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SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Track star Harvard bound

By Maria Riegel, Special Writer
   Senior and South Brunswick High school girls’ varsity track long jumper, triple jumper and sprinter, Mariah Browne, is described as a talented and dedicated athlete and a state champion in the long jump according to head varsity girls track coach Stefan Moorhead.
   ”She is an outstanding athlete and more importantly an outstanding person,” Mr. Moorhead said. “She is a student that shows what we stand for at South Brunswick High School.”
   Mariah began competitive track when her family suggested she try out in seventh grade. She ran for the Crossroads Middle School track team in middle school and said that she enjoys the fact that track is a team sport and that it offers a competitive environment.
   Mariah’s high school track career began her freshman year when she started as a long jumper on the varsity team.
   ”She is talented and has a lot of natural abilities and works very hard,” Mr. Moorhead said. “When you combine those qualities it makes her (a) standout.”
   Throughout the four years Mr. Moorhead has coached Mariah, he has seen her self-confidence and assurance improve which has allowed her to reach her full potential.
   According to Mr. Moorhead, Mariah has really matured and now believes in what she is capable of.
   ”I won meter championships last year and that was my first time wining a big meet for states (championship),” Mariah said.
   Mr. Moorhead also said that Mariah has had an ankle injury for the past few weeks, but that has not discouraged or hindered her from doing her best.
   ”She has a lot of speed and will run about 100 feet before jumping which builds up her power and momentum which she transfers when going into the pit,” Mr. Moorhead said.
   This is the team’s sixth consecutive GMC win this year, and Mariah has contributed significantly to their streak according to Mr. Moorhead.
   Mariah is considered an extremely valuable athlete to the team because she has been a GMC champion in the long jump since her freshman year and won the varsity track MVP award as a junior.
   ”I just always want to do better and out do myself,” Mariah said. “I want to be more of a leader, practice a lot harder and compete harder.”
   Mr. Moorhead has also seen Mariah interact well with the underclassmen on the team, acting as their mentors. He believes that this is a result from her participation in the PEER Leadership program at South Brunswick High School.
   PEER Leadership is a gym replacement class for seniors. This class allows them to interact and mentor the freshman students.
   Although Mariah believes that she is a strong jumper she would still like to improve her technique in the long jump and wants to beat her records from last year which was a 19-05.25 in the long jump, and a 38-6.25 in the triple jump. Her overall goal is to jump 20 feet in the long jump.
   During the 2011- 2012 school year Mariah will be running for Harvard Universityin Cambridge, Massachusettes, which recruited her for the track team.
   Although Mariah is enthusiastic about her next stepping stone in the track environment at Harvard, she will still miss participating in the track program at South Brunswick because of the close-knit family she has created with the coaches and runners.
   In all, Mr. Moorhead feels that Mariah is a well rounded, dedicated runner, and could become an even stronger runner at Harvard.
   Mr. Moorhead said that competing against her other running mates at Harvard will give her more of a competitive edge which will ultimately improve her.
   ”The points lost next year will hurt us, but we will develop new people,” Mr. Moorhead said. “It will take more than one person to fill her shoes. It will be a challenge.”