By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
The Robbinsville High School track and field teams were looking for experience more than anything in their first meet of the indoor season.
The Ravens ended up with more than that as both the boys and the girls swept the Merli Invitational small schools divisions at the Bennett Indoor Complex in Toms River last week.
”It’s a great start for the season,” said Ravens boys coach Jon Hutchinson. “I like going to the meet every season. There’s good competition down there. I like how it’s a little later this year so we could train and get ready to go.
”I knew we’d be solid. Winning it is a little bonus. We’re senior- and upper class-laden. It’s no surprise they’re starting off strong. They’re hungry. They’re into it this year.”
The girls also picked up where they left off with a solid showing for the team title.
”We like going to the meet to see where our new kids are,” said Ravens girls coach Mike Walker. “Winning is more of a bonus. It’s not like that was our goal. We wanted to see our newer kids compete. Some of the more seasoned kids, we put them in off events. The younger kids had good performances.”
The Robbinsville veterans picked up right where they left off after last spring’s strong showing outdoors. Craig Hunter cleared 6-feet to win the boys high jump, and more impressively, equaled his personal record of last spring when he cleared 14-feet to win the boys pole vault.
”With him, with those technical events, he is so gifted in those type of technical events,” Hutchinson said. “And he’s been practicing over the summer and going to camps. It’s no surprise for him to do so well. He goes to Action Pole Vault and some clinics. He’s doing it all the time. To see personal bests in the first meet is always encouraging.”
Graham Rousseau ran a school-record 8.91 for sixth in the 55-meter hurdles. Julian Jiggetts won the boys 400 meters in 52.14 seconds. Jiggetts was second in the boys 55-meter dash, falling just one-hundredth of a second short of gold in 6.83 seconds. Mike Michon won the 1,600 meters with a new personal-best 4:44.74. Ryan Walter took fifth in the 400 in 54.65 seconds. Filip Ilic was 11th in the boys 800 in 2:14.60. Alex Hallmark ran 4:57.38 for sixth in the same race and Sreyas Yadav was 11th in 5:05.80. David Holzbaur picked up a point for the Ravens in eighth in the 3,200 meters in 10:43.58. Jacob Krakowski threw 38-feet-1¾ for 11th in the shot put. Robbinsville was 10th in the boys 4×400 meters.
”It’s great to see these guys stepping in and starting where they finished off,” Hutchinson said. “Hopefully they keep getting bigger and faster and faster with these every time they compete this year. Jake Krakowski, he threw 38-feet. It’s close to a school record. Mike Mershon PR’d in the mile at 4:44. The training, even early on, is starting to pay some dividends.”
The Ravens have a good number out for their boys team, and their numbers are heavy on seniors this season. The seniors are leading the way for a Robbinsville group that hopes too continue to build even after they graduate.
”It’s good to see we’re getting new kids all the time,” Hutchinson said. “We have a mix. This year, we got some freshmen that have come in and they’re working hard. They came in and bought into the program right away, and that helps a lot. It’s good to get them incorporated.”
They got their first taste of the indoor competition at the Bennett complex, which also hosts the state meets at the end of the year. The Ravens were scheduled to run in a CVC Relay meet at Lawrenceville Prep on Wednesday and have another nine days before the state relays. The Merli Invitational gave them the ideal introduction.
”It’s a good meet,” Hutchinson said. “You get everyone involved. You can see the energy the team had when some of the other guys are running in other events. It’s everyone out there for each other.”
It was the same on the girls side, and there was plenty to cheer for from the Ravens. Myana Morris-Bullock won the girls 55-meter dash in 7.57, just ahead of teammate Noel Jancewicz, who ran 7.63 for second place by more than a tenth of a second. Jancewicz won the high jump with a 5-foot-4 clearance. Jackie Lazzaro won the girls 3,200 meters in 12:12.89 and Julie Swift was second in 12:19.12. Morgan Michon, a soccer player in her first season of track, was third in the girls 400 in 1:06.03 with Lisa Leszcynski ninth in 1:07.39. Erin Holzbaur placed ninth in the 800 meters in 2:43.57. Emily Langsdorf took 10th in the 55 hurdles in 10.56 seconds. Morris-Bullock was eighth in the shot put at 30-9½.
”It’s more for the newer or younger kids that haven’t run track,” Walker said. “With it being over break, we didn’t have our full team. We had enough people that will help contribute down the road.”
Walker was encouraged by the efforts he saw in the first meet of the year. Both veterans and newcomers were impressive.
”Our sprints, with Myana and Noel, look good. The 32, we ran Jackie and Julie and they were doing it as more of a workout running together. We’re in a pretty good spot there. Morgan Michon ran in the 400 and the relay. She got third. She’s new.
”Our best 800 time was a freshman. The throws, I’ve never had this many people throw the shot put. It was cool to see kids that have never been to a track meet go and have that experience, especially at the Bubble.”
The Ravens are hoping they can compete just as well in the bigger meets at Bennett when they return.
”Right now, we still should be Group I for indoors,” Walker said. “We won the last three sections. It seems to change a little every year. This year, they’ve added Bernards. We have them to contend with. They have a great distance program. It’ll be interesting how we stack up. I’m happy with where we’re at now.”
