Allison Linnell, Dan Mularz and Robby Andrews led a parade of area athletes who won NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championships.
The state sectional meet for Groups I and IV was held over two days (May 23 and 24) at Hillsborough High School.
Linnell confirmed what everyone following New Jersey track has known, that she is one of best distance runners in the state, by winning the 1,600-3,200 double. The Cougar senior began her weekend in the 1,600, winning in 5:05.21 over Freehold Township’s Janel Parker (5:06.74). In the 3,200 she turned in her fastest outdoor time of the season, 10:54.65.
Mularz put the Shore Conference Championships, where he was questionably false-started out of the meet, behind him emphatically. He put down his time of the season in the 400 intermediate hurdles in winning his first state sectional title (54.66). He was second in the 110 high hurdles (14.54) and sixth in the 400 (50.66). He ran the third leg on the 4×400 relay team that was third (3:23.35).
It was at this meet last year that Andrews emerged as a force, winning the 800 meters from behind. Last weekend he tried the rare 400-800-1,600 triple. The state’s best middle-distance runner won the 1,600 (4:25.89) and was third in the 800 (1:57.0). He ran a 51.12 for the 400, where he was 10th.
After finishing second to Linnell in the 1,600, Parker came back to win her event, the 800, for the third straight year. She outran Marlboro’s Lauren Pietrosh to the line, 2:18.53-2:19.93.
Marlboro’s Ada Unachukwu didn’t need any validation to prove that she is one of the state’s best all-around track and field athletes, but she added to her reputation with four second-place finishes.
On the track, she was second to Jackson Memorial’s Tylia Gillon, who has become her rival, in both the 100 (12.17-12.20) and the 200 (25.35-25.43) in two very close races.
Unachukwu had beaten Gillon the week before at the Shore Conference Championships. At last year’s state sectional, Gillon was first and Unachukwu was second in the 100.
In the 400, the Marlboro flash was second to Brick Township’s Ryisha Boyd, 57.15-57.78.
Unachukwu’s 36 points helped the Mustangs tie Hillsborough for fourth (40).
In the triple jump, Unachukwu got off the second-best jump of her career, 38- 11 ¼, and broke the old meet record by more than 3 feet, only to have Hillsborough’s Ebony Young counter with a 39-6 and take the gold.
Freehold Township’s Desiree Reese is inching closer to the Freehold Regional District girls long jump record, 18-5 ¾, set by Manalapan’s Jodi Radziewicz back in 1979. Reese improved her personal best to 17-11, finishing just a half-inch off Boyd’s winning 17-11 ½. Reese’s jump was a school record.
Her teammate Meghan Donovan was second in the high jump (5-2). Howell’s Maggie Gilbertson (5-2) and Colts Neck’s Tiffany Agalaba (5-0) were third and fourth.
Freehold Township’s Marcus Goode jumped farther than the previous meet record in the boys triple jump, 45-9, but it only got the Freehold Township jumper third place in a very strong field.
His teammate Corey Csakai got off the best long jump of his career, 21-10, and finished fourth.
Ryan Spadola took second in the 400 (50.09) and fourth in the 200 (22.87) in addition to his anchoring the relay team.
Sean Walsh was second in the high jump (6-0), and Max Lit was third in the javelin for the Pats (164-4), as Freehold Township placed fourth (59) in the boys competition.
Colts Neck’s Mark Leininger placed in two events, the 1,600 and 3,200. He was sixth in the 1,600 (4:30.44). He and teammate Mike O’Dowd ran third and fourth in the 3,200 (9:41.37 and 9:42.02).
Rafael Camapos was sixth in the high jump for Colts Neck (5-10).
Howell’s Matt Borzomati is the hottest sprinter in the area at the right time. He was second in the 100-meter (11.27) and 200-meter (22.57) dash finals.
The top six finishers in all events at the sectional meet advanced to last weekend’s NJSIAA State Group Championships.
Manalapan’s Chris Pellicano moved on thanks to sixth-place finishes in the 100 (11.52) and 200 (23.47).
The girls who moved on included Colts Neck’s Lindsey Rappleyea, fifth in the triple jump (35-1 ½) and Karissa Herrick, fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.90); Freehold Township’s Tanika Peart, fifth in the 100 hurdles (16.6); and Howell’s Norell Abernathy, fourth in the javelin (103-9) and Lindsey Lambert, sixth in the 3,200 (11:12.28).
Freehold Township (36) and Colts Neck (29) were sixth and eighth in the girls team standings. Manalapan (18) and Howell (16) were eighth and 10th in the boys competition.
Freehold Borough competed at Monmouth Regional, which hosted Groups II and III.
The Colonials’ Scott Harman matched his personal best of 14-0 in the pole vault. It was matched by Hightstown’s Patrick Gray, who won the CJ III state sectional on fewer misses.
Harman got off his best javelin throw of the year, 167-3, and was sixth.
For the Colonial girls, Blair Hassell was third in the javelin (122-10).
Linnea Lord continued her strong spring by running third in the 3,200 (11:32.89).
Laura Coyne was fourth in the 800 (2:24.34) and MacKenzie Roche was fifth in the 1,600 (5:25.10).
In the fall, Lord, Coyne and Roche teamed up to help the Colonials win a division championship.