Patriot hurdlers come up big at Colts Neck Relays
Distance runners shine for hosts
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

There is no shortcut to success in running the hurdles.It takes practice, practice, practice to master the technique of the event. Freehold Township has a quartet of hurdlers who are willing to put in the time it takes, and it's a big reason they have dominated the early season relay.

Saturday the Patriots won the 3x400-meter intermediate hurdles and 4x110-meter hurdles relays at the Colts Neck Relays held at Colts Neck High School. Those wins come on the heels of the Pats' sweep of the two events at the Rebel Relays.

"It's a lot of hard work and we do it as a team together," said O'Shane Rennie, one of the two Pats who won both hurdle relays on Saturday,

Teammate Dan Mularz, the other double winner, also pointed to Freehold Township's teamwork.

"Every day we go and practice," he pointed out. "We motivate each other. It takes hard work and a lot of practice."

Mularz anchored the Pats to a narrow win over Red Bank Catholic in the intermediates, 2:57.17-2:58.20. Robert Searby and Rennie ran the first two legs.

It was Xavier Reed, Rennie, Mularz and Jeff Kole winning the 4x110s in 1:04.80.

Mularz, a junior, is the old man of the group. The others are just sophomores.

"We have another year to do this," he noted.

Mularz described the hurdle events as 90 percent technique, requiring "hard work." For him, the real challenge is perfection.

"There's always something you did wrong in a race that you can work on," he added.

Saturday the Pats will look to make it three straight wins when they go to Holmdel for the Holmdel Relays.

The Colts Neck Relays featured some of the finest distance running talent anywhere, and that's where the host school got to shine brightest. The girls won the distance medley relay and the boys took the sprint medley.

It doesn't really matter what the lineup is for Colts Neck - as long as Ashley Higginson is running the anchor 1,600 meters, they are going to win the DMR. Higginson, who recently set the state record for 5,000 meters at Princeton, was handed the baton 17 seconds behind the leading team, Lenape, and not only made up that ground, but won easily. Higginson's 4:58 split brought the Cougars home first in 12:28.87.

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCA staff Above left, Freehold Township's O'Shane Rennie helps the Patriot boys win the 3x400-meter intermediate hurdles relay at Saturday's Colts Neck Relays. Above right, Manalapan senior David Teplitsky competes in the shuttle hurdles relay. Above, Colts Neck's Allie Flott passes the baton to teammate Lindsey Rappleyea during the girls distance medley relay, which they won.

"I was really happy with the way I started cutting into the lead," she said. "I usually try to make it up too quickly. I proved I can run a steady pace."

Although Higginson made up her 17-second deficit by the third lap, she had done it through consistent pacing. When she took over the lead, she had more than enough left in the tank for the last lap.

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCA staff Above, pole vaulters wait for their chance to compete during Saturday's Colts Neck Relays. Below, athletes take to the air during the hurdles competition.

Allie Flott ran the opening 1,200-meter leg for the Cougars, followed by Lindsey Rappleyea (400) and Kristen O'Dowd (800).

On the boys' side, Craig Forys was looking to make history by trying to become the first runner in state history to run under 3:00 for 1,200 meters in the DMR. He had competition in the presence of Pennsylvania's one-mile state champion Paul Springer from Unionville. Running from the front into an "annoying" wind on the backstretch took its toll on Forys, who pushed the pace through the first 1,000 meters. Springer, who had drafted behind the Cougar, took the lead at that point, and would hand the baton off to his teammate in the lead after a 3:02.9 to Forys' 3:04.2. But with both teams running their stronger runner first, neither was around at the finish as Jackson prevailed.

The Jaguars put together the most consistent team, and anchor Kris Carle brought the Jaguars home first with a come-from-behind effort on his anchor 1,600-meter leg.

Monroe Kearns, Anthony Meleo and Ryan Fenimore ran the first three legs for Jackson, which clocked 10:34.81.

Forys would come back and split 1:56 for the 800 meters in bringing the Cougars home first in the sprint medley. Brenden Krewer, Chris Jackson, Matt Sullivan and Forys teamed up to run a 3:34.96. The Sprint Medley is made up of legs of 400-200-200-800 for a total of 1,600 meters.

Freehold Township won the girls' sprint medley in 4:14.28. Allyson Moskal ran the lead-off 400 and Janel Parker ran the anchor 800. In between, Tamika Peart and Linda Gonzalez were the 200-meter legs.

State champion Mike Goldwasser of Marlboro High School teamed up with Robby Rappa to win the boys pole vault, 22-0. Goldwasser had the best vault of the day (12-0).

Jack Gillburn's event-leading 179-7 led the Manalapan High School Braves to their win in the javelin relay. Teammate Brett McCarron had a 155-1 and combined with Gillburn's throw, the Braves' combined 334-8 won by more than 20 feet. Manalapan flexed its muscles here with George Catuogen of the Braves' B team coming up with the third-best throw of the competition, 166-5.

Colts Neck's Jesse Pagliano (5-2) and Rappleyea (5-0) won the girls high jump relay at 10-2.

Pagliano teamed up with Karissa Herrick to win a second relay title, the triple jump. They jumped a combined 63-8 led by Pagliano's 33-0 1/2.

Howell won the javelin relay with Brittany Napoli getting off the best throw of the competition, 125-4. Teammate Norell Abernathy did 98-11 and their combined 224-3 won by 13 feet.

team, Lenape, and not only made up that ground, but won easily. Higginson's 4:58 split brought the Cougars home first in 12:28.87.

"I was really happy with the way I started cutting into the lead," she said. "I usually try to make it up too quickly. I proved I can run a steady pace."

Although Higginson made up her 17-second deficit by the third lap, she had done it through consistent pacing. When she took over the lead, she had more than enough left in the tank for the last lap.

Allie Flott ran the opening 1,200-meter leg for the Cougars, followed by Lindsey Rappleyea (400) and Kristen O'Dowd (800).

On the boys' side, Craig Forys was looking to make history by trying to become the first runner in state history to run under 3:00 for 1,200 meters in the DMR. He had competition in the presence of Pennsylvania's one-mile state champion Paul Springer from Unionville. Running from the front into an "annoying" wind on the backstretch took its toll on Forys, who pushed the pace through the first 1,000 meters. Springer, who had drafted behind the Cougar, took the lead at that point, and would hand the baton off to his teammate in the lead after a 3:02.9 to Forys' 3:04.2. But with both teams running their stronger runner first, neither was around at the finish as Jackson prevailed.

The Jaguars put together the most consistent team, and anchor Kris Carle brought the Jaguars home first with a come-from-behind effort on his anchor 1,600-meter leg.

Monroe Kearns, Anthony Meleo and Ryan Fenimore ran the first three legs for Jackson, which clocked 10:34.81.

Forys would come back and split 1:56 for the 800 meters in bringing the Cougars home first in the sprint medley. Brenden Krewer, Chris Jackson, Matt Sullivan and Forys teamed up to run a 3:34.96. The Sprint Medley is made up of legs of 400-200-200-800 for a total of 1,600 meters.

Freehold Township won the girls' sprint medley in 4:14.28. Allyson Moskal ran the lead-off 400 and Janel Parker ran the anchor 800. In between, Tamika Peart and Linda Gonzalez were the 200-meter legs.

State champion Mike Goldwasser of Marlboro High School teamed up with Robby Rappa to win the boys pole vault, 22-0. Goldwasser had the best vault of the day (12-0).

Jack Gillburn's event-leading 179-7 led the Manalapan High School Braves to their win in the javelin relay. Teammate Brett McCarron had a 155-1 and combined with Gillburn's throw, the Braves' combined 334-8 won by more than 20 feet. Manalapan flexed its muscles here with George Catuogen of the Braves' B team coming up with the third-best throw of the competition, 166-5.

Colts Neck's Jesse Pagliano (5-2) and Rappleyea (5-0) won the girls high jump relay at 10-2.

Pagliano teamed up with Karissa Herrick to win a second relay title, the triple jump. They jumped a combined 63-8 led by Pagliano's 33-0 1/2.

Howell won the javelin relay with Brittany Napoli getting off the best throw of the competition, 125-4. Teammate Norell Abernathy did 98-11 and their combined 224-3 won by 13 feet.