CHRIS KELLY Shore Regional’s Brian Vieira works on Keyport’s Alex Tranov during a recent match in West Long Branch. Vieira eventually won the match by pinfall at the 2:25 mark.
It remains to be seen if Red Bank Regional’s distance medley team can approach the record-heights of last year’s national indoor track championship quartet.
But one thing is for sure, the team of Christina Nelson, Elizabeth Mayer and Amanda and Katy Trotter is good enough to be the Group III state champion.
The foursome won the state title Saturday at the NJSIAA State Relays, held in Jadwin Gymnasium at Princeton University. Their 12:37.6 was off the meet record 12:30.61 set by last year’s RBR team, but time wasn’t what mattered to the Bucs Saturday, winning was. Saturday’s meet was the debut for promising freshman Nelson and junior Mayer on the team, and they came through with flying colors. Nelson ran the opening 1,200 meter leg, and Mayer the 400 meters. Amanda then took the baton for the 800 leg and Katy ran the anchor 1,600.
Head coach Corey Radcliffe thinks his DM team has a lot of potential.
"We didn’t run all out Saturday," he said. "I’m confident that they can run 12:00 or under."
Last year, with the graduated Katie Kingsbery and Christine Hurley running the 800 and 400 legs, the Bucs ran that meet record 12:30.60 and managed to set a national indoor record of 11:49.34 in winning the national championships in March.
With this year’s squad just seven seconds behind that team at this stage of the season, it is reasonable to believe they can run 12:00 or under. Radcliffe said they will run the DM at the Eastern States (Feb. 25) and national championships (March 14-16). Both meets will be held at the Armory in New York City.
RBR girls collected a second state relay title in the 4×800. Laura Orsini joined Mayer and the Trotters to win in 9:44.12 over Shore rival Middletown South (9:48.19).
Despite the impressive win there, Radcliffe said that the DM will be the relay the Bucs concentrate on for the rest of the season. With the 20 points from the two relay wins, the girls finished fourth with 20 points. Willingboro was a runaway winner with 45 points.
Red Bank Regional’s boys placed in two relays, a fifth in the 4×800 and a sixth in the DM. Rob Dennis, Jovannie Cortez, Mike Siciliano and Joe Kingsbery ran an 8:31.29 in the 4×800, while in the DM it was Siciliano, John Baker, Dennis and Kingsbery posting an 11:03.60.
Red Bank Catholic’s boys were sixth in Group II with 14 points. James McCarthy, Kevin Foster, Conrad Laskowski and Matt Piccarello ran an 8:34.39 and finished second to Colts Neck’s come-from-behind win in 8:26.6. The Caseys were third in the DM with Piccarello running the lead-off 1,200, Talansky Jean the 400, McCarthy the 800 and Laskowski the anchor 1,600 meters. They ran a 10:53.82.
The RBC girls’ scored four points. They picked up fifth places in the high jump with Allyson Angelo (5-2) and Jocelyn Ford (4-6), and the sprint medley. Jessica Ford, Ashley Ventura, Cara D’Angellilio and Chelsea Bollerman ran a 4:35.43 in that event.
Monmouth Regional captured a fourth place in the Group III boys’ high jump as Barry Bostick (6-0) and Mike Rucker (5-8) teamed up for an 11-8. Tomorrow morning, Red Bank will be hosting the Monmouth County Championships at 9.
— Tim Morris

