By: Carolyn M. Hartko
It may be a different venue, but for the Monroe Township High School girls’ track team, the goal is the same: win the division title. In 2002, the Lady Falcons were the undefeated Blue Division champions. The only blot on their 9-1 record was a loss to East Brunswick in a cross-over meet.
So now that Monroe has moved up into the Greater Middlesex Conference’s White Division, can the Falcons make it five in a row?
"I think we’re the team to beat, like I always think," Lady Falcon head coach Lew Stonaker said. "Our top competition will probably come from Bishop Ahr and North Brunswick. We’re pretty solid all around. We don’t have the depth in the high jump and the high hurdles that I’d like, but we’re solid just about everywhere, so there are no real concerns.
"Hopefully, if we can stay healthy, on paper this is the best team I’ve ever coached, and we’ve had some good teams here. I think this could be the best team I’ve ever had, talent-wise. Now, we just have to go out and perform."
Based on a combination of talent and depth, Stonaker gave the nod to the distance squad as the team’s anchor this spring. In front of the pack are five girls who made all-division this past winter: seniors Ashley Maguire, Nova Roman and Meghan Farrell, junior Kristi Motyka and freshman Liz Segarra. Sophomore Jessica Magid is a middle distance runner, and freshman Stephanie Harris is a star in training.
The Falcons graduated five seniors last June, including the team’s top three hurdlers. But senior Bernadette Moke is coming off an excellent winter season in the high hurdles, and junior Christina Vasquez has stepped into the number two spot.
The throwers didn’t lose anyone from last year’s squad. Seniors Lindsay Jones and Michelle Jodon will throw discus and javelin, and Jodon will also help out on the track with the sprints. Junior co-captain Asya Perry will be a main contributor. Sophomore Allison Baumlin threw the discus 95 feet in a preseason scrimmage. Classmate Sarah Bartley, and freshman Megan Boyce have also shown potential.
Junior Ashley Theinert made all division in winter track for sprints, and she’s also an up-and-coming high jumper. Senior Liz Bartley, and juniors Stephanie Makris and Diane Mazurek are returning, along with sophomore Jessica Byrne. Freshman Sasha Potter, who played varsity soccer for the Lady Falcons, looked good in preseason.
In addition to the Blue Division title, the 2002 squad had some success outside of the conference. They qualified for the Penn Relays, and took the school’s first trip to the national high school championships, placing 19th in the sprint medley. And Maguire became the first state champion in the school’s history when she won the 800 meter race at the NJSIAA Group II Championships. Stonaker hopes to continue the trend.
"We’d like to be one of the top teams in the counties and county relays, like we always look for," the coach said. "We’re hoping to qualify our 4×800 for the Penn Relays this year. And we’d like to go to nationals again."
Stonaker got a good overall look at his team on Thursday of last week in a scrimmage against Howell.
"We looked very good," the coach said. "I sat out a couple of my top kids, and we still won 87-35. We were solid all around, pretty much what I hoped for and expected."
The season officially opened on Wednesday of this week when the Lady Falcons hosted South Plainfield. Both squads will be at South Plainfield on Saturday for the GMC Track Coaches Relays.
