Ewere’s silver medal caps career
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
OLD BRIDGE — The Hillsborough High School girls track and field team’s rate of return on medals from the Meet of Champions would make any Wall Street investor jealous.
The Raiders took nine athletes to the Meet of Champions at Old Bridge, and six of them returned with medals.
”I thought we did great,” said Hillsborough head coach Rich Refi. “We took girls to the meet and six medaled. That’s second best in Hillsborough history. And the girls who didn’t medal were the two pole vaulters, who were tied for 12th and Kelly (Janokowicz), who was 13th. To be that high up in the state is quite an honor.”
Ellie Ewere closed her late-blooming career with a silver medal in the girls triple jump, an event that saw four girls eclipse 39 feet. The Hillsborough senior jumped 39-feet-3¼, only three-quarters of an inch behind winner Adefunke Sonaike of Montgomery High. But just pulling herself into second was a feat.
”She was down to fifth going into her final jump and she pulled out second,” Refi said. “It would have been great to get one of those fouls back. She had two that were way out there. If she doesn’t pull out that final jump, she’s in fifth instead of second. She was consistent all season.”
Ewere was seventh last year at the MOC with a jump of 37-10. She made significant improvements since then to cap a scholastic career that got a late start.
”It was a great career, considering where she came from,” said Refi of the Nebraska-bound Ewere. “She didn’t come out as a freshman. Her sophomore year was very uneventful. To wind up being state runner-up is pretty awesome.”
Ewere only made the MOC for the first time last year. She came back to cap as big a jump as anyone in the state has made over the last three years.
”We only saw potential,” Refi said. “She didn’t put it together until last year.”
Another senior, Julianna Miller, placed seventh in the girls 3,200 meters. The Duke-bound Miller ran 10:52.56 to earn her first MOC medal. The time is also a personal record for outdoors.
”She’s been very steady,” Refi said. “That was a great field, one of the best 3,200 fields ever assembled and she got a medal in it.
”She was fine. The plan was if it goes out slow to take the lead. It never went out slow. Going through the mile, she was near the front. They kept pushing. She did what she could do. She had an outdoor PR by seven seconds. From last year, she dropped 23 seconds. The goal was to medal, and she got a medal.”
Not far behind was Kelly Janokowicz in 13th place in 11:05.14. It was a personal best for the sophomore.
”They both ended on outdoor bests,” Refi said of his two-milers. “Kelly won the unseeded heat, which I think is important. She had an eight-second PR. From this season, compared to last season, I think she went from 11:22 to 11:05. She didn’t even make it out of sectionals last year. To be 13th in the state has to do a lot for her confidence. Her best days are definitely ahead of her.”
The Hillsborough 4×800 relay of Kelly Loebs, Stephanie Nunes, Nadja Delgado and Rachael Van Pelt ran 9:33.07 for seventh place.
”They ran great,” Refi said. “That was within two seconds of the school record. That was our best for the year. And they ended their season with medals at the Meet of Champs. I don’t think it could have gone much better.”
Delgado and Nunes are seniors who will graduate, while the other half of the team will return with the experience from last Thursday’s race along with the motivation to try to improve on the finish.
”At some point later in the season, I told them, if we get in, I believe we will medal,” Refi said. “They came through. They performed. They got their medal, which I think is a great way to end their season.”
The season is not over for Miranda Reinson, the senior pole vaulter who finished tied for 12th along with junior Emily Shipley on Thursday. Both cleared 10-6, equaling Reinson’s clearance at the Group IV meet. Reinson will compete at the nationals today in Greensboro, N.C. It will give Reinson a chance to finish her year on a high note.
” I’m going to nationals on Thursday and I’m going to try my best and see what happens,” Reinson said. “I feel like I need a change of atmosphere and I’ll get that next year.”
Reinson is heading to the University of Delaware to continue pole vaulting. She’s looking to bounce back from a season for which she had high expectations for herself.
”I know I’m quite capable of doing better than what I did,” she said. “It’s kind of disappointing to not be able to have people see that.”
Reinson, though, was a big part of a Hillsborough girls team that was one of the most talented in program history. The Raiders have the MOC medal haul to show for their efforts.
”I think the most significant thing was six medals from it,” Refi said. “To send nine girls and come back with six medals, and have everyone in the top 13, it’s pretty phenomenal.”