It was only fitting that the state championship came down to the 4×400 relay. It was this event more than any other that shaped Rumson-Fair Haven’s state championship girls track and field team.
“We love this race,” said team member Gabriella Kelly. “It’s how we all got interested in track. It started everything.”
The relay members, Kelly, Melissa Bellin, Jaime Carroll and Christina Roque, were the core of the 2008 Rumson teamand made school history Sunday by winning the program’s first-ever state championship.
By defending their 4×400 title with a 3:55.3 (the third straight year for the trio of Kelly, Bellin and Carroll) Rumson was able to match Ewing’s 40 points and thus share the State Group II crown.
The two-day NJSIAA State Group Championships turned into a three-day event when lightning and monsoon rain forced the postponement of Saturday’s final events to Sunday back at Egg Harbor Township High School.
Rumson at the time was tied for second at 30 points with Haddonfield, and both trailed Glassboro (34).
When action resumed Sunday, the 4×400 victory lifted Rumson over both Haddonfield and Glassboro. But Ewing scored big in the high jump (second and third) and was third behind Rumson in the relay to tie the Bulldogs.
“It was the culmination of working hard for four years,” said Kelly, the only senior of the trio of Rumson’s state relay championship team. “We never pictured this. We can appreciate it. We worked for so long for it. It means a lot to us.”
Bellin picked up an individual state title, as she remained undefeated in championship races in the 400 intermediate hurdles. She hasn’t been pressured in any of her races this spring, and wasn’t last weekend winning in 1:02.55 by almost two seconds.
Carroll finished fourth behind her teammate in the hurdles (1:05.65) and took fifth in the 800 (2:20.74).
With every point mattering, Kelly was key in placing in three events. She was sixth place in the 100 (12.82) and the 200 (25.99) and third in the 400 (58.91).
The big surprise for her was the 100.
“I never though I’d place in the 100,” she pointed out. “It’s not a good race for me.”
Hannah Satzke did her part, as she has all year for the Bulldogs in the distances, with a solid third place in the 1,600 (5:13.34).
Four of Rumson’s five scorers were juniors, an indication that the program is on solid footing.
RBC’s Byrne second in the 800 A pair of freshmen, Kevin Byrne and MollyMcNamara, led Red Bank Catholic’s contingent at South Plainfield, which hosted Group III and Non-Public A and B.
Byrne finished just .02 behind Don Bosco’s Steve Wexler in the NP-A 800, 1:57.02-1:57.04. The frosh also ran a 4:21.62 1,600, good for sixth.
Byrne’s teammate Bobby McGann ran sixth in the 3,200 (9:40.55).
In the field, Brian Nierney was fourth in the high jump (6-2).
MollyMcNamara lowered her 800 time to 2:15.61 in finishing fourth in her race. Teammate Michelle Capozzi was fifth in the 3,200 (11:38.60).
The Casey’s 4×400 relay team of Sophia Fila-Saime, Courtney Gannon, Alexandra McCahill andAdriana Tacopino turned out a 4:03.98 and took third place.
Ocean Township’s Hannah Boyce popped a personal best 5-6 in the Group III girls high jump to place second.
Long Branch’s Damier Johnson was second in the boys Group III 200-meter dash (21.88).
In Group II, Shore Regional polevaulter Sean Kelly finished second after clearing 13-0.
For the Blue Devil girls, Cameo Kirk was fifth in the 400 hurdles (1:06.26).
Rumson’s Alex Smith took fifth in the boys’ Group II triple jump (44-11 ¾).
The top six finishers in each event at the State Group meets qualified for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, which was Wednesday at South Plainfield.