Freehold Township High School will look to sweep the team titles at the Freehold Regional High School District Track and Field Championships today, April 29. Howell High School will host the annual event, which began in 1972, starting at 3:45 p.m.
While coach Todd Briggs’ boys have been a force in recent years (they have won four of the last six meets, including the last two), the Freehold Township girls have emerged as a power in their own right.
The Patriot girls are coming off a very successful season under cover in which they won their first indoor championship — the Monmouth County crown — which coach Shawn Levinson said has been a springboard to the outdoor campaign.
“They understand now what it takes to win,” he said. “Their hard work paid off.”
One of the Patriots’ goals, along with winning the Shore Conference A North Division title, is to repeat as the FRHSD team champions.
“We don’t want to come up short in any of our goals,” said Levinson, whose team is well on its way to winning the A North crown, having beaten Howell in its opening dual meet.
Helping the Patriots’ cause is the versatility of the squad’s top athletes. That group makes the team competitive in every event.
Showing the way are sprinter/hurdlers/ middle distance runners Kelly Berg, Rhianna Zalewski, Gabby Galanti, Kelly Periera and Emily Periera. The Patriots have veteran Chelsea Thorsheim and freshman Brianne Roche for the distance events. In the field events, Collette Johnson and Galanti are the team’s big scorers.
The Freehold Township boys are also talented, led by the all-around athlete Sean Walsh, who can sprint, hurdle and jump. He set an FRHSD record for the indoor pentathlon this winter.
Randy Spadola, Gregg Tilley, Kwame Manful, Matt Intile, Eric Dynarski, Dave Benjamin, John Constantino, Andy Amakihe, Damon Ellis, Rich Fedak and James Faith are among the bevy of versatile athletes who can compete in a number of events for the defending champions.
The Patriots defeated Christian Brothers Academy, 79.5-60.5, in a dual meet on April 19 and are well on their way to winning another A North Division championship and putting together an undefeated dual meet season.
There will be other individual talent on display at Howell on April 29, including Howell’s state champion high jumper Maggie Gilbertson and pole-vaulter Kellie Bresz; the area’s top distance runner, Freehold’s Mackenzie Roche; and Marlboro’s sprinting sensation Cathy Chukuka and javelin thrower Elaina Mezzasalma.
Favorites like Gilbertson and Bresz, plus a host of other talented performers (Howell won the A North Division meet indoors) make the Rebels the team that could give the Patriots a run for their money in the girls meet.
Among the boys, the top athletes include Colts Neck distance runner Mike O’Dowd; Manalapan sprinter Anthony Menza, 800-meter runner Kingsley Prophete and thrower Thomas Buffone (shot put); and Freehold sprinter/hurdler Demetrius Durham.
Returning champions from 2009 include Kelly Periera (400 intermediate hurdles), Bresz (pole vault), Howell’s Kristen Lehrer (shot put), Buffone (shot put), Howell’s John Klubnick (pole vault) and Walsh (high jump).
Some meet records could be under assault at Howell on April 29.
The oldest record on the books for the girls is from 1978, and it is the long jump. Freehold Township’s Denise Sheire leapt 17-6½ to win the championship that year and that mark could be under serious assault. Freehold Township’s Gabby Galanti has surpassed 18-0 a few times in her career and has done 18-1 this year.
Gilbertson’s personal best high jump of 5-8 matches the meet record that is shared by the FRHSD’s best jumpers — Freehold’s Debra Vento and Freehold Township’s Maura Burk.
In the pole vault, Bresz equaled the meet record last spring (9-6). During the winter she set the FRHSD indoor mark at 10-6. She has consistently been clearing 10-0.
The meet record for the girls’ javelin is 125-1 by Marlboro’s Yasmin Deliz. Mezzasalma has thrown an FRHSD record 137-10 this month and that puts Deliz’s record in jeopardy.
The oldest record on the track for the girls dates to 1980, when Lorna Williams of Freehold won the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.0.
The FRHSD meet’s oldest record dates back to 1976. That year, Freehold’s Rodney James unleashed a 188-0 throw in the javelin that has not been touched since. It appears likely that James’ mark will survive another year.
The oldest meet record on the track for the boys is the 9:35.9 in the 3,200 meters that was run by Manalapan’s Tom Fischer in 1982.