BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
SCOTT PILLING staff Monmouth Regional’s Kaitlin McLaughlin launches the shot put during the Monmouth County Track and Field Championships at Neptune High School on May 10. Rumson-Fair Haven isn’t an emerging sprint power. The Bulldogs are all ready there.
Rumson sprinters left their mark all over the Monmouth County Track and Field Championships held at Neptune High School last week, highlighted by their thrilling win in the 4×400 relay. Pushed by team champion Colts Neck, the Bulldog quartet of Gabriella Kelly, Sara Robinson, Jamie Carroll and Melissa Bellin attained their goal of breaking 4:00, turning in a 3:59.34. After turning in a quick time at last month’s Penn Relays, the Bulldogs came to the county championships looking for a win and a quick time. They got both.
Bellin, who won the open 400 and the 100 hurdles, said the Bulldogs have found the right mixture.
“We have such good chemistry,” she said. “We run for each other.”
Bellin and Kelly went one-two in the 400 (57.41-58.33), which was a portent of things to come in the relay. Bellin welcomed her teammate in the final with her.
“It was great having her out there,” she said. “We trust each other.”
Since Kelly has a quicker start, Bellin can pace herself off her teammate and rely on her greater strength for the last half of the race.
“That’s the way we race,” she pointed out.
At the line, they were both well clear of the field, leaving no doubt that the best tandem in the county resides in Rumson, making the relay team very formidable.
Bellin pulled an upset in the 100 hurdles, surprising Howell’s Jamie Leacock and Neptune’s Ashley Porterfield (who was the fastest in qualifying) in the final. Her 15.27 topped Leacock’s 15.42.
Kelly put her full range of sprinting on display. Besides her second place in the 400, she was second in the 100-meter dash to Marlboro’s Ada Unachukwu (12.14-12.32) and third in the 200 (25.82) behind Unachukwu (25.01) and Matawan’s Donna Alexander (25.81).
Carroll is another Bulldog with a lot of range. She was third in the 400 intermediate hurdles final (1:06.32) and fourth in the 800 (2:20.11).
Rumson’s sprinters helped the team roll up 62.5 points and finish third behind defending champion Colts Neck (89) and Marlboro (66).
The Bulldogs will be facing another powerhouse at the Shore Conference Championships if everything plays out this weekend back at Neptune. Southern Regional won the Ocean County 4×400 in 3:58.43.
The SC meet will be held on Friday and Saturday. It will be the final tune-up before the state championships begin with the NJSIAA State Sectionals on May 25-26.