Colts Neck girls dominate county indoor meet
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Let your full complement of distance running talent loose, and sprinkle some sprinting and jumping prowess into the mix, and what you have, if you are Colts Neck High School's girls track and field team, is an overwhelming triumph.

The Cougars piled up 76.5 points Saturday at the new indoor track and field facility, the Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex, at Toms River North High School, to win the Monmouth County Championships for the second straight year. Colts Neck's victory at the Monmouth County Relays the week before had established the Cougars as the clear favorite for Saturday's county meet, and the girls did not disappoint.

From 400 meters to 3,200, it was a tour de force for Colts Neck's runners.

Meryl Wimberly proved that the Cougars are not just a distance running school, by winning the 400 in a new Freehold Regional District record, 59.10.

Nike Team National cross country winner Ashley Higginson turned in her best-ever indoor 800, 2:16.95, in turning back the bid of a pair of Freehold Township runners.

First, Higginson chased down the Patriots' Janel Parker, and then held off Allyson Moskal to secure the win.

District runners took the first four places in the race, with Moskal second (2:17.77), Parker third (2:18.46), and Marlboro's Brittany Pietrosh fourth (2:22.43).

Briana Jackucewicz led a one-two-three sweep in the 1,600 for the Cougars, posting a 5:07.70 at the front. Kristen O'Dowd (5:11.35) and Allison Linnell (5:11.36) were together at the line in second and third.

Freehold Borough's Megan Patterson (5:19.84) was fifth.

The points kept coming for Colts Neck in the 3,200, where Higginson pulled the field through to a number of personal bests behind her. Higginson, who has won the past two Meet of Champions indoor 3,200 crowns, turned in an 11:07.75, with Moskal (11:10.17) and Howell's Lindsey Lambert (11:15.74) in tow, along with her Cougar teammate Allie Flott, who was fourth (11:20.16).

District runners again were first through fourth.

Colts Neck was second in a great 4x400, falling just .08 short of Rumson-Fair Haven. Kathlyn Herrick, Julia Tomaro, Samantha Santo and Wimberly ran a 4:08.60 behind Rumson's 4:08.52.

Marlboro (4:10l.00) and Howell (4:15.48) were third and fifth.

In the high jump, Lindsey Rappleyea finished second to Hannah Boyce of Ocean, with a 5-0 jump. Boyce did 5-0 1/2 to win the gold. Jessie Pagliano was fifth at 4-8 for Colts Neck, and teammate Abby Stewart tied for sixth at the same height.

Including cross country indoor and outdoor track, the Cougars have now won five consecutive county championships.

It wasn't just a great day for Colts Neck in Toms River. Freehold Township (30 1/4) and Marlboro (28) were third and fourth, with Howell (22) sixth and Manalapan (8) ninth.

Marlboro's Kristen Batts also was a county champion. The senior had been out-throwing the county's best all during the indoor season, and her 37-7 was good enough to top the field.

District throwers took first-second-third with the Patriots' Crystal Mahoney (36-3) and Howell's Anna DiPaolo (35-11) taking the silver and bronze.

One of the highlight races of the meet was the girls 55-meter dash, featuring two of the state's fastest sprinters, Ocean's Georgina Nembhard and Marlboro's Ada Unachukwu. Last winter, Unachukwu, then a freshman, announced her arrival on the scene by springing a surprise and winning the county race over Nembhard.

This time around, it was the Spartan getting the win in a speedy 7.18, while Unachukwu did a 7.28.

Manalapan's Kristin Andrews medaled twice. She was third in the 400 that went to Wimberly, breaking 1:00 herself with a 59.90. The Brave was fifth in the 55-meter hurdles (9.25), which was won by Nembhard (8.65) with Howell's Jamie Leacock in second place (9.13).

While Colts Neck' girls were unstoppable, the race of the day belonged to the Cougars' Brenden Krewer, who picked up his first county championship in a thrilling 800 meters.

The boys 800 was a fan's delight with Krewer, Monmouth Regional's Chris Cox and Christian Brothers Academy's Brendon Pierson three-wide heading into the homestretch.

Krewer, drawing on the confidence he gained during the cross country season, when he proved he could run with the best, had the stronger finishing kick and won in 2:01.06.

Running in a different section, Freehold Township's Joe Solek won with a 2:03.56, a time that got him fifth place.

It was almost a daily double for the Krewers, as Brenden's twin brother, John, was runner-up in the shot put. His 49-9 was just short of winner Brandon Catley's 50-2.

Colts Neck was second to Monmouth Regional in the team competition, 54-33.

Matt Sullivan took third in the 55 hurdles (8.09), Jason Weiner was fourth in the 3,200 (9:58.19), and Evan Stivala was sixth in the high jump (5-10).

The Cougars were fourth in the 4x400 (3:35.99).

Manalapan was seventh (18), led by Jack Gilburn's second place in the high jump (6-0 1/2). Teammate Dunell Ridore was fourth (5-10 3/4). Mike Goldwasser was third in the 400 (52.03).

Freehold Township finished one place behind Manalapan, eighth (14). Dan Mularz was fourth in the 55 hurdles (8.17), Jack Tarpey was fifth in the 1,600 (4:35.84), and the 4x400 relay team was third (3:32.34).

Howell's David Hayes was sixth in the 55 (6.83) and 400 (52.47), and was part of the sixth-place 4x400 team (3:36.92).

Saturday, everyone will be back in Toms River for the Shore Conference Indoor Championships, where they will face one another one more time with Ocean County's best joining the fray.