Bound Brook, North Plainfield prove tough
By: Rudy Brandl
Manville High track and field coach Michelle Mongillo remains optimistic about her team’s chances for a winning record even after the team opened the 2006 season with two losses.
The Mustangs aren’t panicking after losing to Bound Brook and North Plainfield, two of the stronger teams on their dual meet schedule. While the team will face much tougher competition in the conference and county championship meets, most of the dual meet opponents aren’t as deep or balanced as the Crusaders and Canucks.
"They are two of the better teams we face," Mongillo said near the end of Thursday’s 96-35 loss to North Plainfield. "I thought we’d have a closer meet vs. Bound Brook (86-45 loss) but I knew North Plainfield was going to be tough."
North Plainfield won 12 of 15 events, led by double winners Cecil Marshall and Yamil Cobb. The Mustangs did well in the jumps thanks to Mike Knitowski, who won the high jump (5-8) and triple jump (37-7) and finished second in the long jump (19-10).
Knitowski continues to chase the 6-0 and 20-0 marks in the high jump and long jump, respectively. The MHS junior knows it’s only a matter of time.
"I’m just waiting for the weather to get warmer," Knitowski said on the chilly Thursday afternoon. "When the weather gets warmer, I’m going to do it."
Knitowski hit 19-11 in practice and reached 19-10 twice in Thursday’s meet. He has cleared 6-0 in high jump practice but is stuck on 5-10 in meets. Knitowski scored 13 points to lead the Mustangs against North Plainfield.
Senior Rafal Brozyna notched the team’s other victory in the 400, where he hit the wire in 56.0. Brozyna also impressed his coach with a hard-fought second place finish in the 200.
Manville won four events in the season opener at Bound Brook. Knitowski and sophomore distance standout Sasa Todorovic each took two first places to account for 20 team points.
Knitowski won the high jump (5-8) and triple jump (36-2) and also finished second in the long jump (19-1). Todorovic, competing in his first track meet, won the 1,600 (5:09) and 3,200 (12:00) and added a third place in the 800 (2:31).
The Mustangs only had multiple scorers in four events, led by a 1-2-3 sweep in the triple jump with Knitowski, Leo Rodriguez (33-1) and Matt Golen (32-7½). Other MHS scorers included Brozyna in the 400 hurdles (2nd, 1:07.9) and high jump (2nd, 5-6), Rodriguez in the 100 (3rd, 12.4) and 200 (3rd, 26.17), Matt Kita in the shot put (3rd, 27-10¼) and discus (2nd, 95-1½), Jason Pfoutz in the 400 (3rd, 1:03.7), Luke Bogdanowicz in the 400 hurdles (3rd, 1:09.5) and Mark Manderski in the shot put (2nd, 34-7).
Manville also made some noise in the girls’ meet, with Gabriella Firak winning the 1,600 (6:21) and Lucy Yakobchuk taking first in the long jump (13-4). Firak added a second place in the 3,200 and Melissa Teresak finished third in the 100, long jump and high jump.
"They’re young and inexperienced and they still have to learn the rules of the track," Mongillo said. "But they’re coming along. We just need to work harder."
Manville kicked off its season with a pasta dinner at Mongillo’s house the night before the season opener at Bound Brook. The second-year head coach was wondering how the meal would affect her team.
"Maybe it was too much pasta," she joked. "Or maybe it was not enough, because I ran out."
MHS was scheduled to face Roselle Park and Technology in a Tuesday tri-meet before traveling to Dunellen Thursday afternoon. Despite the tough opening week, Mongillo is still confident her team will gobble up the competition in the upcoming weeks.

