After torching the 400-meter intermediate hurdles field in a personal best 1:00.93, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Melissa Bellin was quick to credit her teammates.
ERIC SUCAR staff Rumson-Fair Haven’s Melissa Bellin competes in the girls 400-meter intermediate hurdles during the 2008 NJSIAA Track and Field Sectional Championships, held at Monmouth Regional High School, Tinton Falls, on May 23 and 24. “It helps to have a lot of girls to run with in practice,” she said. “Our success has unified the team.We do the bestwe can for each for other.”
That camaraderie helped the Bulldogs produce anNJSIAACentral JerseyGroup II championship last weekend at Monmouth Regional High School. With Bellin winning three individual events and anchoring the 4×400 relay team to a win, RFH scored 82 points,matching the total ofArthur L. Johnson High School for the co-championship. Thiswas the state sectional title for theBulldogs and it goes along with the Shore Conference B Central title they captured during a perfect dual-meet season (6-0).
After tearing up the field by more than three seconds in the 400 hurdles, Bellin added the 400-meter dash title by posting a 57.80.
The state sectional was held over two days, Friday and Saturday, and Bellin returned to Monmouth Regional on Saturday and won the 100-meter hurdles (15.25). She and teammates Gabriella Kelly, Jaime Carroll and Christina Roque broke 4:00 again (3:57.90) in dominating the 4×400 relay.
Kelly also did yeomanwork for the Bulldogs. She was third in the 100 meters (12.62), fifth in the 400 (59.07) and second in the 200 (25.89).
Carroll also kept herself busy, finishing fourth in the 400 hurdles (1:04.60) and second in the 800 (2:20.36).
Hannah Satzke picked up points in the distance runs, taking second in the 1,600 (5:14.71) and fourth in the 3,200 (11.54.31).
Samantha O’Brien got an important point in the 800, placing sixth (2:25.41).
Brienne McNally collected a big point in the shot put with her sixth place (31-11).
Over in Group III, Long Branch’s Damier Johnson and Monmouth Regional’s Arthur Lee and Edrick Alleyne won state sectional crowns.
Johnson, the indoor state champion at 55 meters, was beaten by his rival, Neptune’s Michael Peavey, in the 100 meters for the third straight time in the finals, 10.69-10.77.
Johnson bounced back to win the 200 in 21.84 over Peavey (22.15),whowas third behind his Neptune teammate Koran Mc- Daniel (22.01).
Lee was the only runner under 2:00 in the 800, winning in 1:59.86.
Alleyne won the shot put comfortably with a 56-11. He was third in the discus (155-8).
The top six finishers from the sectional meets all qualified for the NJSIAA State Group Championships that are today and tomorrow. Groups I, II and IV will be down at Egg Harbor Township High School today and tomorrow, while Group III and ParochialAand Bwill be at South Plainfield High School.
The Meet of Champions is June 4 in South Plainfield.
Notes: It’s been quite a year for Rumson- Fair Haven track. Both the girls and boys had undefeated dual-meet seasons (6-0).
While Bellin, Kelly, Carroll and Satzke played their expected roles, it was throwers McNally and Kate Velcamp, and jumpers AnneMarieHendrick,AllyAdams and Leah Small who made the difference.