ROBBINSVILLE: Ravens tested at Mercer meet

Hunter sets pole vault mark

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   Almost half of Robbinsville High School’s track and field team could not participate in the Mercer County Championships that were held two days before the Central Jersey Group I meet, but those that did made the most of their chances.
   Craig Hunter continued his remarkable winter and is starting to find a second home at the Lawrenceville School, the host site for the county meet. One week after pole vaulting 15-feet-1 for the first time there, he returned to officially set the Mercer County all-time record with the same mark to win the boys event Sunday.
   ”It gives me a good feeling to see him do that,” said Ravens boys coach Jon Hutchinson. “It’s huge for him.”
   For good measure, Hunter also cleared a personal-best 6-feet-6 to win the high jump and complete what has to be considered close to a perfect day.
   ”He’s been doing great,” Hutchinson said. “That high jump of 6-6, I always thought he had the ability to do it. He saw the competition and was feeling it. He was in a good rhythm. He and Hakiem Horton got in a rhythm and were pushing each other.
   ”We started the meet, and the jumping started before the track so we were watching them. Once it got to 6-6, everybody was watching. It was cool to see everyone surround the high jump and get really into it.”
   On the girls’ side, Myana Morris-Bullock set herself up for sectionals with a strong showing at the county meet. The junior placed third overall in the 55-meter dash after running a new personal-record 7.34 seconds in the preliminaries.
   ”I was kind of excited because the time I got puts me on the national elite list,” Morris-Bullock said. “I was excited about that. I was trying to get 7.39. I got 7.34. Then I slipped and messed up in the finals.
   ”Normally I mess up on the starts. My start was really good for me. I know I can do what I’ve actually been practicing.”
   Morris-Bullock still ran 7.40 in the finals to show that her speed is there. It was only the third time this season that she has run the dash, and only the second time it was electronically timed.
   ”I feel really good about it,” Morris-Bullock said. “This means I’ll be ranked around 10 (for Meet of Champions). That gives me a huge advantage. Now I’m not afraid. I would definitely medal. If I run what I’ve run, I could get first at sectionals.”
   Turning a completely different direction, Morris-Bullock also picked up fourth in the girls shot put even though her 32-4 was off the best she set only a week ago.
   ”I’m not very consistent with shot,” Morris-Bullock said. “Sometimes I forget how to glide. If I can remember and do everything right, I can get 34-feet again and get through sectionals for shot too.”
   Morris-Bullock is hoping to have plenty of company with which to advance from sectionals to groups. The county meet primed the Robbinsville girls for the next step. They haven’t had many meets, but they’ve been training to prepare for Sunday’s county meet, where they placed sixth overall.
   ”We spend a lot of time working out,” Morris-Bullock said. “I feel like our team is getting better every year. We have good sprinters, and throwers and runners.
   ”We took a lot of freshmen girls that came in doing the hurdles and Noelle (Jancewicz) is doing the hurdles and she’s good at that too.”
   At the county meet, Jancewicz was sixth in the hurdles and second in the high jump. Katie Koss was fourth in the 400 meters. Christina Levering was fourth in the high jump.
   ”I think Coach (Mike) Walker was really happy too,” Morris-Bullock said. “He was really proud of us.”
   Hunter accounted for 20 of the Raven boys’ 25 points as they finished fifth overall. Julian Jiggetts was fourth in the 400 meters and Jacob Krakowski was sixth in the shot put.
   ”The whole team, I think we did a good job,” Hutchinson said. “We had sectionals (Tuesday). We’re trying to save some of our runners for it. The sprinters, Jiggetts in the 400 getting fourth, getting shot put points — Jake Krakowski is having a huge season. Craig, it gives me a good feeling. Graham (Rousseau) didn’t make it to finals in 55 hurdles, but I think it was a season best and school record. To have that type of meet, we’re trying to get people tuned up, it gets me excited to see how they perform (Tuesday). I’m happy and excited.
   ”We sat out a lot of our distance runners,” he added. “We gave some of our guys the opportunity to go out and run and get personal bests, some of the guys on the cusp of doing something great.”
   The Allentown boys scored two points as pole vaulter Mike Fritskey placed fifth with a 10-foot clearance. The Allentown girls scored 9½ points for ninth place. Carrie Ruge was fourth and Mary Nickerson tied for fifth in the pole vault. Kristen Chiafullo was fourth in the 800 meters.
   The county meet left Robbinsville with a promising feeling going into Tuesday’s scheduled sectional. The Ravens will be at full strength as they go for their big goal in Group I.
   ”I think the kids we have going to sectional, most if not all, have the chance to do really well,” Hutchinson said. “I’m hoping for a lot of medals. We’re trying to get that team title.”
   With defending sectional champion Metuchen and another sectional champion, Bernards, moving in, Hutchinson expected quite a challenge.
   ”I hope everyone on all three teams run great races,” Hutchinson said. “That’s what I like, line everyone up and let’s see who wins. Hopefully things turn out well.”