CN displays depth in District track win
Marlboro's Unachukwu wins four events, sets two meet records
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
It's safe to say that Colts Neck is more than a distance running power. The Cougars again displayed their overall prowess in winning the Freehold Regional District Track and Field Meet Championship for the fourth consecutive year.

PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Above: Howell's Melissa Parato competes in the 100-meter hurdles during the Freehold Regional High School District Track and Field Championship at Howell High School on May 1. Below: Colts Neck's Sara Schlosser clears the bar at 7'6" in the pole vault.

Joe Lykes' Cougars scored in 14 of the 16 events Thursday at Howell High School in ringing up 148 points. Runnerup Howell was at 105 with Freehold Township next with 93.

"This is a big meet for the kids, they wanted to win," said Lykes. "We're starting to get that depth this year. We didn't have to tax anyone to win."

Colts Neck delivered a message in the very first event, the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, by rolling up 20 points.

Kathlyn Herrick was first in 1:06.5 with her sister Karissa Herrick, third, (1:08.8) and Lindsay Tomaro, fourth (1:09.5).

Karissa Herrick won the 100 hurdles (15.8).

The sisters ran on the victorious 4x400 relay team with Julia Tomaro and Kathleen Knauf. Herrick anchored the team to a come-from-behind win in 4:09.7.

The area's best distance runner, Allison Linnell won the 1,600 in a comfortable 5:13.9, outkicking Howell's Lindsey Lambert (5:17.6) on the last lap.

Lindsey Rappleyea was the Most Valuable Player in the field and sparked the Cougar effort there. She won the high jump (5-2), was second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.

A one-two in the shot put result certainly helped the Cougar cause. Brooke Schneider (31-11) was first followed by teammate Sheila Render (29-1¾).

Outside of the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the Cougars left their mark in every event.

It was another huge meet for the District's best all-around athlete Ada Unachukwu of Marlboro. She again duplicated her 100-200-400 sweep of '07 and was again the meet's Most Valuable Player on the track. She broke her own meet record in the 400, running 57.6, and also broke her own meet record in the triple jump. Her average jump was 35-5½. That's how far this junior has come. She's competing against herself.

Unachukwu's 12.1 in the 100 was just .1 from the meet record 12.0 set by Freehold Borough's Sonda Brangman in 1989. She ran 25.4 in the 200.

"Today, coming in I thought it would be very tiring," said Unachukwu. "I'm very happy, glad that I won."

As always, Unachukwu was worried the most about the 400, the event she owns the meet record in.

"I have to settle myself for that race," she said of the 400.

Freehold Township's Janel Parker put her name in the record book in her final District meet appearance. She won the 800 from the front in 2:15.7, matching the meet record established by Freehold Borough's Elise Tagatac in 2006.

Parker was the runner-up in that race as a sophomore.

"I was right behind her," she recalled.

As if it weren't coincidence enough that Parker would come back to tie the meet record, it's even more supernatural that she is headed for Cornell University in the fall where, believe or not, who else, but Tagatac is attending. They will have something in common besides sharing the District meet record. They will be teammates.

Having her name in the record book, Parker said, is something she'll "always remember."

Running 2:15.7 unchallenged, Parker said, was encouragement for the rest of the season.

Lambert, who lost to Linnell's finishing speed in the 1,600, came back to win the 3,200 from the front in 11:37.4.

The Rebels also got a win from polevaulter Jackie Tillotson. She and teammate Kellie Bresz both cleared 8-6 with Tillotson winning on fewer misses.

Freehold Borough had a pair of winners in the throws. Blair Hassell got off a 117-10 to top the field in the javelin and Kellie Vitale won the discus at 95- 11.

Freehold Township's Desiree Reese was the only long jumper beyond 15-0, winning it at 16-3¾.

Next on the calendar is the Monmouth County Championships at Neptune High School. The meet begins this afternoon and picks up again on Saturday.

C olts Neck is the defending champion.