Knitowski jumps for team’s first score
By: Rudy Brandl
FLEMINGTON Manville High senior Mike Knitowski made a little history all by himself in Saturday’s Skyland Conference Relay Championships at Hunterdon Central.
Knitowski cleared 5 feet, 8 inches to account for Manville’s total height in the event, which tied the Mustangs with Bernards for sixth place. That yielded just ½ point but it was the only scoring for Manville at the meet. The fraction of a point was significant because it represented the school’s first scoring in the new Skyland Conference.
Manville’s coaches and athletes were standing in the triple jump area waiting for the final event to be contested in Saturday’s bitter-cold conditions. Hearing their school announced among the event leaders and scorers warmed the spirits of the Mustangs.
"It’s exciting," MHS head coach Michelle Mongillo said. "They got on the board."
Knitowski, who was trying to stay loose to compete in the triple jump, was happy to be a part of history but also annoyed that he didn’t jump higher to break the tie with Bernards. Obviously, both MHS and Bernards counted only one jumper’s distance toward the relay score. Sophomore Billy Demeter, the versatile youngster who runs anything from the 100 to the 800 and jumped 5-4 earlier in the week, could not produce a mark in Saturday’s championship event.
"I did 5-10 the other day," Knitowski said. "I wish I could have gone a little higher today. It’s really cold and windy today."
Manville competed in six other events at Saturday’s Skyland Relays. The girls and boys entered teams in the long jump and triple jump. The boys also ran the distance medley, while the girls produced a great effort in the 4×100.
"I was really impressed by them," Mongillo said. "They came in second in their heat but they were neck and neck the whole way. They did a really good job."
The team of Ashley Shields (14.1 split), Lucy Yakobchuk (14.9), Melissa Teresak (13.7) and Courtney Brisebois (13.7) ran great and finished second to Warren Hills in the unseeded heat.
Yakobchuk also competed in the triple jump (29-3¾ and long jump (13-2). Teresak led the team in the long jump (13-8½), while Shields also contributed in the triple jump (27-1¼).
The MHS boys missed sixth place in the long jump relay by just over a foot. Knitowski led the way with a 20-0 mark, while Billy Demeter (17-1) and Matt Golen (16-0) also competed.
The distance medley team of Jack Calvo (3:41 split for 1,200 meters), Leo Rodriguez (58.6 for 400), Demeter (2:29.1 for 800) and Eddie Yakobchuk (6:00 for 1,600) ran against some of the best competition they’ll see all year. Triple jumpers Knitowski (38-5¼) and Rodriguez (32-2½) ended the day for Manville.
Hillsborough swept the team titles, winning the boys’ meet by 24 points and girls’ event by eight. The Mustangs will compete against many of the same schools again in a slightly smaller meet this weekend at Ridge. Mongillo expects to put a few more relay teams together for Saturday’s Somerset County Relay Championships.

