Mustangs not catching breaks
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
Pat Gorbatuk is less than one month into his first season as Manville High’s head track and field coach, but he’s already encountered some strange controversies in dual meets.
Both rulings have gone against Gorbatuk’s program one robbed the girls of a victory and the other cost the boys a win. In both controversies, Gorbatuk has a legitimate beef.
The MHS girls traveled to Mount St. Mary’s Academy for its first regular season meet April 7 and thought they had left the Watchung campus with a victory. The Mount did not have proper facilities to conduct the shot put, discus, javelin and high jump. When the home team cannot hold events, it must forfeit the points, which would give Manville nine points in all four events for a total of 36.
Mount St. Mary’s appealed to the Skyland Conference, which took away Manville’s victory and ruled that the meet must be concluded in Manville at a later date.
”When a host team does not provide the facility, the other team gets the points,” Gorbatuk said. “That’s the way it’s supposed to work.”
Gorbatuk wasn’t happy to see his girls lose a victory, but he was more annoyed for other reasons.
”I don’t really care about the wins and losses, it was a waste of time,” Gorbatuk said. “We lost a day of practice for the boys. Now we’ll lose another one when they come here.”
The Manville girls had some nice performances in that opening dual meet. Amy Evanylo won three events, sweeping the hurdles and running a team-low 1:12.5 split to lead the 4×400 relay team to a time under five minutes. Courtney Brisebois swept the 100 and 200 meter sprints. Sabrina Brozyna, Anh Le and Kate Harodetsky also ran well against a very good team.
Manville’s girls have recovered to win their next three regular season meets, defeating Roselle Park at home and sweeping Bound Brook and Sussex Tech on the road.
Unfortunately, the Manville boys didn’t continue their winning ways after the program’s home sweep over Roselle Park. The Mustangs thought they had salvaged a split of their April 14 tri-meet at Bound Brook, but a controversy in the pole vault cost them the meet against Sussex Tech.
Bound Brook defeated Manville fair and square, but Sussex Tech needed a little help from the official. The boys’ pole vault usually begins no lower than eight feet, but the official moved the bar to seven feet, which allowed a second Sussex Tech vaulter to clear opening height and score the three points that made the difference in Manville’s 66-64 loss.
The Mustangs don’t have pole vaulters and the event is not scored in most of the team’s meets. Scoring the event wasn’t what upset Gorbatuk. He took issue with the official lowering the height to allow a Sussex Tech jumper to score three points for second place.
Gorbatuk contacted Don Danser, the meet director of NJSIAA championship events, to inquire about the pole vault ruling. Danser said the official has the right to start the height at any distance.
”Have you ever heard of boys pole vaulting seven feet?” Gorbatuk said. “I’ve never seen an official go below eight feet for the boys’ pole vault.”
Gorbatuk expects controversy and gamesmanship during the winter when he coaches the school’s wrestling team. Those meets and tournaments are always intense and usually include some questionable officiating. He figured things would be more low-key and friendly during the spring outdoor track and field campaign.
”I’m very disappointed that grownups who are in high places aren’t getting the job done,” Gorbatuk said. “They’re taking wins away from the Manville kids. It’s pathetic.”

