BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Craig Forys Craig Forys has routinely made the extraordinary ordinary – like winning the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions 3,200 meter title
The Cougar, seemingly without effort, destroyed his nearest rival and when it was over, he had established a new championship meet record and the fastest time in the nation (9:03.58) for the year.
It’s been that way for Forys since his first race for the Cougars and continued into the indoor season, where he turned in a masterpiece at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Landover, Md., winning the two-mile title on March 11. With the outdoor season still to come, Forys has done it all in scholastic running.
Manalapan’s Mike Goldwasser gave the Freehold District another cause for celebration when he won the MOC state title in the pole vault. The event has only been contested at the MOC for three years and Goldwasser will forever have the distinction of being the first vaulter from the District to win it.
Forys and Goldwasser highlighted what was another great indoor track and field season. Forys has the 1,600 and 3,200 spots on the News Transcript’s 2007 All-Freehold Regional District Boys Indoor Track and Field Team and Goldwasser has the pole vault. Also on the team are Forys’ teammates Brenden Krewer (800) and John Krewer (shot put); Howell’s David Hayes (55 dash and 400); Freehold Township’s Dan Mularz (55 hurdles); the Pats’ 4×400 relay team; and Manalapan’s Jack Gilburn (high jump).
Forys’ indoor season went into the stratosphere when he won the Nike Indoor Nationals two-mile run championship over Maryland’s Matt Centrowitz. It was Centrowitz who had out-sprinted him at last year’s Penn Relays over 3,000 meters. Forys paid him back in kind, out-kicking him to the line in 9:01.57. It was his first individual national championship, completing his résumé.
In the build-up to the national championship, Forys was flawless. He ran a mile in Boston in January in 4:16.92.
He won the 1,600-3,200 double and the conference and State Group IV meets, tying the Group IV 1,600 record with his 4:21.43. He followed that with his Meet of Champions showdown with Doug Smith of Gill St. Bernards. He let Smith set the pace up front and then put the hammer down in the last 550 meters, putting on a surge that no one in the state has matched. He ran his second 1,600 in 4:23.
Two days before his national championship in Landover, at the New York City Armory he split 4:05.8 for the 1,600 meters in bringing the Cougars’ distance medley relay team from way back in the field to fourth place to capture All-American honors at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships.
The swift 1,600 convinced Forys that the zip was back in his finishing kick, and he used it to out-run Centrowitz in the final 150 meters to win his long-awaited national title.
The outdoor season holds much promise for the University of Michigan-bound Forys.
Pole vaulters have to go searching for meets during the winter season. Goldwasser’s only practice during the winter came in meets, and he made the most of them. He was second at the State Group IV championships, losing via the fewer misses tie-breaker to Matt Steeg of Don Bosco Prep after both had cleared a state-leading 13-6.
Turn-around was fair play at the MOC, where Goldwasser and three others negotiated 13-6 successfully. But the state title went to the Brave because he had no misses until the bar went to 14-0.
Having already topped last year’s outdoor best (13-0), Goldwasser has his sights set on 14-0 for the outdoor season.
Like most pole vaulters, Goldwasser is a very good sprinter. He was third in the 400 at the county championships.
Until illness slowed him down in late February, Brenden Krewer was enjoying an outstanding season. At the Armory, he ran a District record 2:32.6 for 1,000 meters and put down a personal best 1:56.6 for the 800. His come-from-behind win at the county championships was one of the highlights of the meet and he was second in the conference.
Krewer ran the opening 1,200 leg on Colts Neck’s All-American DMR team.
John and Brenden Krewer are twin brothers, but, when it comes to track and field they took very different paths. While Brenden runs, John throws the shot put and, like his brother, he’s the best in the District. John Krewer was the only thrower to surpass 50 feet this winter with his school-record heave of 50-11 1/4. He was second at the county championships, fifth in the conference and fifth in State Group IV. He placed 14th at the MOC.
Mularz’s consistency made him the best in the 55 hurdles this year. He was fourth at the county (8.00), fifth in the conference and sixth in State Group IV, advancing to the MOC final.
The junior was also a member of the Freehold Township 4×400 relay team that was third in the county and the conference and qualified for the MOC. Robert Searby, O’Shane Rennie, Mularz and Ryan Spadolo made up the quartet that had a season’s best of 3:31.51. With all four underclassmen, this team has a lot of potential.
Hayes was sixth in the county, ninth in the conference and 11th in state Group IV in the 400 with a 51.53 his best time. In the 55-meter dash, he clicked off a 6.81 and was sixth in the county and ninth in the SC.
Gilburn sealed his place on the team by qualifying for the MOC. He was second at the county championships and eighth in Group IV. His best jump was 6-0.
Special mention goes to Colts Neck’s Evan Stivala, because during the season, he set a Freehold District record in the long jump, leaping 22-2. The long jump was not contested in state competition, however. The senior ran the 400 leg on the Cougars’ All-American DMR squad.
Those earning honorable mention for 2007 are: Matt Sullivan, Kevin O’Dowd, Ashton Gooding and Jason Weiner, Colts Neck; Jack Tarpey, Joe Solek and Chris Ernst, Freehold Township; Matt Cook, Howell; and Dunell Ridore and Joe Kreppein, Manalapan.
2007 All-Freehold Regional District
Boys Indoor Track and Field Team
55 metersDavid HayesHowelljunior
400 metersDavid HayesHowelljunior
800 metersBrenden KrewerColts Necksenior
1,600-metersCraig ForysColts Necksenior
3,200-metersCraig ForysColts Necksenior
55-m hurdlesDan MurlarzFreehold Twp.senior
4×400 relayFreehold Township
Robert Searby, sophomore,
Rennie O’Shane, sophomore,
Dan Mularz, junior,
Ryan Spadola, sophomore
shot putJohn KrewerColts Necksenior
high jumpJack GilburnManalapansenior
pole vaultMike GoldwasserManalapansenior
Girls Track and Field Team
55 metersAda UnachukwuMarlborosoph.
400 metersKristin AndrewsManalapansenior
800 metersMeryl WimberlyColts Necksenior
1,600 metersAllyson MoskalFreehold Twp. soph.
3,200 metersAshley HigginsonColts Necksenior
55-m hurdlesJamie LeacockHowellsenior
4×400 relayColts Neck
Kathlyn Herrick, junior,
Julia Tomaro, junior,
Samantha Santo, junior,
Meryl Wimberly, senior
shot putKristen BattsMarlborosenior
high jumpLindsey RappleyeaColts Necksoph.
pole vaultJenna MeagherMarlborosenior