Gallo, O’Rourke, White, Askew, Pellegrino top All-District track
By tim morris O
Gallo overcame shin splints that sidelined her for more than a month to win the biggest race of her indoor career, the Eastern States mile. The Howell senior turned in the fastest mile in the state, 5:08.11, in beating the best high school runners in the East.
The Borough’s O’Rourke repeated as the Group II state champion and was runner-up to Bayonne’s Glenn DiGiorgio at the Meet of Champions. He would place second to DiGiorgio at the Eastern States and placed fifth at the national championships.
White excelled in the high jump, setting personal, school and District records at 5-6. White lost the Meet of Champions title in a jump off to Patty Dudek of Bordentown Regional, after both had cleared 5-6. White again did 5-6 at the Eastern States, finishing third.
Marlboro’s Nick Pellegrino (3,200), Howell high jumper Jesse Askew and Freehold Borough’s girls’ 1,600-meter relay team also had outstanding campaigns that put them among the state’s elite.
The trio of Gallo, O’Rourke and White head the News Transcript’s 2000 All-Freehold District Indoor Track and Field Team.
Gallo began her season with a pair of 800 meter races at the county and conference championships. She finished sixth in both. She ran her first mile race of the season at an invitational at the Armory in New York City (site of her Eastern States triumph), winning it. She ran third at both the Group IV and Meet of Champions 1,600-meter races, but her time kept improving. While she was losing to runners she would beat if in top form, Gallo stayed focused on her indoor goal, peaking for the Eastern States and the nationals.
Everything came together for the Rebel at the Eastern States where she motored away from the field over the last 600 meters, turning in the best time in the state this year, 5:08.11, and adding this prestigious win to her impressive résumé. She would finish 14th in the mile at the national championships. Gallo, the finest female distance runner in District history, is looking ahead to the outdoor season and a sub-5:00 1,600.
O’Rourke again dominated the Shore in the shot put. He repeated as the Freehold District, Monmouth County and Shore Conference champion en route to his second straight Group II state title. The presence of three 60-foot throwers (DiGiorgio, O’Rourke and Seton Hall Prep’s Dorian Scott) made the shot put one of the highlights of the MOC. O’Rourke came up with his best indoor throw ever, 59-7 3/4, but DiGiorgio came up with a 60-5 1/4 to take the gold. O’Rourke then placed second at the Easterns and fifth at the nationals. He looks forward to dueling national champion DiGiorgio some more outdoors.
White has been one of the best all-around track athletes during her four years at Manalapan. She helped the Braves win the District title by scoring points in four events, the 55-meter dash and hurdles and the 400 in addition to the high jump. She put her versatility on display at the national championships doing the five-event pentathlon for the first time.
Of course, it was in the high jump where White excelled. White made her first breakthrough at the Group IV championships placing second after a 5-4. She followed that up with her pair of 5-6s at the MOC and Eastern States to complete one of the best indoor high jumping seasons ever.
Askew can make the same claim for the boys. He made his splash back in December, jumping 6-6 at Fairleigh Dickinson and finishing second in a field that included many of the top jumpers in the East. He would match that height several times during the season putting him among the best in the state. He repeated as Freehold District and Monmouth County champion, scaling a meet record 6-6 in the District. He was second in the conference, tied for third in Group IV, second at the West Point Invitational and sixth at the MOC. With spikes outdoors, Askew could be looking at 6-8 in the spring.
Pellegrino enjoyed his best track season ever, indoors or out. He started it out sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 double (both in meet record times) at the Freehold District Championships. In the 1,600 he was able to outkick Howell’s Justin Mandzik in a courageous race from the front.
At the county championships he was second in the 3,200 and sixth in the 1,600. He doubled at the Shore Conference as well. He chased Red Bank Regional’s Walton Kingsbery in the 3,200, taking second and was seventh in the 1,600.
The Marlboro senior, all-state in cross country, saved his best racing for the state championships. He was third in the Group IV 3,200 (9:34.74) and then ran a school record 9:29.29 in finishing third at the MOC. He should run faster outdoors.
Mandzik repeated as the 800 champion at the District championships and lost on a lean to Pellegrino in the 1,600. In Monmouth County he ran second behind Kingsbery’s meet record in the 800 and took fifth in the Shore Conference.
At the state championships he was fourth in Group IV but ran fast enough (2:01.69) to earn a wild card entry to the MOC. He made the most of it running his indoor best (2:00.62) in placing seventh.
Mandzik and Pellegrino should pick up where they left off outdoors with the territory in dispute the 1,600.
Jen Gaffey, a sophomore at Township, dominated the District meet in Gallo’s absence, winning both the 1,600 and 3,200. Early in the season at the Merli, she ran second in the 3,000 and fourth in the 1,500. At the conference championships, she was eighth in the 3,200. She is the heir apparent in girls distance running.