BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
RICH GRAESSLE Colts Neck’s Brianna Jackucewicz (l) and Ashley Higginson make up one of the most dominant distance duos in state history, landing both harriers a spot on the All-District Indoor Track and Field Team. There wasn’t much that Colts Neck and Ashley Higginson didn’t cover.They were the story of the 2005-06 indoor track and field season. Higginson anchored the Cougars to the national championship in the 4×1-mile relay and repeated as the NJSIAA Meet of Champions 3,200 winner. She and teammates Meryl Wimberly, Allison Linnell and Briana Jackucewicz won a thrilling showdown with cross country rival Roxbury to capture the NJSIAA State Group III Distance Medley Relay title.
At the Monmouth County Championships, the Cougars dominated, rolling up 86 points and winning the team title by a comfortable 34 points.
Not all the headline makers were Cougars. Marlboro’s Ada Unachukwu was the discovery of the year. The freshman went from unknown to county sprint queen.
Freehold Township, Howell and Marlboro fielded highly competitive relay teams in the 4×800 and DMR that were overshadowed by Cougars.
Higginson (1,600), Jackucewicz (3,200) and Unachukwu (55 dash) head the News Transcript’s 2006 All-Freehold Regional District Girls Indoor Track and Field Team.
Joining them on the track are Tanika Peart, Freehold Township (55 hurdles), Wimberly (200), Kristin Andrews, Manalapan (400), Kellee Hand, Howell (800), and Colts Neck’s 4×400 relay team of Wimberly, Kathryn Herrick, Julia Tomaro and Samantha Santo.
In the field, it’s Jessica Pagliano, Colts Neck (high jump), Jenna Meagher, Marlboro (pole vault), and Anna DiPaola, Howell (shot put).
Higginson put her complete range on display this winter as she was the year’s most outstanding athlete. She won the county title at 800 meters (2:18.9), turned in a District record for 1,600 meters (4:54.7), winning the Varsity Classic at the New York City Armory, and repeated as the MOC 3,200 champion with a meet record 10:36.74. At the NSIC, she was third in the two-mile run in a District record 10:44.42, earning All-American honors. But the highlight of her season was anchoring the Cougars to the 4×1-mile relay national championship. The junior turned in a 4:55.7 in holding off some of the nation’s best runners to bring national title and state record home to Colts Neck.
Her District record 1,600 is the 10th fastest ever in New Jersey history.
Jackucewicz followed up her record-setting freshman season in cross country with a smashing debut on the track. Besides being a key member of the state champion DMR team and national champion 4×1-mile, Jackucewicz set the state freshman class record in the 3,200 meters (10:31.32) when she was second, chasing Ocean City Brittany Sedberry to a meet record 10:30.25 at the NJSIAA State Group III championships. That mark is the third fastest in state history. She was first in the 3,200 at the county championships.
Jackucewicz set the state freshman 1,600 meter record when she ran 5:05.9 behind Higginson in the Varsity Classic.
Unachukwu started the season competing in freshman races, setting a meet record for the 55-meter dash (7.61), for instance, at the Bayonne Holiday Invitational. It didn’t take coach Ray Sypniewski long to realize his frosh belonged with the heavyweights.
Unachukwu pulled off one of the big surprises of the season winning the Monmouth County championship in a sizzling 7.0. She backed that up with a third place at the conference championships and a 11th place at the State Group IV championships, earning a wild card entry to the Meet of Champions in her first year.
With an indoor debut like this, all eyes will be Unachukwu outdoors, where she can run anything from the 100 to the 400 and is looking forward to long jumping.
Unachukwu’s rival outdoors will be Patriot sophomore Peart, who was last year’s sprint star. Peart was fourth behind the Mustang in the 55 meters at the county championship. Peart was however the District’s fastest in the hurdles. She was 14th in the conference (9.65).
In the seldom-run 200 meters, it was the Cougars’ Wimberly who was the quickest, turning in a 26.9.
Wimberly and Manalapan’s Kristen Andrews were two of the best 400 runners in the state, with both qualifying for the MOC. Andrews was third at the county championships and sixth at the State Group IV championships (1:00.46).
Wimberly was the anchor of the District record-setting Cougar 4×400 relay team. The quartet of Herrick, Tomaro, Santo and Wimberley, all underclassmen, won the county championship, finished ninth at the MOC and set a District record with their 4:03.73. They could turn in the first sub-4:00 relay in District history.
Hand, no stranger to All-District Teams during her stellar career at Howell, earned her spot this year with a fifth place at the State Group IV championships (2:20.76), followed by an 11th at the MOC. She’ll continue her running career at the University of Pennsylvania next year.
It was a breakthrough season for the Cougars’ Pagliano. She won the county championship, and then turned in a personal best and school record 5-4 in finishing second at the State Group III championships. The junior will look to carry her momentum over to the outdoor campaign.
DiPaolo had a very solid season for the Rebels all the way up to the MOC, where she finished 11th (37-4 1/2). Out of state, she was sixth at the Spiked Shoe Invitational in New York City. She was second in the county, fourth in the conference and seventh at the State Group IV championships earning a wild card entry to the MOC.
Marlboro’s Meagher was also a model of consistency in the pole vault, finishing in the top 10 in eight of her nine meets and never no-heighting. She finished seventh at the State Group IV championships, matching her season’s best of 9-6. She was second at the Ridgewood Winter Games and the Metropolitan Invitational and 16th at the Eastern States. She’s looking to do 11-0 outdoors.
Those earning honorable mention are: Kristen O’Dowd, Allison Linnell, Allison Donaghy and Erin Donaghy, Colts Neck; Megan Patterson and Elise Tagatac, Freehold Borough; Janel Parker, Charlotte Walsh, Crystal Mahoney, Allyson Moskal and Samantha Schreckenshots, Freehold Township; Lauren Rome, Lindsey Lambert and Ivanna Parker, Howell; and Erica Weitz, Marlboro.
2006 All-Freehold Regional District Girls Indoor Track & Field Team
55-meter dashAda UnachukwuMarlborofreshman
200-meter dashMeryl WimberlyColts Neckjunior
400-meter dashKristin AndrewsManalapanjunior
800-meter runKelly HandHowelsenior
1,600-meter runAshley HigginsonColts Neckjunior
3,200-meter runBriana JackucewiczColts Neckfreshman
1,600-meter relayColts Neck
Kathlyn Herricksophomore Julia Tomarosophomore Samantha Santosophomore Meryl Wimberlyjunior
55-meter hurdlesTanika PeartFreehold Townshipsophomore
shot putAnna DiPaoloHowelljunior
high jumpJessica PaglianoColts Neckjunior
pole vaultJenna MeagherMarlborojunior