By: Kyle Moylan
In large part in order to keep in shape for football, Lee Hopkins has wrestled at New Egypt High.
This year he went out for the track team as well and was handed a javelin.
"We thought with his explosive speed and raw strength, that would be the event for him," New Egypt Coach Sam Palumbo noted.
Hopkins responded by winning that event against every team but Burlington City this year. He even took care of that loss as he emerged as the South Jersey Group I champion by winning the event with a throw of 165 feet.
"He’s the first champ for any male in any sport at the school," Palumbo noted. "It’s amazing. He just started this year. They wanted to get him out for track to stay in shape."
Hopkins advances to the Group I championships, which will be held at Notre Dame High School this weekend. He’ll be joined by teammate Matt Monkan, who set a school mark of 10:29 while placing sixth in the 3200.
Chris Springer (9-6 in the pole vault) and Phil Murray (4:48 in the mile) also set school marks, but did not advance.
The top six finishers in each event will advance on to The Meet of Champions on Wednesday. Hopkins is a good bet to advance.
"He goes in as the fifth seed in Group I," Palumbo noted. "I was looking at the results from the other groups (from South Jersey), and he would have also advanced in Group II, Group III and Group IV. He was that good.
"It’s unbelievable. He’s just such a good athlete. He’s only a junior and can improve even more."
GIRLS
Six Allentown High girls the largest group ever from the school will be advancing to the Group II track championships this weekend at Egg Harbor High School.
In order to advance, the girls needed to place in one of the top six spots in their event at the Central Jersey Group II meet, held this past weekend at Monmouth Regional. Jen Grabowski, Kristi Catelli, Racquel Redwood, Jessica Archer and Lina Sancilio did that.
Only a couple of days before, Sancilio had set the school mark in the javelin at 116 feet. This time she threw 118-10 and won the event.
"She has to be the top seed going into the Group II finals," noted Coach Jacqueline Mulryne. "I looked at what they did in North 1, North II and in the South and she had the top throw."
Grabowski will be advancing in all four of the events she entered. She was second in the long jump (17 feet) and high jump (5-4), third in the 200 (26.2) and fifth in the triple jump (33-11 ½).
None of these were personal best, but they were all part of an amazing display of stamina and diversity.
"She had to go running back and forth to the events," noted Coach Mulryne. "She will be competing in all four again this weekend. If she advances to all four in the Meet of Champions, we’ll have to decide what she does because all of the events will be on the same day."
The long jump was held on Friday, with Grabowski’s other three events taking place on Saturday.
Archer also set a school record in the mile at 5:31.9, placing fifth in the event.
Catelli was fifth in the long jump at 15-8. Racquel Redwood placed sixth in the pole vault at 8 feet. Kristen Kutub was sixth in the 3200 (12:54).
The top six finishers in each event will advance on to The Meet of Champions, which will be held on Wednesday.
"Lina and Jen have the strongest chance to move on," noted Coach Mulryne said. "Everyone else certainly has a chance as well."
Allentown finished its regular season with a tri-meet loss to Hopewell and Ewing back on May 18. The 71.67-67.33 loss was a bit hard to take because it cost Allentown (3-4) a winning season and was decided on three controversial decisions.
Allentown was ruled to be missing a pad and had to forfeit the pole vault points. Disputed decisions in the 100 and 1600 also went in favor of Ewing. Archer’s spot in the 1600 was changed after a post-race discussion. A Ewing girls’ disqualification in the 100 was overturned.
"To me, we won the Ewing meet," Coach Mulryne noted.
Grabowski set a school record of 18-1 ¼ in the long jump and at 5-6 in the high jump. She also tied the school mark in the 100 at 12.6. Sancilio set the school mark at 116 in the javelin.
AHS BOYS
Although none of the Allentown boys advanced out of the Central Jersey Group II field, Coach Mike Gaeta was pleased with his team’s performance this past week.
"The guys showed what’s to come down the road," Coach Gaeta said.
Coach Gaeta brought 14 guys to compete at Monmouth Regional this past weekend. Three of those were seniors Mike Aldrich (4×400, 400 and 800), Dave Nicholson (discus, shot) and Chris Schulze (shot). The 11 underclassmen got to take in what the meet was like and should be better in the future years.
Allentown’s 4×400 team was the closest to advancing, missing by just two tenths of a second. James Fisher, Cameron Grant and Antoine Harden joined Aldrich in that race.
"They all ran their hearts out," Coach Gaeta said. "We’re all very proud of them.
"These guys believe they can compete with anyone now. That’s the first step. If they do the right things in the off-season, they should roll into next year ready."
