By: Sean Moylan
Last Friday the Peddie boys’ varsity track and field team had one of its most successful days of the outdoor season as it beat both the George School (85-54) and Hun School (90-36) at home.
Peddie’s Max Lipton had a great day and placed first in the javelin (128′ 9"), second in the shot put (42′ 2 ¼") and third in the discus (103′ 4").
Peddie’s Alexander Amodol won the 400 meter dash with a 54.4 second time. The Falcons’ other individual winners were Daniel Santos (37′ 3" in the triple jump; he added a third in the 200) and Mark Stauning (17.4 in the 110 high hurdles). Peddie also won the 4×400 relay with a 3:49.5 time.
Eric Lee took second in both the long jump (17′ 7 ¼") and the triple jump (36′ 7 ½"). In the 400 hurdles, Peddie’s Mike Nyman placed second (1:06.20) while teammate Joe Uranker took third (1:09.10). Garreth Sharp placed second in the 100 while Brendon Albaugh ran third place times in the mile and 2-mile races.
Nathaniel Gartner placed second in the pole vault (9 feet) while Stanton Wong came in third place in the 110 high hurdles and the javelin. Anthony Charles placed second in the discus and Michael Pankiewicz was the runner-up in the javelin. Justin Nir was a third place finisher in the shot put.
The Peddie girls’ team won an easy 104-34 decision over George School. The Falcons’ stars were not pushed as Rachel Provost ran the whole mile side-by-side with her younger sister Melissa and won the race with a 5:51.69 time. M. Provost finished second (5:51.89).
"There was no reason for her (Rachel Provost) to run a 5:10 time," added Coach Mark Gartner, whose superstar senior also coasted to wins in the 3,200 (13:06) and the 800 (2:21.73).
Peddie’s other resident superstars, Sarah Wehrhan and Connor Ahlborn, were getting the job done as well. Wehrhan won the discus (94′ 5") and the shot (34 feet) while Ahlborn was triumphant in the javelin (87′ 10") and placed second in the shot (32′ 10 ½") and third in the discus (87 feet).
Sandra Peprah won the triple jump (31′ 2 ½") and placed third in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Zara Stasi was victorious in the 110 meter hurdles (17.2) and she finished second in the 400 hurdles (1:15). With a time of 1:04.80, Katherine Manuelli won the 400 meter dash and her Peddie teammate Cecelia Bang placed third in that race. In the pole vault, Peddie’s Natasha Kardassis (8 feet) and Helene Sajer placed first and second. Kardassis also placed third in the high jump behind teammate Anne Macdonald (both girls jumped 4′ 6").
Amber Scott had a very interesting day for Peddie as she placed second in the triple jump (30′ 3 ½"), the long jump (14′ 4"), the 110 high hurdles (17.30) and the 100 (13.01 ). In the 800, Sarah Guilbert took second while Kristina Sowah placed third. Charlotte Debrabandere came in second in the 200 while Nekole Jackson placed third in the long jump. Peddie also won the 4×400 relay.
Hun competed in the event but did not score as a team.
Then on Wednesday, the Peddie girls’ team crushed StuArt, 110-28.
"Our girls were amped up because Stuart had won its Patriot Division," said Gartner. "We had girls do well where they were supposed to do well. We ended up sweeping the javelin, which was nice."
Ahlborn won the javelin with a 88′ 6" mark while Manuelli and Wehrhan placed second and third in that event.
Stuart became excited when Taj Pennell unleashed a strong 30′ 7" throw in the shot. But Stuart had never seen the likes of Wehrhan (36 feet) and Ahlborn (34′ 7").
In the discus, Wehrhan (91′ 8") and Ahlborn (85′ 6") also ended up taking the top two spots. R. Provost won the 1,600 (5:43.4) and the 3,200 (13:05.7) easily, with her sister Melissa finishing just behind her in both events.
Scott won the triple jump (32′ 5") and the long jump (15′ 7") and took second in the 200. Kardassis won the 400 (1:04.10) and placed second in the pole vault behind Sajer. Each Peddie girl vaulted 7′ 6".
Manuelli won the 400 hurdles (1:14.10). Zara Stasi was the victor in the 100 hurdles (17.4) and placed second in the 400 hurdles. Guilbert won the 800 with a 2:29.50 time. Peprah was the runner-up in the triple jump, the long jump and the 100. Peddie even won the 4×400 relay and scored points in other events as well.
"On the girls’ side we went undefeated in both the outdoor (8-0) and indoor seasons. We’d like to go for the trifecta by going undefeated in the regular season, winning the MAPL Championship on Saturday at Hill and the states (Prep A) on Wednesday (at Peddie)," said Gartner, who has the talent to get it done on the girls’ side.
Peddie’s strongest challenge could come from Lawrenceville. However, do not overlook the Peddie boys’ track team (3-4), which has improved with every meet.
