Jaguars enjoying success on track

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer

It has been a fast-paced schedule of late, but Jackson Memorial High School indoor track and field middle distance runner Garrett Derringer has been able to keep up the pace.

Fresh off competing in four major New Jersey meets in 19 days, including a winning 1:58.3 time in the 800-meter run at the Ocean County Championships, Derringer ran the second leg on Jackson Memorial’s 4×800-meter relay team that clocked a time of 8:13.04 in the New Balance Games on Jan. 23 at the 168th St. Armory in New York.

The time surpassed the 8:15 cutoff time needed to qualify for the Penn Relays in late April. Derringer ran with juniors Ryan Olsen, Gino Cortes and Greg Caldwell, who clocked a personal best 1:57.1 as the anchor, as the Jaguars finished in 10th place out of 35 teams. Derringer clocked a time of 1:59 for his leg.

“It’s a lot,” admitted Derringer of the schedule. “I remember when I was a freshman and sophomore seeing the older guys having a lot of races. We train for it and get used to it. You get a lot of sleep, do the right things. You’re always a runner.”

Despite the fatigue from the schedule, Derringer ran well in the Shore Conference Championships with Caldwell as they both won a medal in the 800. Caldwell ran a 1:58 and was beaten at the tape on a lean. Derringer was fourth in 2:05.5.

Caldwell has qualified for the mile race at the Eastern States Championships to be held in late February and the High School Nationals to be held in March. Both meets will be in New York.

Derringer and Caldwell will compete in the NJSIAA Central Jersey state sectional meet in Toms River, where the Jaguars were moved from Group IV to Group III for the indoor season only.

Derringer also ran on the winning 4×400-meter relay team in the Shore Conference Championships with Caldwell, junior Adam Stokes and sophomore Mike Rogers.

His efforts helped Jackson Memorial finish second in the county meet, its strongest showing in recent years.

The Jaguars also won the Ocean County Relays and the Shore Conference A South Division meet. They finished second to Morristown in the NJSIAA Group III Relays by four points.

Caldwell finished second in the county meet in the mile with a personal best time of 4:26.

Senior Gilson Cortes was second in the county 400 meters in a personal best time of 51.40.

“He has improved every race,” coach Steve Theobald said.

Derringer won the 800, Caldwell captured the mile, and Cortes prevailed in the 400 in the Shore Conference A South Division meet.

Jackson Memorial’s unbeaten shuttle hurdles team holds the fastest time in the state, set in the Group III relays on Jan. 15, in 31.23, the fifth fastest time nationally. It was faster than the Jaguars’ winning 31.30 time in the county meet and 31.34 time in the county relays. Stokes, sophomore Mike Kaba, junior Uchenna Orji and sophomore Steve Avino are on the relay team.

Theobald said he is very pleased with his team this season and credited the athletes’ offseason training and hard work once preseason workouts began.

Alex King and Taylor Grimes had a combined 22-6 height in the pole vault relays at the Group III relays for third place.

Cortes was on three relays that placed in the Group III meet. He was on the 4×200- meter relay with Stokes, Rogers and junior Cole DeCesare that was third in 1:34.60, and the 4×400-meter relay with Caldwell, Stokes and Rogers that was fourth in 3:32.04. Cortes also ran on the distance medley team with Derringer, Olsen and Caldwell that was fourth in 10:49.

In the county relays, the 4×800-meter relay team of Olsen, junior Andre Misdary, Derringer and Caldwell clocked a winning time of 8:23. There also were winning performances by the shuttle hurdles, sprint medley and 4×200 relay teams and a second place finish by the pole vault relay of King and Grimes that jumped 21-6.