Andrews, Howell girls shine at A North meet
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Manalapan's Robby Andrews helped christen the new Shore Conference Divisional Championships with a huge performance Friday night.

CHRIS KELLY staff Freehold Township's Ryan Spadola runs in the 400-meter dash during the Shore Conference Divisional Championships at the Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River on Jan. 4.

The junior, who recently set a meet record for the 1,000 meter at the Bishop Loughlin Games in the New York City Armory, swept the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter races at the A North championships held in the Bennett Indoor Complex in Toms River.

His triple wasn't enough to help Manalapan overcome Christian Brothers Academy (83-64), but it got the divisional championships off to a great start.

So did Howell's girls, who used their balance to capture the A North crown with 109 points.

"It was a real team effort," said Howell coach John Hein. "We went into the meet cautiously optimistic. Everything worked out for us."

Andrews started his big night with the 3,200. In that race, he followed a dawdling pace for the first 1,600 meters and then took the lead.

"I shouldn't have gone so early, but I was feeling pretty good," he said afterward.

Running a negative split for the second 1,600, Andrews stopped the timer in 9:53.9.

In the 800, Andrews employed a different strategy, just hanging back and turning on the jets in the last lap. That produced a 2:00.94 over Freehold Township's Ryan Spadola (2:02.68).

In the 1,600, Andrews was hoping for a race similar to the 3,200, where no one took it out and he could just sit back and kick.

But Colts Neck's Jason Weiner had other ideas. He made Andrews work for it.

Rounding back into form after an injury plagued cross country season, Weiner bolted to the front off a slow pace and built a lead of as much as 30-35 meters on the field. Andrews held back until the final lap, when he unleashed his devastating kick, catching Weiner and finishing off his triple with a 4:33.46 (Weiner finished fourth in 4:36.64).

Afterward, Andrews said he wasn't sure if he had left his kick too late. As it turned out, he timed it just right.

Freehold Regional District athletes dominated the A North in both the girls and boys competitions.

While Andrews was sweeping all three of the distance events, three separate runners took them for the girls.

Howell's Lindsey Lambert fresh off an allstate cross country season, won the 3,200 in a near-solo effort. She clocked 11:38.70.

Janel Parker won the 800 with an impressive 2:19.13.

Parker said she is attacking the indoor season for two reasons: first, it's her senior year and she wants to leave nothing in reserve, and second, to put what was for her a lackluster cross country season behind her.

"I was mad about the cross country season," said Parker, who didn't make it to the State Group championships. "I took a full month off afterward."

During the time off, she missed the running and looked forward to running around a track rather than over undulating cross country layouts.

"I've always like [indoor and outdoor] track better," she explained. "I like the shorter, quicker races."

Colts Neck's Allison Linnell split an impressive 2:25 for her second 800 to win the 1,600 in 5:15.29. The opening 800 was a pedestrian 2:50.

The sprinters and hurdlers had their day.

Marlboro's Ada Unachukwu scored a double, winning the 200 (27.39) and 55 (7.42) dashes.

Unachukwu trained with the crosscountry team this fall, and she is seeing the benefits of strength and endurance she built up paying off early in the season.

"It helped," she pointed out. "I wasn't as tired in the first practices," she said.

One thing hasn't changed: Unachuqwu's drive.

"I always try my best every time," she pointed out.

When he was last seen running, Howell's Dave Hayes was carrying a football and helping the Rebels win their first state football championship. Now that he is back on the track, all his football running is paying off.

"I picked up my leg strength and I got a long stronger," he pointed out.

The punishment he took rushing for more than 1,000 yards hasn't completely left him.

"The pain is just starting to go away," he pointed out.

The pain receded a little more when he won the 400 meters (50.70). He was also second in the 200 (23.70) and fourth in the 55 (6.95).

Colts Neck's Chris Jackson surprised the field in the 55-meter dash (6.82).

Jackson, a senior, spent the fall preparing for the indoor season.

"I worked hard every day," he said. Because the race goes by so quickly, Jackson said there is little time to think. He spent the week leading up to the division meet visualizing winning the race. He couldn't have been more correct.

Manalapan's Derek Sammak turned in a sizzling 23.53 to win the 200-meter dash.

A pair of Patriots, Dave Mularz and Tamika Peart, dominated the hurdles.

Mularz had the fastest time in qualifying (8.00) and lowered it to 7.88 in winning the final easily.

"It's all about the start [indoors]," said Mularz.

He was first over the first hurdle and remained in front throughout the race.

Peart also put down the fastest qualifying mark (9.34) and lowered it considerably in the final (9.08). She was also a close second to Unachukwu in the 55- meter dash (7.47).

Howell's Adu Adedayo won the 400 (1:02.53).

The Rebels won the 4x400 in 4:19.98 without Adedayo. Amanda Luccarelli anchored the team to the victory. Running the first three legs were Madsen, Melissa Parato and Lauren Rupp.

Jackie Tillotson won the pole vault (8- 0) for the Rebels.

Colts Neck got wins in the field from Sheila Renner in the shot put (29-7¾) and Lindsey Rappleyea in the high jump (5-2).

Howell collected points in every event helping the Rebels win their inaugural team title. One of the team's heroes was freshman Erin Madsen, who placed in the 55, 200 and 400. Lambert (third in the 1,600) and Adedayo (second in the 800) added points following their wins. In the field, Gabriel Sebastian was second in the high jump (5-0) and Iavana Parker took second in the shot put (29-7 ¼).

In the field for the boys, Colts Neck's Brandon Cabral won the pole vault (11-6) and Howell's Conrad Zwolinski won the high jump (6-0).

The B North Division meet was held Saturday, and Freehold Borough's girls had a pair of winners. MacKenzie Roche won the 800 (2:32.84), and teammate Maria Caldarise took the 1,600 (5:55.26).

The Colonials finished fourth with 48 points.

Notes … In the team competition, Colts Neck's boys were fourth (61) followed by Freehold Township (56) and Howell (53).

Colts Neck's girls were runner-up to Howell with 81 points. Freehold Township took third (50), and Marlboro was fourth (39).

Parker and Mularz had reason to be extra happy at the division meet. Both had made their college choices. Parker will continue her running career at Cornell University, while Mularz has signed with Bucknell.

Both were looking at other schools, but when they made their official visits to Cornell and Bucknell, respectively, they knew those schools were the right fit for them.

The division championships went over well with coaches and athletes as they expressed approval of the new divisional format.

"I love this, it's great," said Mularz.

The indoor season lacks dual meets like in the spring, and that limits the competitions for the athletes in general and team titles that can be won.

"There are so few opportunities for team success," Hein said.

The division titles took care of that.

Bill Bruno, the meet director, said the divisional meet grew out of the Polar Bear Races that Ocean County schools used to run in the mid '90s. These were outdoor dual meets in the winter. Bruno said the idea of having a divisional meet was always there, and that when the Bennett Complex opened last year, the idea had a venue. Bruno brought it up at the Shore Coaches meeting last year and it was accepted.

The meet was held over three days, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

"The kids really enjoyed themselves across the board," said Bruno.