Higginson wins two-mile; Forys breaks record
Cougars' DMR team breaks SC mark at nationals

Jim Schlentz has often referred to Ashley Higginson as the quietest great runner that New Jersey has had.

Her performances on the track, however, are speaking loud enough for her.

The Colts Neck senior won the Nike Outdoor National's two-mile crown Friday night in Greensboro, N.C. In doing so, she lowered the state record to 10:17.44 and she did it in a very unlikely manner: relying on a finishing kick over the last 150 meters to shake Pennsylvania's Neely Spence.

The two had been waging a showdown over the final 600 meters, with Spence, known for having a better kick, taking the lead and Higginson following. The initial move by Spence opened a slim gap over the indoor two-mile national champion, but it was manageable, and with 200 meters to go, Higginson began closing the gap. She pulled even at 150 and found an extra gear to put Spence away and set her state record. She ran her final 800 in 2:22 and her last 200 in a fast 33.5.

"Ashley put on a huge surge," said Schlentz, the Colts Neck High School coach. "She won her first outdoor title as a kicker."

It was a big weekend for Higginson as she was back on the track Saturday for the 4x1-mile. She anchored the Cougars team of Allie Flott, Allison Linnell and Kristen O'Dowd to a seventh place (21:11.55). Later, she was back on for the 2,000-meter steeplechase, where she knocked her own state record down to 6:46.67 in finishing third.

With her national title and third-place finish, Higginson was an All-American two times (top six in Greensboro earned AA certificates), bringing her career total to seven.

With her win at the Nike Team Nationals in cross country and her indoor national title, Higginson has won national championships during all three seasons.

The NON was also another chance for Craig Forys to shine, as he lifted his career AA total to 11 with two second-place finishes.

Forys was involved in one of the most anticipated races of the championships, the two-mile run, against Maryland's Matt Centrowitz. The race pitted the runner with the fastest mile this year, Centrowitz (4:03.5), against the indoor national champion with the fastest two-mile run of the year, Forys (8:48.99). They were not strangers. This was the fifth time they had raced this year alone. Forys beat Centrowitz twice during the cross country season, and indoors, Centrowitz came out on top in a one-mile race in Boston. But at the Nike Indoor Nationals, Forys picked up the win over two miles and his first individual national title.

The two great scholastic runners delivered one of the most memorable races in NON history Friday with Centrowitz getting to the line first in 8:41.55, equaling the third fastest time is U.S. history turned in by the legendary Steve Prefontaine. Forys broke his own state record in finishing second in 8:44.51 and has the seventh fastest time in history. Forys passed the 3K in 8:09.99, breaking his state mark at that distance as well.

"He was just unbeatable that night," said Forys of his rival Centrowitz.

Forys had broken the race open when he surged with two laps remaining. Only Centrowitz went with him. At the bell lap, Forys pushed hard and on the backstretch had opened up a slight gap.

"I was looking for the seventh lap to hurt him," he pointed out. "I wanted him to question himself, but he was feeling great."

At 300 meters out, Forys looked like he might be on his way to repeating his indoor victory, but at 200 to go, Centrowtiz had closed the gap and was now alongside the New Jersey state champion. Centrowitz lifted one more time in the home stretch was able to stretch the lead enough for Forys to know that he wasn't going to come back. The Cougar had to settle for breaking his own state records and being part of a race that brings out the best in track and field.

Forys' meet wasn't over yet, either. Saturday he was back to anchor the distance medley team to a Shore Conference record 10:04.15 and second place.

"They all ran pb's [personal best]," said Schlentz. "You can't ask for anything more."

All of the Cougars were "on," starting with Brenden Krewer's opening 1,200 in 3:09. Andrew Sobieski clocked a sizzling 48.9 for his 400 leg and Kevin O'Dowd was down to 2:01.8 for the 800. Forys, who got the baton in ninth, again created excitement, picking off one runner after another, bringing the Cougars up to second place with a 4:04.0 1,600 (La Sierra, Calif., won with a 10:01.79).

"I had a really good feeling that everybody was ready to go," said Forys. "I was excited."

With the four All-American performances at the NON, that brought the number of AA awards won by Colts Neck track and field athletes in the past three years to 42.

There were other notable performances turned in by Freehold Regional District athletes in Greensboro. Marlboro's Kristen Batts had one of her longest throws of the season, 147-3, to place eighth in the girls discus. Howell's Brittany Napoli was 13th in the girls javelin, but set a District record with her 129-0.

In the boys javelin throw, Manalapan's Jack Gilburn was 11th (176-8), with Colts Neck's Kevin Kelly next in 12th (176-4).

The Cougars' 1,600-meter sprint medley team of Julia Tomaro, Samantha Santos, Kathlyn Herrick and Meryl Wimberly was 17th (4:10.49), the same place as Howell's Jamie Leacock finished in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (1:04.11).