Gray, Burk, Kircher second in final MOC
Forys, Higginson
also medal
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Marlboro’s Earl Gray races to a fourth-place finish in the 100 meters at the June 2 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield High School.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD — Youth has been justly served during the track and field season.

However, the final meet of the season, the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, belonged to two veterans with long, established careers and another senior who came up with the goods in the biggest meet of the season.

Marlboro’s Earl Gray and Freehold Township’s Maura Burk added the final chapters to their careers with mixed emotions.

For Gray, just competing at the MOC was a victory while for Burk, the MOC remained an elusive title for the high jumper.

Gray salvaged a season that tested his resolve by winning a pair of medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Less then three weeks ago, a season influenced more by injury and illness, appeared to be over. At the Shore Conference Championships Gray was barely able to finish the 100 meters and he was thinking of packing it in. But after a trip to the hospital, his breathing difficulties were diagnosed as asthma. He was given an inhaler to use a half-hour before he ran, which cleared his lungs, and he was back competing.

He would win his first state titles in the NJSIAA Central Jersey sectional, sweeping both the Group IV 100 and 200 dashes. He finished second and third in those races at the State Group IV championships, qualifying for the June 2 MOC.

"Being ill this year, it [the MOC] was important," said Gray, who will be sprinting for the University of Maryland next year. "It pushed me to go out and do my best. I had to end the season on a strong note."

He did just that.

First, the Mustang qualified for the 100-meter final, finishing second in his heat in 10.97. In the final, he ran a 10.84, tying Camden’s Sherrone Bullock for fourth. Deptford’s Bruce Owens won in 10.66.

Lunging to the tape, Gray felt a twinge in his left hamstring. Twinge or no twinge, later in the evening, he was in the starting blocks for the 200-meter dash, his stronger event of the two. Having gone through all he has throughout the spring, Gray wasn’t going to sit this one out. It was the last race of his scholastic career.

"The first 100 was painful," he said. "The last 100, I forgot about the pain and just said, ‘Take it home.’ "

A burst in the final 10 meters took Gray from fourth to second (21.80), trailing only Winslow’s (Camden County) Reuben McCoy (21.51).

It was the high note that Gray was looking for and deserved.

"Throughout everything, I kept myself positive," said Gray.

The highlight of the season for Gray was winning the NJSIAA Central Jersey titles, the first of his career.

"It was nice to get the state sectional gold; I needed to win it," he pointed out.

Gray concludes his career as the finest long-sprinter in District history. He holds the record for the 200 meters (21.57) as well as the 400 (48.52). The 400 is his best event, but illness this spring prevented him from running in the state meet. How many athletes can win a pair of MOC medals without competing in their best event? Not many, which speaks volumes for Gray’s talent and indelible spirit.

During her career, Burk established a level of consistency that would be the envy of most. She won multiple Monmouth County, Shore Conference, Central Jersey and State Group titles and had the third best jump in state history (5-10). However, the MOC title remained ever elusive. Burk finished second for the second time in her career to Tiyana Peters of Mount Olive. Both jumpers cleared 5-6 and missed their three attempts at 5-8. Because Burk had missed her first jumps at 5-4 and 5-6, the gold went to Peters.

"I’m definitely proud of what I’ve done," said Burk. "I’m not going to base the last four years on today.

"It would have been nice to win," she added. "You can’t win them all. I’m not disappointed."

Burk, who will continue her high jumping career at Stanford (Calif.) University, did something few track athletes have done, and that is medal at the MOC all four years. Reflecting on her career, Burk has certainly forged a slew of positive memories.

"There were so many high points," she remarked. "I think back to my freshman year when I had no idea what I was doing. I remember picking up a medal and thinking the season was over, when my coach would say, ‘see you at practice.’

"This season has been hard," she added. "When I look back, I realize I was blessed the last three years. I’ve had amazing coaches."

Burk’s scholastic career is not over. On Saturday, she will be jumping at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento, Calif.

"It’s a big honor to be invited," she said. "I’m excited about competing against the best competition in the country."

On June 19 Burk will go to Raleigh, N.C., for the Adidas Scholastic Championships. Then, her focus will be on Stanford.

Another senior, Manalapan’s Kircher, went out the way any athlete would like to, coming up with a personal best in his final competition.

Kircher had a very solid season in both the shot put and discus, winning both titles at the Freehold Regional District championships and the discus crown at the Monmouth County meet. He threw well enough at the Central Jersey and State Group IV meets to qualify in both events for the MOC.

Although Kircher figured to have a chance to medal in either event, no one but the Brave was prepared for his personal best and school record 56-8 in the shot put.

"I had good throws at the Group meet," said Kircher. "I thought it was coming.

"I worked on my technique more, getting my legs into the throw more," he added.

Kircher produced a remarkable series of throws in South Plainfield. All six of his throws were beyond 55 feet, which was farther than he had ever thrown before. His 56-8 came on his second throw.

"They were my best six throws of the year," Kircher pointed out.

Kircher, who beat the likes of Wall’s Dave Zaycek and Matawan’s Chris Keller, who had been finishing ahead of him all year, was topped only by Ell Ash of Willingboro, who did 59-8 1/2.

The discus had been Kircher’s strongest event up to the Group IV meet, where he pulled a quad.

"It affected my spin in the discus, but not the glide for the shot put," he noted.

Kircher was 12th in the discus (147-05).

Howell’s Devin Barnett missed out on a medal, but she finished in the top 10 in the triple jump.

The Rebel, one of the best all-around track and field athletes the District has produced recently, launched herself 35-7 at South Plainfield. The state champion, Collette DeBenedetto of Mountain Lakes, did 37-6 3/4.

Barnett’s athletic career will continue at Towson State University, Maryland.

Marlboro’s Preston Plevretes also enjoyed a top-10 finish in his final competition. He was 10th (170-10) in the javelin, which was won by Kittatinny’s Clinton Lawson (187-10).

Youth was served at South Plainfield when Colts Neck’s Craig Forys and Ashley Higginson, the freshman headline makers this year, medaled in their first outdoor MOC.

Forys, who was at the head of the class in Shore area distance running this spring, was seventh in the 1,600 meters (4:19.12). There was a frantic dash to the finish with fourth to eighth place decided by just .47. Mainland’s Jim Wyner, a senior, won in 4:11.49. The seventh place concluded the finest freshman season by any male distance runner in District history. Forys set a pair of age-group national records along the way and has set the bar very high for himself.

Higginson, who was the Shore’s fastest 3,200-meter runner this year, was sixth in that event posting an 11:07.00. There was a three-way sprint at the tape for fourth in the race, with Higginson finishing .13 from fourth. Ocean City sophomore Brittany Sedberry was in command of the 3,200 from the start, winning in 10:44.23.

Higginson’s season, which included a sub-11:00 at the Group IV championships, has positioned her to make a run at being one of the very best female distance runners ever.