BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Ashley Higginson Because of a lack of indoor facilities, there was no Freehold Regional District Championship meet this winter.
However, the indoor track and field season did not lack for highlights.
Colts Neck’s Ashley Higginson was easily the standout of the year, capturing her first state championships, Group III and the Meet of Champions (MOC) titles. She concluded the undercover season finishing fourth in the 2-mile run at the national championships.
Freehold Township’s Danielle Dailey made her presence felt as well, winning the Monmouth County and Shore Conference titles while establishing herself as one of the state’s best shot putters.
Higginson (1,600 and 3,200) and Dailey easily top the News Transcript’s 2005 All-Freehold Regional District Girls’ Indoor Track and Field Team. Joining them on the team are Kristen Andrews, Manalapan (400), Elyse Tagatac, Freehold Borough (800), Valerie Zinco, Manalapan (55-meter dash); Amy Lewis, Colts Neck (55-meter hurdles), Jenna Meagher, Marlboro (pole vault), and Freehold Township’s 4×400-relay team of Alyssa Diercksen, Jennah Conti, Megan Matza and Tina Loftus.
Higginson had one of the great indoor seasons ever by a District athlete. She began the season winning the 1,600 meters at the Spiked Shoe Holiday Festival in the New York City Armory in 5:10.2. Close to home, she won the 1,600 and 3,200 titles at the Monmouth County Championships. At the Shore Conference meet, she won the 1,600 crown. The sophomore won the Group III state title at 3,200 meters and than came through with the biggest win of her career, outrunning defending champion Jen Clausen, of Jackson, at the NJSIAA Indoor MOC. Higginson lowered her personal best to 10:52.72 in becoming the school’s first MOC champion. At the National Scholastic Indoor Championships held at the NYC Armory, Higginson cranked out a 10:51.08 for 2 miles in finishing fourth.
The m.o. for her championships was running negative splits. She used powerful surges in the second half of her races to break her opponents’ will.
Higginson proved to be a very important leader of Cougar relay teams that posted fast times in the 4×800, Distance Medley and 4×1,600 relays. The Cougars had the fastest time in the state this winter in the 4×1,600.
Dailey dominated the shot put in the conference, winning the county and conference titles. She was third at the Group IV championships and she concluded the year with a fourth place at the MOC (39-9). Consistency was her trademark, as she always threw in the 37-39-foot range in every meet.
The absence of a District championship made some of the positions on the team difficult.
One that wasn’t difficult was the 400 meters. Andrews was second to Eastern States winner Tiffany Grant, of Ocean, at the county championship. The sophomore was eighth at the Group IV state championships (1:00.66) and qualified for the MOC.
The 800 meters was very competitive with several runners turning in good times. Manalapan’s Andrews, Howell’s Kellee Hand and Marlboro’s Erica Weitz all had good seasons, but it was Tagatac that was the most outstanding, and more importantly, finished ahead of the others in the championship meets. The junior was third in the county and fifth in the conference meets. She was third at the Group II state meet, turning in her best time of the winter (2:24.68).
The Patriots had the best collection of 400-meter runners this year, as evidenced by their third place at the county meet and sixth place at the Shore Conference (4:28:13). The quartet was Diercksen, Conti, Matza and Loftus. All four are underclassmen.
Zinco consistently posted the best times in the 55-meter dash (8.02) this year. She was 20th at the SC championships.
The versatile Lewis, who also pole vaults, was the fastest area hurdler at the conference championships, where all of the District’s best raced on the same day.
Pagliano, a sophomore, won the county championship this winter (5-0) and was half of the Cougars high jump relay team that won the state relay championship.
Meagher and Colts Neck’s Gretchen Volherbst were the top vaulters in the District all year. They met head to head at the MOC, with Meagher outvaulting the Cougar (9-0-8-6) in finishing tied for ninth. Meagher was eighth at the Group IV state meet.
Those earning Honorable Mention are Kim Lang, Jackie Austin, Gretchen Volherbst and Danielle Plenzo, Colts Neck; Janel Parker, Freehold Township; Kellee Hand, Jamie Leacock and Anna Maria DiPaolo, Howell; Sofia Machado, Kim Dale and Maria Zaharkis, Manalapan; and Erica Weita and Beck Neufeld, Marlboro.
2005 All-Freehold Regional District
Girls Indoor Track and Field Team
55 metersValerie ZincoManalapan junior
400 metersKristen AndrewsManalapansophomore
800 metersElyse TagatacFreehold Boro.junior
1,600 metersAshley HigginsonColts Necksophomore
3,200 metersAshley HigginsonColts Necksophomore
55-m hurdlesAmy LewisColts Necksenior
1,600-m relayFreehold Township
Alyssa Diercksenjunior
Jennah Contisophomore
Megan Matzsophomore
Tina Loftussophomore
shot putDanielle DaileyFreehold Twp. senior
high jumpJessica PaglianoColts Necksophomore
pole vault Jenna MeagherMarlborosophomore