Forys, Frick top boys District Track Team
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY staff Freehold Borough’s Justin Frick enjoyed a tremendous campaign this spring as a high jumper, earning a place on the All-District Boys Track and Field Team.

We witnessed one of the great seasons in Freehold Regional District track and field this spring, both individually and collectively.

Colts Neck provided many of highlights, thanks to state champion Craig Forys and his teammates, Chris Clark, Zach Tedoff and Ryan Jagielski.

Forys broke the state sophomore 1,600-meter record when he won his first Meet of Champions crown. His 4:11.27 was not only the fastest run in the state in 2005, but broke the long-standing area record of 4:11.8 held by Manalapan’s state champion Tom Fischer. He won his first Group state titles, sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 before capturing the elusive MOC crown in South Plainfield.

As a team, Forys, Clark, Tedoff and Jagielski tied the state record for the 4x800 relay, running 7:39.54 at Ichan Stadium, Randall’s Island, New York City.

Jagielski joined Forys as a Group state champion winning the Group III title.

The Cougars, through, were more than just their distance runners and that is what allowed them to win the Shore Conference A Central Division tri-championship during the dual meet season.

Brian Golub’s Freehold Township Patriots are the perfect dual meet team with balance and depth in every event. The won the public schools A North Division title and then added the Freehold Regional District championship to their trophy case.

Freehold Borough’s Justin Frick was the second District athlete to win an MOC title. He won the high jump title at 6-10, matching the District record of Manalapan’s Rashid Ramiz from the late 1970s. Frick’s jump was the best in the state for 2005.

Manalapan’s Adam Hegel didn’t win a MOC or Group state title, but at the MOC he equaled the District record in the long jump with his 22-1. He tied the mark set by ex-Brave Joe Taylor from the late 1970s.

The individual brilliance of Colts Neck and Freehold Township’s depth are well represented on the News Transcript’s 2005 All-Freehold Regional District Boys Track and Field Tea.

Forys leads the track selection at 1,600 and 3,200 meters, with Jagielski for his prowess in the 800. Also on the track team are Patrick Six, Colts Neck (100), Freehold Township’s Sean Coyne (200 and 110 hurdles), Manalapan’s Alan Berger (400), Howell’s Ben Edwards (400 intermediate hurdles), and the Colts Neck 1,600-meter relay team of Clark, Tedoff, Jagielski and Evan Stivala.

Frick (high jump) heads the field event picks. Rounding out the team are Freehold Township’s Matt Hardison (shot put), Manalapan’s Steve Bachman (discus), Colts Neck’s Kevin Kelly (javelin, and Manalapan’s Hegel (long jump, triple jump) and Mike Goldwasser (pole vault).

In Forys, we just may well be seeing a prodigy in action. His records take him well beyond the super soph label. He didn’t run like a freshman last year, when he took the state by storm, and with a year’s racing experience under his belt, there was no stopping the Cougar in ’05.

He scored double wins (1,600-3,200) at the District, Monmouth County, Central Jersey Group III and state Group III meets. His 9:11.49 for the 3,200 won the Group III title and made him the second faster 2-miler in the state.

His signature performance was the MOC 1,600, where, making the race up as he went along, he won from the front in 4:11.27. It’s an example of what state distance runners will be facing the next two years. The future belongs to Forys.

Jagielski and Forys were one-half of Colts Neck’s brilliant 4x800 and Distance Medley Relay teams that won national championship and set state records this year. Individually, Jagielski did rather well for himself. He was the District champion at 400 meters and then turned his attention to the 800. He was second in the county, fourth in the conference and then got on a role, winning Central Jersey III and State Group III championships. He was fifth at the MOC, turning in his fastest non-relay time of the season, 1:54.66. He’ll be running for Kutztown University next year.

Coyne was best sprinter/hurler in the District this year. He shared outstanding track performer honors with Forys at the District championships, where he won the 200 meters and 110 hurdles, and was second in the 400 hurdles and 1,600 relay.

Time and again the junior proved to be the best 110 hurdler. He was third in the county (15.23), sixth in the conference and fifth in Central Jersey. In the 400 hurdles, Coyne was sixth in the county and fifth in the state sectional.

Edwards enjoyed a breakout season for the Rebels. He backed up his Freehold District win in the 400 hurdles with a strong fourth in the conference in the year’s best time, 56.84. And he’s just a junior, like Coyne, so look for more battles between them next year.

The 100-meter dash was wide open with no one placing his stamp on the event. There were a number of solid dashmen, but the spot goes to Six by virtue of his victory at the District championships. He went head-to-head against the other contenders in that race and turned in the best time of the season (11.2).

Berger followed up a strong indoor 400 season (where he won the county championship) with solid outdoor effort. The senior was second in the District (51.3), eighth in the county and sixth in the Central Jersey IV.

The 1,600 relay was a race between Colts Neck and Freehold Township, with both teams fielding very competitive quartets. Colts Neck won the District title and then finished ahead of the Patriots at the Shore Conference the last time they raced at the same meet. It was Stivala, Clark, Tedoff and Jagielski who made up the Cougars’ best squad, which turned in a 3:32.54 in taking fourth at the State Group III championships after a third place in the state sectional.

Clark was second to Jagielski in the Group III 800 and finished eighth in the state at the MOC.

Bachman and Hardison waged a competitive battle back-and-forth in the shot put, with Hardison, a junior, coming out of top by virtue of finishing seventh at the MOC. The two throwers took turns topping each other during the championship season, but Hardison got through to the MOC with his fourth place at the Group IV state meet. The junior’s best throw traveled 52-11 3/4.

Bachman was the best combined thrower in the shot put and discus. He won both events at the District championships and was named the outstanding field performer of the meet. He added the county championship in the platter with his best throw of the season, 153-3. Bachman’s best shot put of the year, 53-3 3/4, was the best in the District. He’ll continue his throwing for the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Consistency was the trademark of Kelly. He seemed to throw further each week, starting with his win at the District championships. He followed that with a second place in the county and third place in Central Jersey (169-7).

An up-and-down season ended on a very high note for Frick, winning the state championship and clearing a personal best 6-10.

Frick captured the District, Shore Conference and Central Jersey Group III titles along the way.

Freehold Township’s Shane Donohue did give the Colonial a run for his money early in the season, but at the big meets, Frick showed his superiority.

Having negotiated 6-10 as a junior, could the District’s first 7-0 jump be in the offing next year?

Frick is also a potential multi-event performer. He was a top hurdler, and long and triple jumper for the Colonials this year.

Hegel also tied an old Freehold Regional record when he stretched his long jump out 22-1 at the MOC. Hegel was runner-up at the District meet to Freehold Township’s Derrick Harris, then hit his stride in May. He finished third in the county, eighth in the conference, fifth at the Group IV state meet and ninth at the MOC.

The senior was tops in the triple jump as well. Again, like the long jump, he didn’t win the District title, but was the best in the area the rest of the way. He was second at the county championships with the best jump of the year (42-9) and took sixth in Central Jersey IV.

The pole vault went to Goldwasser on the strength of his District victory (12-0), ninth place in the conference and fourth place in Central Jersey.

Those earning Honorable Mention for 2005 are: Brenden Krewer and Mike Moore, Colts Neck; Mike O’Flaherty, Nick Arnone and Dave Hickey, Freehold Borough; Ryan Cunard, Bill Moody, Paul Proctor, Shane Donohue, Ryan Kranich, Mike Weidman, Derrick Harris and Steve Pugliese, Freehold Township; Jason Leacock, James Sutlivano and Mike Rupp, Howell; Alex Baker, Jesse Eisemann, Steve Lin, Lonny Friedman and Joe DeMauro Manalapan; and Alex Feldman and Scott Cohen, Marlboro.