Shields out with injury
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
Things are pretty much the same as they’ve been every September around the Manville High cross country program in recent years.
There are just about enough runners for the boys and girls to compete in dual meets. Some athletes ran over the summer, some didn’t do much. The roster contains a few returning runners and some newcomers. That’s been par for the course in a sport where MHS has always struggled with numbers.
Veteran head coach Jim O’Connor has built the program from low numbers to respectable turnouts in recent years, even putting a full girls’ team into action last year. He was expecting to feel much more positive and upbeat on the first day of school, but an injury to his best runner has changed the outlook for the 2008 campaign.
Senior standout Casey Shields, who made a huge move last fall as a junior, is out with torn ligaments in her ankle. Shields qualified for the State Group 1 Championships for the first time in 2007, a season filled with personal records. It’s uncertain if and when Shields will return.
”She may not run at all,” O’Connor said. “That’s put the hopes for a good girls’ team on hold for now.”
Shields was poised to make her move to her first NJSIAA Meet of Champions after a breakout junior season. After getting faster each week leading into the post-season series of meets, she finished seventh in the Central Jersey Group 1 meet at Thompson Park in a time of 21:48. Things didn’t go well in her first trip to Holmdel Park for the State Group 1 Championships, but Shields chalked it up as a learning experience and vowed to improve in her next trip to the state championship racecourse.
She may not get the opportunity.
”We’re at about the same place we were last year,” O’Connor said. “With a healthy Casey, I expected to beat some of these teams. We had a chance to be a decent Group 1 team. Now, we’re about where we were last year.”
Manville still has enough runners to compete as a full girls’ team, but must have everyone healthy and ready to go on meet days. Four of the five runners are back from last season, when the MHS girls made history by winning their first meet as a team.
Senior Kate Harodetsky, who has run with Shields throughout her career, begins the season as the No. 1 runner. Harodetsky is a hard-working athlete who cut significant time off her distance races in the track and field season last spring.
”She improved a lot toward the end of last (cross country) season and she had a very good track season,” O’Connor said. “She looks very steady and she hasn’t lost her appetite for it.”
Seniors Ivanna Tchir and Arielle Mizov and junior Amanda Velez also return from last year. Mizov has impressed O’Connor during the preseason. Freshman Jennifer Wangui has also caught the coach’s attention in the early workouts.
The Manville boys’ team will have a much different look this fall. Last year’s top three have graduated, leaving a bunch of newcomers to carry the load. Sasa Todorovic, the boys’ pack leader for the past three years, and classmates Adam Wolcott and Jason Pfoutz are gone.
Two former soccer players will lead the way in 2008. Junior Eddie Yakobchuk and sophomore Ernest Yakobchuk are out in front so far. O’Connor likes the spirit both boys bring to the team. The natural sibling rivalry has also pushed the brothers to run faster.
”They’re coming in with good enthusiasm,” O’Connor said. “Eddie looks very promising but Ernest doesn’t want to let his older brother beat him. He’s very determined.”
Eddie Yakobchuk ran 18:30 in a 5K over the summer and sophomore Matias Gualtieri, another newcomer, ran the fastest time in last year’s school physical education fitness test for freshmen. Gualtieri is out for the first month of the season but should be a big contributor in October.
Junior Andrew Franko and sophomore Randy Gomez are back from last year’s team. Both veterans hope to push the team leaders and create a tighter pack.
Senior Dan Kirkaldy, junior Charlie Burkoski and sophomore Joey Veglatte round out the eight-man roster for the MHS boys.
Manville’s teams will run their usual array of mid-week dual meets at various venues throughout Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties in the first half of the season. The Mustangs will shift to championship meet mode in the second half with the county and conference races at Pleasant Valley Park in Bernards, Central Jersey Group 1 Championships at Thompson Park and State Group 1 meet in Holmdel.

