By: Carolyn M. Hartko
From several aspects, this was a rough winter for the Monroe Township High School boys’ track team. The Falcons were in a rebuilding year, so youth and inexperience were compounded by the difficult training conditions due to bad weather.
"We were very young," Falcon head coach Lew Stonaker said. "There weren’t many seniors on our team. There were a lot of young kids. They were in a little over their heads in some of the big meets we go to, because I’m looking for tougher competition for the girls’ program, and we bring the boys along. But that’s how they learn. We did get to the (168th Street) Armory (in New York City) three times this year, and we went to Seton Hall. We went to some quality meets, which was really good experience."
Freezing temperatures and an abnormal amount of snow this past winter led to the constant postponement and cancellation of the outdoor dual meets throughout the Greater Middlesex Conference. Monroe managed to split their only two White Division meets. Because of the collapse of the schedule, there were no division titles announced for this year, although all-division and all-conference teams were chosen.
For the Falcons, their one dual meet victory proved to be a season highlight.
"Moving back up into the White Division, the boys ran into some very tough competition," Stonaker said. "And we opened up with a really close, hard-fought win against North Brunswick. I was really proud of them."
The seniors on the 2002-2003 team included shot putter John DeLasso and middle distance runner Manan Shah. But the only major point scorer was team co-captain Tom Kowaleski, Monroe’s top shot putter for the last two years. Kowaleski and partner Tim Payne, a junior, placed fourth in the GMC relay meet this winter. Kowaleski was the only Falcon named to the all-White Division team for this winter.
Although it will be hard to replace Kowaleski, the Falcons had it much worse this year when they started off minus the top five point scorers from the 2001-2002. But the flip side of a rebuilding year, is that fortunes improve in the year or two after that.
"This year, we really aren’t going to take a big hit," Stonaker said. "We’re going to be pretty solid next year across the board when these kids have another year under their belts. And we had a nice turnout this winter for the boys’ team. I think that bodes well for the boys’ program."
The leaders next year will come from this team’s strong junior class. Junior co-captain Chris Sardone is a middle distance runner, and Joe Garavante and Jay Merrick run the longer distances. Payne will be looked to for points in the shot put. Jaryd Schick looked good in the sprints, and Ken Feldmann ran sprints and hurdles.
The sophomores who earned varsity letters were all distance runners, including Diego Delgado, Luke Kerstetter, and Javier Ramirez. Robert Phillip juggled hurdling with distance events.
"These guys have really grown and are really starting to develop into solid track athletes, especially in sprints and hurdles," Stonaker said. "They’re starting to believe in themselves as a team. They remind me of the girls’ program about five or six years ago before it really took off. The boys are starting to taste a little success, and they’re getting the numbers out. They’re definitely working harder in practice."
