Forys, Andrews top All-District Track Team
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

100 meters Matt Borzomati Howell sophomore 200 meters Matt Borzomati Howell sophomore 400 meters David Hayes Howell senior 800 meters Robby Andrews Manalapan sophomore 1,600 meters Craig Forys Colts Neck senior 3,200 meters Craig Forys Colts Neck senior 110-meter high hurdles Matt Sullivan Colts Neck senior 400-meter inter. hurdles Dan Mularz Freehold Twp. junior 4x400 relay Freehold Township (Robert Searby, O'Shane Rennie, Dan Mularz, Ryan Spadola) shot put John Krewer Colts Neck senior discus John Krewer Colts Neck senior javelin Kevin Kelly Colts Neck senior long jump Evan Stivala Colts Neck senior triple jump Marcus Goode Freehold Twp. junior pole vault Matt Goldwasser Manalapan senior high jump Dunell Ridore Manalapan senior

Colts Neck's Craig Forys overshadowed everything in track and field in the Freehold Regional District as he put together the finest season ever by a track athlete.

His accomplishments and records would fill an epic novel and his season could rank with the best of anyone in state history.

However, the track and field season was tremendous on its own. Colts Neck made the biggest bang of the season in early May when the Cougars snapped Christian Brothers Academy's 11-year, 77-dual-meet winning streak. They didn't just beat the Colts, they humbled them with a 93-47 romp. That led to a second straight undefeated season and the outright Shore Conference A North Division title.

The Cougars, competing without Forys, were able to nip Manalapan for the Freehold Regional District title.

Besides state champion Forys, other outstanding individuals included Manalapan's Robby Andrews, who won the State Group IV 800 title, Colts Neck's Kevin Kelly, who was the Shore Conference champion in the javelin, and Freehold Township's Marcus Goode, who set the conference triple jump record.

Forys, as he has every year at Colts Neck, has the 1,600 and 3,200 spots on the News Transcript's 2007 All-Freehold Regional District Boys Track and Field Team. He is joined by Andrews (800), Howell's Matt Borzomati (100-200) and David Hayes (400), Colts Neck's Matt Sullivan (110 hurdles), Freehold Township's Dan Mularz (400 intermediate hurdles), and the Patriots' 4x400 relay team (Ryan Spadola, O'Shane Rennie, Robert Searby and Mularz). Goode (triple jump) leads the field events, with Colts Neck's Kelly (javelin) and John Krewer (shot put, discus), Manalapan's Mike Goldwasser (pole vault) and Dunell Ridore (high Jump), and Colts Neck's Evan Stivala (long jump).

Forys certainly knew how to bring his New Jersey career to an end when he won both the 1,600 (4:09.56) and 3,200 (8:52.58) at the Meet of Champions. He was just the second person to complete the double and the only one to do it both indoors and outdoors. In the 3,200, he broke his own meet record.

During one race in West Chester, Pa., he lowered three state records in winning the two-mile run in 8:48.99. En route to that mark, he passed the 3,000 meters in 8:15.5 and the 3,200 in 8:46.05 for state records as well. He broke them again at last weekend's Nike Outdoor Nationals when he was clocked in 8:09.99 for the 3K and 8:44.53 for the two-miles in finishing second at the national championships. He earned two more All-American certificates at the NON, lifting his career AA honors to 11.

Among his many meet records was the All-Groups State Meet 1,600 mark of 4:07.36. He split 4:04.0 in anchoring the Cougars' distance medley relay team from ninth to second in a new Shore Conference record 10:04.15 at the nationals. He swept the 800-1,600-3,000 runs at the county championships and was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer.

As the best distance runner the District has seen, Forys has raised the bar for everyone who follows. Headed for the University of Michigan, he leaves as the state's most decorated distance runner, with a record-tying nine MOC titles and his truckload of state and meet records.

Andrews delivered on his promise this spring and will be the face of distance running in the District the next two years. A nagging injury led to a low-key dual meet season (he competed only in the 400 meters), but when the bell rang for the championship season, he was ready. He won the 1,600 and 3,200 at the Freehold District meet. At the county, he was second to Forys in the 800 and turned in a then personal best 1:56.65. He was also fourth in the 1,600.

The Central Jersey state sectional meet was Andrews' breakout. He ran a pb 4:17.94 behind Forys and came back the next day to win the 800. That set the stage for his dramatic come-from-behind win in the 800 at the State Group IV Championships. He ran down defending champion Jason Apwah of Roxbury with his school record 1:54.37. Andrews did not stop there. At the MOC, he lowered his pb to 1:52.56 in finishing fourth at the MOC. It is the second fastest time ever run by a District runner, behind the 1:51.6 of Marlboro's Bob Roche.

With 1:52.56 and 4:17.94 pb's, Andrews has stepped up to a new level and will be one of the runners to watch next year.

If there was an athlete who was the most improved in 2007, it was Sullivan. The Cougar senior started out in the sport as a way to get ready for football. After finishing the '06 season strong, Sullivan realized he could do some very good things on the track and put in the offseason work to achieve that goal. He had a banner dual meet season helping Colts Neck win the A North Division title and go undefeated. He won the 110 and 400 intermediate hurdles at the District meet, earning co-Most Outstanding Track Performer honors.

Sullivan and Mularz went back-and-forth in the 400 intermediates while Sullivan was the dominant 110 hurdler. He was third in the county and Central Jersey, sixth in State Group IV and 12th at the MOC in the 110s. His best times were 14.59 for the 110s and 55.89 for the 400 intermediates. In the 400 intermediates, he won the District, was fourth in Central Jersey and third in State Group IV.

Mularz, who battled Sullivan all year, gets the nod at the 400 hurdles by a razor-thin margin. He topped the Cougar at the county and Central Jersey meets (he was second in CJ) while finishing behind Sullivan at the District and State Group IV championships. He was 12th at the MOC, one place ahead of Sullivan, and they ran in the same heat. His best mark of the season was 55.17. The junior was also an accomplished 110 hurdler and one-fourth of the area's best 4x400 relay team.

Mularz, Ryan Spadola, O'Shane Rennie and Robert Searby won the Monmouth County title in the fastest time of the year, 3:23.94. They were second in the conference and third in Central Jersey. The good news for the Patriots: all four are back next year.

Another sophomore, Borzomati made his presence felt this year. He won both the 100 and 200 dashes at the District championships, where he shared Most Outstanding Track Performer honors with Sullivan. He was seventh in the 200 at the county championships and fourth in Central Jersey in the century. He was a pretty effective 400-meter runner, helping the Rebels field one of the best teams in Central Jersey.

That relay team was anchored by Hayes, the District's best 400 runner. Besides the District championship, the Rebel sprinter was fifth in the county, seventh in the conference, fourth in Central Jersey (49.70) and 10th in State Group IV.

In the field events, Goode etched his name in the record book with his 46-10 1/4 triple jump at the State Group IV championships. It wasn't enough to win - he took second - but he found solace in setting a new Shore Conference standard. Goode was consistent throughout the season, winning the District title, and taking second at the county, conference, state sectional and State Group meets. He was 10th at the MOC. The junior, who also competes in the long jump, will look to extend that record next year. His father, Milt Goode, still holds the Shore Conference record for the high jump (7-2), for the only father-son record-holding combination.

Kelly threw the spear as far as anyone has since the implement was changed. He had Manalapan's Jack Gilburn pushing him all season. Kelly won the District title and was second in the county. His best day was the SC, where he uncorked a 193-0 to win the championship. He followed that with a second in Central Jersey, third in the State Group IV meet and a ninth place at the MOC.

Krewer was the dominant thrower in both the shot put and discus, qualifying for the MOC in both. He won the discus and was second at the District meet, and that was the only time any one from the area beat him (Freehold Township's Brian Brikowski). He was fourth in both throws at the county championships, seventh in the discus at the SC. He was second in both at the state sectional, and at the State Group meet increased his school record in the shot put to 53-1. He earned a wild card to the MOC in the discus in that meet with his 143-7.

Indoor MOC champion Mike Goldwasser was the area's best pole vaulter outdoors. He won the District and Monmouth County titles (he cleared a season's best 13-6 at the county) and was fourth in Central Jersey. Like most pole vaulters, he is an outstanding athlete. He was one of the District's better 400 and 400 hurdle sprinters.

The high jump went to Ridore, on the strength of his Freehold District championship. He was also third at the Lion Invitational.

It was a close call in the long jump between Stivala and Manalapan's versatile Gilburn, who did win the District title and was seventh in the conference. But Stivala was third in the county and Central Jersey and got off the best jump of the season, 21-9. Besides high jumping and long jumping, he ran the 400 on Colts Neck's DMR squad.

Those earning Honorable Mention for 2007 are: Brendan Krewer, Jason Weiner, Devin Moore, Andrew Sobieski, Vyto Ulke, Ashton Gooding, Frank Snead and Rich Renner, Colts Neck; Greg Heden, Freehold Borough; Jack Tarpey, Joe Solek, Bryan Collins, Corey Csakai and Brian Brikowski, Freehold Township; Conrad Zwolinsky and Steve Dierolf, Howell; Jack Gilburn, Derek Sammack, Joe Kreppein, Chris Pellicano and Rob Rappa, Manalapan; and Dmitriy Markoukin and Nick Spinella, Marlboro.