Cougar girls dominate District championships
Unachukwu, Batts set records
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

SCOTT PILLING staff Marlboro's Brittany Pietrosh and Freehold Township's Janel Parker compete in the 800-meter race during the Freehold Regional School District Track and Field Championships at Howell High School on May 3.

Colts Neck showcased its all-around talent while Marlboro's Ada Unachukwu and Kristen Batts set records at Thursday's Freehold Regional District Girls Track and Field Championships.

Joe Lykes' Cougars piled up the points everywhere in capturing their third straight District title with 161 points. Runner-up Freehold Township scored 103.6 and third-place Marlboro had 98.

What was most impressive about Colts Neck's win was that the Cougars had only two individual winners. They scored points in every event as they put their versatility and depth on full display at Howell High School, host of the championships.

Colts Neck only used its national champion, Ashley Higginson, in one event, where she led a one-two-three sweep in the 1,600 meters.

Higginson, Allie Flott and Allison Linnell were all timed in 5:13 with Flott getting the win and Linnell second. The Cougars picked up 24 points there.

The Cougars' other win was in the high jump where Lindsay Rappleyea (5-2) and Jesse Pagliano (5-0) went one-two for 18 more points.

Sprinter/hurdlers Julie Tomaro, Kathlyn Herrick, Meryl Wimberly, Karissa Herrick, Samantha Santo and Lauren Papaleo gave the team important second-, third- and fourth-place finishes. Allison Donaghy, Kristen O'Dowd, Rachel Morris, Stephanie Olenik, Morgan Clark and Eva Wimberly scored in the 800 and 3,200 meters.

In the field, throwers Crystal Butler, Pagliano and Christine Kantonides were the Cougar point scorers. Rappleyea and Carrie Schmidt were second and sixth in the long jump, and Pagliano was second in the triple jump. Pole vaulters Tracey Vill and Sara Schlosser were second and third.

Unachukwu took down the 19-year-old meet record when she held off the Cougars' Meryl Wimberly in a speedy 400. The Mustang sophomore turned in a 57.8, erasing Ellen Woods' meet record 58.6, from 1988. Wimberly was also under the old mark with a 58.2. Woods ran for Howell.

"I'm getting better each time," Unachukwu said of her 400 win. "I feel more accomplished in the 400. I wasn't as tired [at the end] this time. I kept driving to the finish."

Unachukwu was the outstanding individual at the meet, winning four championships. She won the 100 (12.2) and the 200 (25.5) on the track, and with one jump, took the triple jump with 33-6 1/2.

For her part, Unachukwu enjoys competing in so many events.

"Why not?" she says.

Unachukwu shared Outstand-ing Track Performer honors with Howell's Jamie Leacock, who was a winner three times. She swept the 100 (15.5) hurdles and 400 intermediate hurdles (1:04.6), and anchored the Rebel 4x400 relay team to an exciting win over Colts Neck, 4:05-4:05.8.

"I've been working a lot harder on the hurdles," said Leacock. "I've been doing more reps. I want to break 63 [seconds in the 400 hurdles] and see what I can do."

Rachel Simon, Adedayo Adu and Amanda Luccarelli ran the first three legs on Howell's victorious relay team.

Also winning on the track were Freehold Township's Janel Parker (800) and Howell's Lindsey Lambert (3,200), who collected her first District title.

Parker broke the race open in the last 200 meters to take the 800 in 2:20.3 with Marlboro's Lauren Pietrosh second (2:22.9). Lambert pulled away from the field in the second half of the race, winning the 3,200 in 11:23.

Batts, fresh off setting a Shore Conference record in the discus (148-2) in a dual meet, took the District meet record out to 138-4, breaking the old mark of 134-2 set by ex-Mustang Chakhia Cole in 2002.

"My goal was to get the meet record," Batts remarked,

She added the shot put title with a throw of 38-3 and was fourth in the javelin (111-0). It was the second straight year that Batts won the shot put- discus double. She was the meet's Outstanding Field Performer.

Other winners in the field included Manalapan's Samantha Moran (javelin), Marlboro's Jenna Meagher (pole vault) and Freehold Township's Desiree Reese (long jump).

Moran threw the spear 118-6 and Reese traveled 15-6 3/4 in winning the long jump. Meagher cleared 9-0 in the pole vault.

Tomorrow and Saturday, District athletes will be competing for titles at the Monmouth County Championships at Neptune High School.

Freehold Regional District Track & Field Championships

Boys

Team standings:

1-Colts Neck 137 2-Manalapan 136. 3-Freehold Twp. 129. 4-Howell 71. 5-Marlboro 12. 6-Freehold Borough 12

Individual-

100 meters-1-Matt Borzomati, HOW, 11.2

2-Derek Samack, MAN, 11.4; 3-David Hayes, HOW, 11.4.

200 meters-1-Matt Borzomati, HOW, 22.6

2-Derek Samack, MAN, 22.8; 3-Chris Pellicano, MAN, 23.3

400 meters-1-David Hayes, HOW, 50.3

2-Brian Collins, FT, 52.3; 3-Vito Ulke, CN, 52.9

800 meters-1-Brenden Krewer, CN, 2:00.5

2-Greg Heden, FB, 2:02.3; 3-Bobby Searby, FT, 2:03.0

1,600 meters-1-Robby Andrews, MAN, 4:34.7

2-Joe Solek, FT, 4:35; 3. 3-Jack Tarpey, FT, 4:37.4

3,200 meters-1-Robby Andrews, MAN, 9:59

2-Jason Weiner, CN, 10:05.0; 3-Joe Kreppein, MAN, 10:06

110 meter hurdles-1-Matt Sullivan, CN, 15.1

2-Dan Mularz, FT, 15.1; 3-Dunell Ridore, MAN, 15.2

400-meter intermediate hurdles-1-Matt Sullivan, CN, 56.5. 2-Dan Mularz, FT, 56.9; 3-O'Shane Rennie, FT, 57.4

4x400-meter relay- 1-Freehold Township (Ryan Spadola, Dan Mularz, Bobby Searby, Brian Collins) 3:26.0

2-Colts Neck, 3:28.0; 3-Manalapan, 3:45.0

shot put-1-Brian Brikowski, FT, 49-8 1/2

2-John Krewer, CN, 48-7; 3-Frank Snead, CN, 44-4

discus-1-John Krewer, CN, 141-4

2-Rich Rener, CN, 134-6; 3-Jack Gilburn, MAN, 130-6

javelin-1-Kevin Kelly, CN, 182-5

2-Jack Gilburn, MAN, 179-0; 3-Nick Spinella, MAR, 154-9

high jump-1-Dunell Ridore, MAN, 5-10

2-Evan Stivala, CN, 5-8; 3-Jack Gilburn, MAN, 5-8

long jump-1-Jack Gilburn, MAN, 20-7

2-Conrad Zwolinski, HOW, 20-4; 3-Evan Stivala, CN, 20-1

triple jump-1-Marcus Goode, FT, 42-8 3/4

2-Dmitriy Markoukin, MAR, 39-5 1/2;

3-Corey Csakai, FT, 39-4 1/2.

pole vault-1-Mike Goldwasser, MAN, 12-6

2-Steve Dierolf, HOW, 11-6; 3-Rob Rappa, MAN, 10-6

Girls

Team standings-1-Colts Neck 161. 2-Freehold Twp., 103.6. 3-Marlboro, 98. 4-Howell, 88. 5-Freehold Borough, 25.

6-Manalapan, 19.3

Individual-

100 meters-1-Ada Unachukwu, Marlboro, 12.2

2-Tanika Peart, FT, 12.5; 3-Amanda Luccarelli, HOW, 12.6

200 meters-1-Ada Unachukwu, Marlboro, 25.5

2- Tanika Peart, FT, 26.1; 3-Meryl Wimberly, CN, 26.5

400 meters-Ada Unachukwu, Marlboro, 57.8 (new meet record, old meet record 58.6, Ellen Woods, Howell, 1987) 2-Meryl Wimberly, CN, 58.2; 3-Adedayo Adu, HOW, 1:00.9

800 meters-1-Janel Parker, Freehold Township, 2:20.3

2-Brittany Pietrosh, MAR, 2:22.9; 3-Kristen O'Dowd, CN, 2:23.7

1,600 meters-Allie Flott, Colts Neck, 5:13.0

2-Allison Linnell, CN, 5:13; 3-Ashley Higginson, CN, 5:13

3,200 meters-1-Lindsey Lambert, Howell, 112:25.0

2-Allison Donaghy, CN, 11:45.0;

3-Charlotte Walsh, FT, 11:48.0

100-meter hurdles-1-Jamie Leacock, Howell, 15.5

2-Tanika Peart, FT, 16.2; 3-Julie Tomaro, CN, 16.9

400-meter intermediate hurdles-

1-Jamie Leacock, HOW, 1:04.6.

2-Alyssa Mayrose, FB, 1:07.8. 3-Julie Tomaro, CN, 1:08.3.

4x400-meter relay-1-Howell (Rachel Simon, Adedayo Adu, Amanda Luccarelli, Jamie Leacock) 4:05.0.

2-Colts Neck, 4:05.8; 3-Marlboro, 4:11.0.

shot put-1-Kristen Batts, Marlboro, 38-3

2-AnnaMarie DiPaolo, HOW, 36-5;

3-Crystal Mahoney, FT, 35-11 1/4

discus-1-Kristen Batts, MAR, 138-4 (new meet record,

old meet record 134-2, Chakhia Cole Marlboro, 2002).

2-Crystal Mahoney, FT, 110-0. 3-Crystal Butler, CN, 98-1

javelin-1-Samantha Moran, Manalapan, 118-6

2-Brittany Napoli, HOW, 115-6; 3-Jesse Pagliano, CN, 111-1

high jump-1-Lindsay Rappleyea, Colts Neck, 5-2

2-Jesse Pagliano, CN, 5-0; 3-Anita Wise, FT, 4-10

long jump- 1-Desiree Reese, FT, 15-6 3/4

2-Lindsay Rappleyea, CN, 15-0 1/4; 3-Anita Wise, FT, 14-4

triple jump-1-Ada Unachukwu, Marlboro, 33-6 1/2. 2-Jesse Pagliano, Colts Neck, 32-1 1/2. 3-Stephanie Ricciardi, Manalapan, 331-6 1/4

pole vault-1-Jenna Meagher, Marlboro, 9-0

2- Tracey Vill, CN, 7-6; 3-Sara Schlosser, CN, 7-6