By: Carolyn M. Hartko
Both Monroe Township High School winter track teams got off on the right foot to begin the 2003-2004 season by scoring victories against Carteret and Perth Amboy in the first division contest on the schedule. Perth Amboy played host to the double/dual meet last week.
In the girls’ competition, the Lady Falcons won big over Carteret, 56-19, and squeaked by Perth Amboy, 40-37. The latter score could have been much higher, but Monroe girls’ head coach Lew Stonaker didn’t want to over work his top people.
"Since we had run a lot the previous Saturday and Sunday, I only singled kids that Monday," Stonaker said. "That we were able to win both meets, really not running anybody hard, was a good sign for where we’re at."
Senior Ashley Theinert won the open 400 meter race in 63.5, and placed second in both the high hurdles and the high jump. Other first place winners included Megan Allen (2.41 in the 800), Elizabeth Segarra (1600) and Kristi Motyka (3200). In addition, two sophomores have been coming on strong.
"Alison Push had a real good day," Stonaker said. "She’s really showing a lot of improvement from last year in the 800. And Sasha Potter is a kid who’s really going to help us down the road."
Potter, who played basketball last winter, came in second in the 55 dash, posted a good time in the 800, and ran a leg on the winning 4×400 relay squad.
The Monroe boys had similar results on opening day, running circles around Carteret, and edging Perth Amboy 39-38.
"We blew Carteret out, and with Perth Amboy, it was a pretty narrow victory," boys’ head coach Frank Bonich said. "We had lost to them last year, so that was big that we got off to a good start and we beat them this year."
Junior Rob McGowan, competing in his first 800-meter race, not only won, but set a school record at 2:05. McGowan’s time beat that set a few years ago by Oswaldo Delgado.
"Rob usually runs the 200 and the 400," Bonich said. "He was saying he wanted to do it. We decided to give it a shot. We put him in, and the first time the kid ever ran the race, he broke the school record."
The other Falcons who scored a first place finish were Scott Roman (10:54, 3200), Ken Feldman (6.7 seconds, 55 dash), Jaryd Schick (53.4, 400), and Tim Payne (shot put).
The Falcons had two invitationals over the past week. They traveled to the 168th Street Armory in New York City for the annual Bishop Loughlin Games. With 362 schools from several states in attendance, it was difficult to break into the scoring. The big advantage for area high schools is giving their athletes a chance to run on one of the fastest indoor tracks in the world. However, Stonaker was impressed with the outcome for his three throwers, senior Asya Perry, junior Sara Bartley and sophomore Megan Boyce.
"It’s hard to really analyze how you’re doing at a meet that big, but I thought we competed very well," the coach said. "My three throwers all threw over 28 feet, the first meet out of the chute, which I thought was good. A couple of them are close to 29 feet."
This past weekend, the Falcons were at the Pearl River Holiday Classic, held at Rockland Community College in New York. This time, Monroe scored a few medals (a top-ten finish), and broke some school records. Theinert, who just started competing in the high hurdles this winter, placed fourth in that event, and eighth in both the 55 dash and the 300. Her time of 39.9 seconds in the last broke the mark set by Jill Byrne a few years ago. Allen, a sophomore, came in eighth in the freshman/sophomore flight of the 800.
McGowan medaled and recorded his second school record of the young season in the 300 meter race. Billy Phillips medaled in the freshman/sophomore 200.
The dual meet season resumes with a home meet against North Brunswick on Jan. 14. Next week will be devoted to the Greater Middlesex Conference Relay Championships. There is a schedule change because of a conflict with Fairleigh Dickinson University, where these meets have been held for the past few years. The running events will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at FDU. The field events (shot put and high jump) have been pushed back to the following Friday, at South Brunswick High School.
