With the Penn Relays (April 26-28) rapidly approaching, time is not on the side of track and field competitors who are trying to put up a mark they need to qualify for the national event in Philadelphia.
One of the last opportunities to gain entry into the nation’s biggest track meet will come on April 14 when Colts Neck High School hosts the Colts Neck Relays.
Distance medley relay teams and 4×800- meter teams that need a Penn Relays qualifying time will be looking to hit those marks at Colts Neck.
In addition to the distance medley relay and the 4×800 relay, the 4×1,600, 4×400, 4×200, 4×100, sprint medley relay and 3×400 intermediate hurdles relays will be contested on the track.
In the field, there will relays in the shot put, discus, javelin, long jump, high jump and pole vault.
The competition will start at 9 a.m.
The 2012 season began with the Howell High School boys scoring a win at home in the Rebel Relays on March 31.
Howell outscored Trenton, 47-38, to win the Division II (large schools) championship. Victories in the pole vault, high jump and triple jump relays helped propel Howell to the crown. The pole vault and high jump competitions were especially challenging because of the steady rain.
In the pole vault relay, Howell’s Joe Zientek (11-6) and Colton Lambert (10-6) teamed up for the win. They were first and third overall individually.
Howell swept the high jump relay with Toran Mitchell clearing 5-6. Ryan Dee and Vincent Mortillaro were second and third.
Mitchell and Dee were also members of the Rebels’winning triple jump relay team. Mitchell had the best jump for the Rebels (39-5), followed by Dee (36-8½) and Edward Balisalisa (33-10).
Dee had the best effort in the long jump competition, 19-10, a relay event in which the Rebels placed third.
Howell’s girls were sixth in Division II (30 points) and scored wins in the intermediate hurdles relay and the javelin relay.
The trio of Aly Moreland (1:11.68), Beck Adu (1:12.09) and Leondra Weems (1:14.12) claimed the victory in the hurdles.
In the javelin relay, Victoria Bowers had the best throw of the meet (106-7). The efforts of Melody Walthers (98-9) and Gina Rubiano (77-3) backed up Bowers’ throw and helped the Rebels win the competition.