By: Sean Moylan
Just when we think we’ve seen the best out of Bordentown Regional High School varsity track superstar Rob "Super" Novak, he goes out and does something even more spectacular.
In fact, Novak placed in three events at last Friday and Saturday’s NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II Sectional Tournament at Monmouth Regional. Furthermore, he almost placed in a fourth event.
Novak set the meet record in winning the 800 meter race with a 1:56 time on Saturday.
"He didn’t run that great because he was boxed in (during the first lap)," said Bordentown Coach Charlie Miller of his junior star. "In the second lap he blew everyone away and he won by four seconds."
Also on Saturday, Novak ran a 10:14 time in the 3200 to garner sixth place. "He wasn’t happy with it," added Coach Miller.
Earlier on Friday, Novak had set the Bordentown school record in the mile with a 4:21.04 second-place time.
He just missed qualifying for the 400 with a 50.8 seventh-place time. Not bad for a "distance" runner.
"Rob (Novak) hasn’t lost in the 800 yet (this year)!" noted Coach Miller.
However, Novak will have his work cut out for him when he goes up against Mike Carmody, who recently ran a 1:51.21 time this weekend.
Bordentown’s Freddie Mendenhall just missed qualifying in the 800 with a personal best 2:02.8 seventh-place time and he took 16th in the 400 (52.5 seconds).
Bill DeKovitch set a personal record in the pole vault with a 10-6, good for seventh.
Chris Phipps took 10th in the 3200 (10:39) and ran a personal best 4:51.78 time in the mile.
"He’s (Phipps) so fast," added Coach Miller.
The Scotties 4×400 relay team (Marvin Carter, Eric Bijou, Dan Millan and Mendenhall) captured 10th place with a 3:41 mark.
Jovan Gaines (23.7 seconds in the 200 and 11.4 seconds in the 100), Justin Gaines (11.9 seconds in the 100 and 25.2 seconds in the 200), Millan (2:10.4 in the 800, 55.47 in the 400 and 24.9 in the 200), Thomas Knapp (39-11 in the shot put and 106-7 inches in the discus) and Carter (a personal record in the 400 hurdles) all did well for the Scotties. Bordentown placed ninth overall with 19 points.
On the girls’ side, the Scotties’ senior sensation Justine Sulia was equally as good as Novak. She too qualified in the 800, 1600 and 3200.
Sulia’s most brilliant race was the 3200 where she ran an incredible 12:13.56 time to take second. Bordentown’s Amanda Pone finished ninth in that race.
Sulia took sixth in the mile (5:32.85) and the 800 (2:29.22). She is the school record holder in all of those events. Brooke Bercari just missed qualifying in the 400 hurdles with a 1:09.16 seveth-place time. However, Jazmine Paden did qualify in the 400 with a 1:02.43 time, which earned her fourth overall in Central Jersey Group II. Bordentown’s 14 points put it in 13th place.
Novak and other members of the Scotties’ track and field team need to raise $2,000 to go to Nationals in a few weeks. Any donations are welcome. Novak, Sulia and Paden do have the talent to move on to the Meet of Champs, even with "ordinary" performances this weekend at Egg Harbor’s Group II finals.
