BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer
Classes are not even started and changes already are in store for Brick Township’s girls and boys track and field programs.
Deanne Hahn, regarded as the best outdoor weights events competitor in the state, has transferred to Brick Township from Lakewood. Hahn, only a junior, threw the shot put 43 feet 10 inches for the gold medal in the NJSIAA outdoors Meet of Champions. She also was second in the discus in the MOC with a throw of 134-5.
She set an Ocean County record 46-2 in the shot put and was regarded among the best nationally. She won the shot put in Group III, Central Jersey (45-10) and the Group III finals (45-8). She was section champ in the javelin and second in the Group III, both at 137-0. Hahn also was shot put Ocean County champion during the indoor season.
Leah Schaefer, in her third year of varsity competition in throwing events for the Green Dragons, will be a solid complement to Hahn in relay meets.
“I don’t think we can win the big meets, even with her, but we’ll be a player,” said girls coach Bill Brunner, meaning that Brick Township can have an effect on how teams finish in those meets with the addition of Hahn.
“Now we’ll be good for 42 points in a meet because I feel Jackie Daniels also will come on strong as a distance runner after a quiet spring,” said Brunner.
In another big change at the school, longtime boys cross country and indoor track coach Pete Panuska resigned from both positions to take a vice principal’s position at the high school. He is being succeeded by Jim Calabro, a former head coach at both Brick Township and Brick Memorial high schools who had taken over Brick Township’s outdoor track and field program last spring when Panuska likewise stepped down from that position to spend more time with his family.
“He’s a good man for the job,” said Panuska. “I’ll still be around rooting for the boys and maybe will be at a few of the meets.”
Calabro is away on vacation and will return Sept. 1 as his assistant coaches run the cross country team through preseason training.
“Jim and I are like brothers, although Pete and I have been very close too,” said Brunner. “He was coaching the girls when I started coaching.”
Calabro, whose forte is coaching long jumpers, helped Ryisha Boyd emerge as one of the best in the Shore Conference during the spring and develop into a Meet of Champions qualifier and a sixth-place finisher at 17 feet 4 inches. He also served as an assistant to Brunner as well as coaching the boys team. Boyd also jumped 17-7 for third in the Group IV, Central meet and was fifth in the Group IV finals in 17-0.