Christian Brothers Academy, Middletown, staked their claim to being one of the country’s best Distance Medley Relay teams at the Penn Relays.
The Colts finished eighth overall in 10:16.04, but first among New Jersey teams on Friday. Kevin Rogers, Brandon Leniart, Brendon Pierson and Chris Horel made up the Colts quartet that ran on Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Rogers turned in a 3:11.3 for the opening 1,200 meter leg. Leniart took the hand-off and ran his 400 meters in 50.7. The penultimate 800 leg was run in 1:57.5 by Pierson, and Chris Horel polished the effort off doing 1,600 meters in 4:16.5.
New York’s Fayetteville-Manlius, the Colts’ recent rivals in cross country, won the boys high school DMR in 10:06.71.
Raritan’s Rick Jaeger qualified for the boys shot put championship and finished 11th there with a top mark of 51-4.
For one ex-Colt, the Penn Relays were truly memorable. Devin Barry won the College Men’s Decathlon piling up 6,407 points. The former CBA standout is now competing for Mount St. Mary’s. He won the competition by 299 points.
Barry ran the 100 in 11.28, long jumped 6.41 meters, threw the shot put 11.02 meters, high jumped 1.18 meters and finished the first day running the 400 in 50.50.
On Day 2, Barry ran the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.67, threw the discus 32.78 meters, pole-vaulted 4.00 meters, threw the javelin 36.35 meters and wrapped up the win running the 1,500 meters in 5:03.23.
Former Raritan High School star Kelly Robinson, now competing for Towson University, finished ninth in the college women’s javelin. She got off a best throw of 139-11.
Ex-Middletown South star Tina Morrison, now competing for host University of Pennsylvania, ran the lead-off on the Quakers’ 4×800 women’s 4×800 Championship of America relay team that finished fifth (9:40.36). Morrison ran a 2:09.8 split.
In the DMR Championship of American event, Morrison ran a 3:27.8 1,200 meters for Penn, which finished also fifth in 11:18.0.
Saturday, Middletown North hosted the Lion Invitational. Matawan’s boys were nipped by Colts Neck, 64-58, for the team championship.
The Huskies got two wins from sprinter Melvin Finley, who took the 200 (22.4) and 400 (51.2).
Jaeger took the shot put with a toss of 53-8.
Holmdel finished third (38) and got wins from Adam Lampell in the 1,600 (4:31.7) and javelin thrower Al Kealy (164-11). Southern won the girls title with 103 1/2 points. Matawan was sixth (24 1/2). Zaykeyah Pitts won the discus with a big throw, 123-8.