Scott, Flynn and Lachman victorious in individual events
By: Kyle Moylan Sports Editor
The Robbinsville High School girls’ winter track team won the Central Jersey Group I Sectional Championship while competing at Toms River this past weekend.
The Robbinsville girls won the Central Jersey Group I title with 73.5 points (runner up Shore Regional had 63 points).
“The girls knew it was going to be a tough meet against Shore Regional for the team title,” noted Robbinsville Coach Mike Walker. “The girls also knew that if they performed like they have all season, that they had a very good chance of winning.
“It helps to have a couple of the state’s best runners to score the big points in Amber Scott and Megan Flynn, but winning the meet needed to be a total team effort.”
Scott won the 55 hurdles. Scott was also second in the 55 meter dash. Flynn won the 1600 and 3200.
“Amber Scott ran terrific races and qualified for nationals with her time in the 55 hurdles,” Walker noted. “Megan Flynn broke the meet records for both the 1600 and 3200 races.”
The top six girls in each event earned a medal. Two other Robbinsville girls earned a pair of medals.
Amber Rylak was second in the 1600 and fourth in the 800. Meagan Lesniak was third in the 1600 and third in the 3200.
“Meagan Lesniak and Amber Rylak both had strong doubles to help the team by picking up big points,” Walker said.
The other Robbinsville girls to earn medals were Jackie Lazzaro (fourth in the 3200), Jackie Sikora (tied for fifth in the high jump) and Amanda Douglass (fifth in the 400).
“Amanda Douglass has really stepped up this year and has become a very strong 400 runner,” Walker noted.
The 4×400 meter relay (Amanda Douglass, Allyson Guieb, Alyssa McAnany and Jackie Sikora) also medaled by placing fifth.
This is the first winter track sectional for the Robbinsville girls. Last year the girls placed second.
All of the medalists advance on to compete in the Group I State Championships Saturday at Toms River.
“The girls all ran great races and most of the girls who did not medal still had their personal bests,” Walker noted.
Silpa Srinivasulu had a personal record in the trials of the 55 hurdles with a fast time 9.60. She did even better in the finals with a 9.59.
“ Unfortunately, she finished seventh and did not medal, but her performance would have easily medaled in any of the other Group I sections,” Walker noted.
The relay team of Douglass, Allyson Guieb, Alyssa McAnany and Jackie Sikora ran their best time of the season.
The Robbinsville boys also had a few medalists as well. Nick Lachman defended his 3200 meter title by winning with a time of 9:58. The 4×400 meter relay team (Ryan Lee, Julian Jiggetts, Mike Giesler, Nick Lachman) placed sixth.
Just like with the girls, the top six finishers in each event advance on to the Group I state finals on Saturday. Lachman and the 4×400 will get a chance to compete in that event.