Evanylo, Brisebois lead way
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
The Manville High girls showed their depth, versatility and conditioning on the track and in the field to sweep last week’s tri-meet at Bound Brook.
While the team isn’t strong in numbers, it has athletes who are able to compete in three or four events. First-year head coach Pat Gorbatuk made the most of his small girls’ roster and put together a solid lineup against two teams of similar size. The Manville girls continued their undefeated dual meet season with victories over Bound Brook (83-38) and Sussex Tech (79-43).
”Each team had about 15 kids, but the difference was that our girls ran in three or four events,” Gorbatuk said. “We spread the lineup out.”
Junior Amy Evanylo was pressed in her victories in the two hurdling events. She finished four-tenths of a second in front of teammate Sabrina Brozyna in the 400 hurdles and edged a Sussex Tech athletes by four-hundredths of a second in the 100 hurdles. Evanylo, who won the 400 hurdles in 1:17.4 and 100 hurdles in 19.93, also helped the 4×400 relay team prevail in 5:12.
Senior Kate Harodetsky won the 1,600 meters (6:14.9) and finished second overall in the 3,200 (14:05.5). Harodetsky’s mile was a personal record. Junior Courtney Brisebois won the 100 meters (14.0) and took second overall in the 200 (30.7).
Three more MHS athletes finished first overall Christine Pohl in the 800 (2:55.2), Brozyna in the long jump (12-5¼), Nicole Cruz in the triple jump (25-1¼). Cruz also won the discus (56-6) vs. Sussex Tech.
”The girls are moving along,” Gorbatuk said. “A lot of them did great in terrible weather. These girls are tough, physical kids.”
Brozyna ran 1:17.8 in the 400 hurdles and 20.6 in the 100 hurdles. Other Manville girls scoring points included Le in the 100 (15.3), 200 (31.7) and 400 (1:10.6), Pohl in the 1,600 (6:22), Rebecca Burke in the 800 (3:18.2) and javelin (63-0), Jen Wanjohi in the 800 (3:26.4), 1,600 (7:24.6) and 3,200 (14:52), Sima Isachenko in the discus (53-7) and triple jump (24-8), Brisebois in the long jump (12-0½) and triple jump (24-10), Harodetsky in the long jump (11-6) and Amanda Velez in the 3,200 (15:37.4).
The MHS boys performed well but a scoring controversy in the pole vault hurt and they were swept. Manville fell to 1-2 in dual meets with losses to Bound Brook (76-54) and Sussex Tech (66-64).
Gorbatuk thought his boys had salvaged a split with a win over Sussex Tech, but the officials allowed the pole vault to begin at seven feet, which gave a second Tech jumper a chance to clear opening height for three team points. The terrible conditions made it difficult for anyone to track the scoring.
”The score wasn’t really being kept on the track because of the weather,” Gorbatuk said. “We kept the distances and the times, but it wasn’t an easy process.”
Manville posted some good times and distances in the tri-meet. Senior Billy Demeter led the Mustangs by sweeping both teams in the long jump (18-6) and triple jump (37-2½). Manville had two more overall winners Scott Alpizar in the 400 hurdles (1:04.5) and Eddie Yakobchuk in the 3,200 (12:01).
The Mustangs did not score well in the weight events. Bound Brook scored 24 of the 27 points in the throws, while Sussex Tech enjoyed an 18-9 advantage there.
”Overall, Sussex Tech might have been a little more well-rounded, especially in the throws,” Gorbatuk said. “That was the difference in the meet. We did well in the jumps, but we got demolished in the throws.”
Sophomore Mike Hopkins fired the javelin 116-9 to beat Tech but finish second vs. Bound Brook. Other MHS boys scoring points included Matt Zangara in the 100 (12.4), 200 (25.7) and 400 (56.1), Yakobchuk in the 1,600 (5:20), Devin Burke in the 400 (58.4), David Olmsted in the 110 high hurdles (19.3) and javelin (106-11), Brandon Togneri in the 800 (2:21) and 1,600 (5:26), Doug Bradley in the 800 (2:26) and 1,600 (5:32), Ernest Yakobchuk in the 3,200 (12:21), Nick Galaini in the 3,200 (13:30), Hopkins in the triple jump (34-9½), Karol Blicharz in the discus (90-0) and the 4×400 relay (4:02.6) of Alpizar, Burke, Peter Hando and Zangara.
Manville’s boys and girls were scheduled to host North Plainfield in a Tuesday dual meet.

