the district title in 1:07.2.

Hamilton was the top point-getter for the A North champion Braves. Her versa­tility in the 100-200-hurdles-long jump were worth up to 20 points a meet. Hamilton makes the district team in the century and long jump by virtue of her wins in both at the Freehold district meet.

Drayton was a late-season bloomer for the Colonials. She made little impression at the district championships but from there caught fire. She ran fifth in the century and third in the 200 at the county champi­onships, and in Central Jersey was fifth in both the 100 and 200 meters. Her 200-me­ter performances were enough to put the promising sophomore on the district team.

The triple jump made its debut this year and it was Vento and Barnett who domi­nated the event. Vento won the district title and was second in Central Jersey II. However, Barnett made it to the MOC and had the best jump of the year, 35-9 3/4, and was fifth in CJ IV and sixth in the Group IV state meet.

Barnett, a senior, did it all for the Rebels, confirming that she was one of the best all-around track athletes. She was a sprinter and hurdler on the track and com­peted in all three jumps: long jump, high jump and triple jump.

The pole vault became a scoring event this year and also makes its debut as an all-district event. Jenn Jeffreys of Freehold Township topped the area vaulters last year when it was an exhibition and was tops again this year. She won the Freehold dis­trict title, but really made her mark in the county where she became the first female pole vault champion at 8-6. She was sev­enth at the Central Jersey meet.

Dowd was again the best javelin thrower in the district. The junior sewed up her spot on the team by repeating as the district champion with a 97-5 effort.

Those earning honorable mention for 2003 are Becky Mergenthaler (100-200-long jump), Liz Brady (200, 400, high jump), Danielle Plenzo (3,200), Lianne Price (1,600), Katrine Herrick (400 hur­dles), Stacy Perry (shot put), Amy Lewis (triple jump) and Kelly Romisoukas (long jump), Colts Neck; Elise Tagatac (800) and Zara Zweber (400 hurdles), Freehold Borough; Maura Burk (high jump), Freehold Township; Samantha Graffeo (shot put, discus) and Katie Henriques (discus), Howell; Jenn Barr (800), Stephanie Friedman (pole vault), Cheryl Ziskroit (pole vault), Alaina Chorney (javelin) and Amy VanResburg (high jump), Manalapan; and Lauren Goldberg (javelin), Marlboro.