Shore Athletic Club athletes truly went coast to coast the weekend of April 6-7, recording major successes in meets staged in New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Arizona and California.
Starting it off were four wins by Shore AC athletes and associated members at the 15th annual Sam Howell Memorial Invitation at Princeton University.
Sylvia Galarza led it off on April 6 by winning the women’s discus throw with a toss of 157-11, while George Abyad marked his return to his alma mater by placing second in the men’s disc at 156-2. Steve Jussaume took fourth in the men’s hammer at 194-3 as winner Conor Mc- Cullough of Princeton whirled a 242-10.
Saturday’s results saw Ashhad Agyapong win the men’s 100-meter dash in 10.50, Jermaine Morris take the 110 high hurdles in 13.96, and Amy Thayer win the hammer throw at 200-9.
In men’s field event action, Sean Biehn claimed third in the javelin at 203-8 with ex-CBA star Jim Tully fourth at 195-4. This was an event that saw ex-Penn NCAA champion Brian Chaput emerge from four years of injury-forced semi-retirement to win at 249-5, third best mark in the nation for the year.
ShoreAC’sAmber Miller won her section of the 200 dash in 24.95. After leading most of the way, Lauren Henkel (2:13.51) was edged out in the final strides of her women’s 800 section. Lindsay Thomas ran 61.03 in the 400 and 2.21.26 in the 800.
The men’s 400 saw ex-Monmouth Regional star Charles Cox (47.85) and Marvin Lewis (47.95) run 3-4 with Kevin Thompson opening his outdoor season at 50.21.
ShoreAC invitee Sadiki White of Millstone, the former LSU standout, ran 1:53.50 in his 800 meter section and then anchored the SAC foursome to a 3:17.90 third in the 4×400 relay, where Cyrus Wesley, Agyapong and Lewis ran the first three legs. Wesley added a 21.89 fourth in the 200.
Monmouth University’s Jake Bartlett won the high jump at 6-6 ¼.
Ex-Princeton and Colts Neck High School great Ashley Higginson, now running professionally, won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase crown in 9:50.54, the best time run by anAmerican woman this year. Current Princeton senior Donn Cabral took the men’s chase in 8:39.42. Neptune High senior Ajee Wilson closed fast to win her section of the women’s 1500 in 4:28.59.
Ex-Penn State star Wendy Fawn-Dorr took the women’s 400 hurdles in 58.17. Jacqueline Todd clocked a 57.16 in the flat 400. Erin Guty, whose father, Joe, is a Shore AC Masters division star, ran the second leg on Princeton’s winning women’s 4×100 relay (46.83.)
At the Florida Relay, special cheers go to Shore AC’s Shameka Marshall for her women’s long jump win at 6.52 meters/ 21-4 ¾ inches, with a legal wind. It was the No. 5 jump in the world this year and No. 2 by a USA athlete. Marshall added a 13.60 performance for seventh in the 100 hurdles to her Gainesville exploits,
The men’s long jump saw Shore AC teammates Johnta Griffin sixth at 23-6 ¼, and Tyrone Harris was 10th at 21-11.
Monmouth University senior/Shore AC member Vinnie Elardo placed in his section of the discus, sixth in the hammer and seventh in the shot put. Monmouth’s Vince DuVernois hurled the javelin 219- 10 for fourth place (in an event where the late, great Bob Roggy of Holmdel and Southern Illinois continues to hold the meet record with his 272-3 in 1978.)
Princetonian Austin Hollimon clocked a 50.61 for third in the 400 hurdles, with Mario Briscoe at 51.49 and Devon Burroughs at 52.70.
The 800 meters saw Delaware State senior/Shore AC member Donte Holmes clock a solid 1:48:48 in third place.
Shore AC high-jump star Justin Frick, the former Freehold High School, Princeton and University of Oregon standout, cleared 7-1 for third place in the Stanford Invitational Meet.
The SunAngel Classic atArizona State saw Shore AC star Sarah Walker win the women’s shot put at 57-7 ¾ and teammate PaulWagner take third in the men’s hammer throw at 211-9.
Shore AC’s George Fields won the long jump with a 7.63/25-0 ½ span at the Duke University Invitational in Durham, N.C.
The Auburn University Invitational in Auburn, Ala., saw Fred Sharpe win the 800 in 1:51.31 and Andrew Brunson take third in the 110 high hurdles at 13.89.
At the tradition-laden Colonial Relays at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., Shore AC’s Emmanuel Freeland ran 10.79 and 10.87 times in two rounds of the open 100. Former New Jersey International champion Patrick Roach ran off with the 800-meter title in 1:48.72.
In the men’s 4×800 relay, brothers and Shore AC teammates James and Gigi Gibilisco ran two of the four legs for Mount St. Mary’s 7:44.68 team.
Colts Neck High School grad Craig Forys anchored Michigan to a 9:52.99 second place in the distance medley relay. The day before, April 6, Forys finished third in the 5,000 (13:52.14).