Lawrence indoor track
By: Jim Green
Lawrence High School indoor track coach Dave O’Neal went into the Mercer County Championships expecting big things from his girls team and hoping for a competitive performance from his boys. He got almost the exact opposite.
The boys squad provided most of the highlights Sunday at Widener University in Pennsylvania, dominating the first two events to hold a short-lived first-place lead before finishing seventh with 14.33 team points. The girls team, which hoped to contend for the county title, finished eighth with 18 points, well behind dominant winner Hopewell Valley (83).
"I was happy for the guys," O’Neal said. "The girls meet was a little disappointing. The expectations coming in were a little higher. The guys continued to improve. I have mixed feelings on the meet."
The boys meet opened with the shot put, and Lawrence received a third-place finish from Bill Wolverton (45-4 ½) and a fourth place from Emmanuel LaLota (45-1 ¾). The Cardinals’ first thrower of the day, Vinny DiMeglio, got his team off to a good start with a career-best throw of more than 42 feet, placing him temporarily in third place. But the high-powered event saw the top throwers from around the county enter into a heated battle, and DiMeglio dropped to seventh.
"I was ecstatic," O’Neal said of the boys shot put. "That was definitely the highlight of the day. It was exciting to watch, and it was the best outcome for us.
"In the finals, every time they stepped in, they would one-up each other. It was just a continued progression."
The boys team then had two athletes score in the high jump, with Brian Scott placing fourth (5-6) and Phil Tamulis taking sixth (5-3). With two scorers in each of the first two events, the Cardinals found themselves in an unusual position.
"We were in first place, which was a great feeling for the guys," O’Neal said. "They never were in that position before. They dominated the first two events."
The lead would soon slip away, as the Cardinal boys could not score in any other events. The girls team, meanwhile, had several scorers of its own.
Janelle Fuller and Elise Perkins finished second and fourth in the shot put, respectively, with Fuller notching a 37-10 and Perkins coming in at 33-8 ¾. Hightstown’s Amanda Marshall, who beat out Fuller at the Group III meet last month, continued to stand Fuller’s way, winning the event at 39-1 ½.
"I’m very happy with Janelle," O’Neal said. "I’m very excited for Elise Perkins. It’s always tough for that second thrower. Elise was doubting herself coming into the meet. To see she is still one of the top throwers in the county despite not being the best thrower on her team was good for her."
Nicole McMullen, who recently joined the team, came through with a fine performance, placing fifth in the 55-meter dash (7.77) and the 800 (2:34.17), while the Cardinals 4×400 relay placed fifth at 4:20.20. Beth Korkuch finished seventh in the high jump, while Paige Simms barely missed scoring in both the 400 and the 55.
"We didn’t perform badly," O’Neal said. "A lot of the events were very close, but we were off a little bit, and when that happens, you slip down."
Scott, like Simms, just missed out on the 400. O’Neal said he was very pleased with all his athletes’ efforts, even if the results were not what he was hoping for.
"We had a lot of good performances," he said. "Paige Simms competed very well. She just came out on the wrong side a little bit. They competed. Both teams realize they have a lot of work to do."
All season, the county meet had been the Cardinals’ focus. With only Fuller’s entrance in the Feb. 27 Meet of Champions remaining on Lawrence’s slate for the winter, most of the team’s focus has shifted to the spring. But Fuller remains committed to trying to medal at state finals.
"Janelle should do well at the Meet of Champions," O’Neal said. "We won’t know exactly where she’s seeded until the week before. She should show very well.
"She’s only a junior, so it’s great for her to get that experience. She can come back next year and try to do it again."

