By: Sean Moylan
Rob "The King of Group I Track" Novak ran into an opponent even he couldn’t outrace in Sunday’s NJSIAA individual Group I Championships at Jadwin Gym "Mr. Exhaustion."
Though in the overall picture Novak had a great day winning the 1600 meter race (a 4:24.94) while placing second in the 400 (52.41) and the 800 (2:02.6). Yet, if he had had a little more time to recuperate, records may have shattered in the 800.
In his first race, the 400, Novak ran a great race but took only second, which still qualified him for the Meet of Champions in that event.
"I’m surprise he didn’t win the 400," said Bordentown head track and field coach Charlie Miller, who expects great things all the time out of his sensational senior.
Then came the mile. Initially, the plan had been for Novak to run about a 4:30 time and coast to victory in the 1600.
However, Andrew Catalano had other plans.
"I had problems winning the 1600 because there was a kid from Roselle Catholic (Catalano) that gave me a run for my money," said Novak. "But I started pulling away the last 10 meters."
Novak’s win in the 1600 was only the second ever at Indoor Sectionals for a Bordentown athlete. Happy with the win, Novak, nonetheless, knew he would need 45 minutes to an hour of rest time (a usual waiting period in between big races) to make his assault on the state indoor record in the 800.
He got about 20 minutes.
"I was so exhausted. I ran three races in an hour and twenty minutes," said Novak.
Still, Novak got off to a great start before his super strong legs betrayed him.
"He (Novak) had first place practically the whole time," said Novak’s mother, Beryl, who’s like an honorary coach on the Scotties.
In the end, Bernards’ Pat DiGiocchino passed Novak for the victory. A gracious winner, DiGiocchino made comments after the race that he knew Novak would be tired at one point and that’s when he’d make his move. Great runners know their competition.
Still, Novak’s second-place finish combined with teammate Freddie Mendenhall’s fourth-place finish (2:04.42) in the 800 gave Bordentown the temporary team lead in Group I with 31 points.
According to Novak’s mom, the announcer at Jadwin Gym even made a comment that Novak could wrap up the win in the 3200.
But by then, Novak was physically spent. Nagging injuries had kept him from training properly for the day’s events and the short down time in between races had taken its toll. In the end, Saddle Brook overtook Bordentown for the team championship. But the Scotties still held onto second.
Mendenhall also qualified for the Meet of Champions in the 400, where he ran a 53.35 second sixth-place time.
Mike Steffen, in his first meet back after a long bout with injuries, took eighth place in the preliminaries of the 55-meter dash with a 6.96 time. He placed 11th in the finals with the same exact time.
Steffen also ran a 24.6 second time in the 200, which pleased Coach Miller very much.
Most likely, Novak will sit out the 400 and compete in the 1600 and 800 at Sunday’s Meet of Champions.
Miller’s concerned that Novak’s time in the 800 could suffer because he’ll be the slow heat in that event. Yet Novak has a way of overcoming all obstacles.
Meanwhile, Mendenhall is an up and coming runner who should do well in the 800 an 400 on Sunday.
While no Bordentown girls qualified for the Meet of Champions, Amanda Pone did take 13th in the 3200 (13:04.86) and 15th in the 1600 (6:02.78). Meanwhile, Bordentown’s Marie Minch ran a solid 2:54 time in the 800.
After the Meet of Champions, Bordentown has Easterns on Monday. The team is still trying to raise money for the trip to Nationals (March 12 and 13). Donations to the Bordentown National Track Fund can be sent to the high school.
