Records fall to Colts Neck runners at Lavino Relays
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Colts Neck shook things up at the Lavino Relays, held at the Lawrenceville School.

The Cougar boys and girls combined for three wins Saturday, producing a national ranking in one and establishing a new meet record in another.

Zach Tedoff anchored the Cougar boys to a huge win in the 4x800 relay. The Cougar boys not only achieved a qualifying time for the Penn Relays (8:08.2), but ran the seventh fastest time indoors in the country this year. They also beat state power Christian Brothers Academy.

Chris Clark, Ryan Jagielski, Craig Forys and Tedoff made up the victorious quartet.

Clark began with a 2:05.3 and Jagielski then moved the Cougars to the front with a sizzling 1:59.9. Forys turned in a 2:01.4, handing the baton to Tedoff for the anchor 800 in the lead.

Tedoff opened the lead up with a 57 first 400. That created too much of a gap for CBA’s anchored runner, Nat Glackin, to make up over the last two laps, and the Cougars had the big win.

Coach Jim Schlentz was impressed by the way his team went after CBA. The Cougars gave no quarter to the Colts, running aggressively on every leg.

The Cougars have not only qualified for the Penn Relays, which take place in April in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania, but the indoor nationals as well. The National Scholastic Indoor Championship at the New York Armory is March 12-14.

Colts Neck’s distance medley team (DM) is headed for the Eastern States (Feb. 2 at the Armory) after its second place in Lawrenceville. Anchored by Forys’ 4:27.5 1,600, the Cougars clocked 10:58.3, finishing second to CBA.

Tedoff ran leadoff in the DM, running 1,200 meters in 3:24.3. Alex Martin turned in a 56.4 400 leg and Chris Shoen ran the 800 in 2:10.1.

In winning the Sprint Medley, the Cougar boys set a school record — 3:44.8.

Martin and Clark ran identical 24.9 200 legs to start the Sprint Medley off. Jagielski then turned in a 52.0 for 400 meters and Jose Melendez capped the win off with a 2:03.0 800 leg.

It was Colts Neck’s girls who produced the meet record. The Distance Medley team of Kristen O’Dowd, Katrine Herrick, Danielle Plenzo and Ashley Higginson teamed up for a 13:01.3. It was not only a meet record, but school and Freehold District mark, and it qualified the team for the Eastern States.

O’Dowd got things going for the girls with a 4:04.0 lead-off 1,200. Herrick did a 63.9 for the 400 and Plenzo turned in a 2:34.7 800. Higginson polished off the win and meet record with a 5:19.7 1,600.

As impressive as these results are for the Cougars, one can only wonder how much better they are going to be later in the season. But Schlentz pointed out that his team is far from top form.

"We’re behind in our speed work," he said. "We’re not in peak form."

Also in Lawrenceville, the girls had two third-place finishes. In the 4x55 hurdles, the team of Herrick, Jackie Austin, Tory Gobat and Amy Lewis posted a school record 38.2; in the sprint medley, Herrick (29.9), Danielle Pierre (29.7), Jackie Austin (65.0) and Higginson (2:23.0) posted a school record 4:27.6.

On Sunday, the NJSIAA Individual Championship gets started with Groups I (8:30 a.m.) and IV (2 p.m.) competing at Princeton University. The championship continues on Feb. 15 with Groups II (8:30 a.m.) and III (2 p.m.).

The Monmouth County Championship is scheduled for Feb. 7 at Red Bank Regional High School. The Freehold Regional District Championship is Feb. 9, again at RBR, and the Shore Conference Championship is scheduled for Feb. 11, also at RBR.