12-foot effort wins at state meet
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
It was the perfect ending for pole vaulter Marlee Sabatino and the record-setting Hillsborough High School girls 4×400 relay.
Sabatino, a senior in her final meet in New Jersey, won the girls pole vault at the Meet of Champions last Wednesday in South Plainfield when she was the only competitor to clear 12 feet. She is the first Raiders girl to win a MOC title since Ebony Young won the triple jump in 2009.
"It feels good," said Sabatino, who won the 2013 indoor MOC. "I’m really happy. Having indoor and outdoor titles before my high school career is over, and it’s my last year and winning Meet of Champs last year, it feels good."
Sabatino came off a 12-foot clearance that won her the Group IV meet days earlier. She started the MOC at 10-6 in what amounted to another warm-up jump for her. It took her two attempts at 11 feet only because she didn’t have the right pole for her first jump. She cleared 12 feet on her first attempt.
"It is nice to see Marlee go out on top as state champion," said Raiders head coach Rich Refi, who came to the pole vault area in time to see her wrap up the title. "She had a tough day at the sectional meet but made the most of her opportunity capturing the Group IV and MOC titles."
Being a senior and getting back toward her own personal record of 12-6 were encouraging signs for her. It made the win more meaningful.
"I was really happy when I won indoors last year, but I think I won that with 11-6," Sabatino said. "The previous year, I had lost indoors and outdoors and got second place jumping 12. The fact I won it my junior year jumping 11-6 was kind of funny. Winning it with a jump that I care about, 12-feet, it means a lot."
The Raiders were also thrilled to see their 4×400 relay come through with its best race at the MOC. Daija King, Lauren Smith, Olivia Mukendi and Casey Kelly shattered the old record of 3:56.79 set at the 1998 outdoor nationals. The quartet was 10th last Wednesday in 3:54.56.
"I’m very excited for the 4×4 team for setting the school record after being so close a number of times," Refi said. "I’m excited for Tierra (Hicks) who coached a group of great girls to break the record of the team she anchored back in 1998."
Sabatino’s win and the relay record highlighted the Raiders’ trip to the MOC. Stephanie Mauer took 18th in 3200 in 11:02.9, the 4×100 was 27th in 50.41 and Tre Murphy was 35th in discus at 96-10. Their trip to the MOC wrapped up what has been a highly successful spring for the Raiders.
"All in all, it was a great season highlighted by our repeat win at the state sectionals," Refi said. "It is an extremely tough section so to repeat is just awesome."
The Raiders 4×400 is looking to better its mark from last week at nationals. That won’t be easy with each of the four girls running well Wednesday. King led off in 58.7 seconds, Smith ran 58.6 seconds, Mukendi ran 58.6 and Kelly anchored in 58.2 seconds. The Raiders ran to second in their heat.
"I was really happy," said King, a junior. "After I gave up the stick, Lauren kept ahead of that one girl. Then she gave the stick off to Olivia and she stayed in a good lead. Then we gave it off to Casey, and she brought it home. I’m glad we all came together and made it this far to have a good time.
"We were so excited," she added. "We finally beat it. We were so happy. We all ran 58s. It was a proud moment for us."
For 16 years, the mark had stood challenge after challenge, but this year’s group has been together for more than a year and they have been singularly focused on getting it. They have set a standard that will take a special group to break, though all four of them will be back next year.
"I felt like we set the record really high," King said. "I felt like we set a pretty good record. Hopefully we’ll break it again so we’ll be even better. With other generations behind us, I think it’ll be pretty hard for them to keep up with our time."
The Raiders have another chance to lower it this weekend. They will run at the outdoor nationals and they are brimming with confidence after the MOC effort.
"I felt like it was a really good race," King said. "That’s the fastest we all ever ran. I feel like we finally reached our peak of knowing we can PR and do anything we put our minds to. I felt like, when next season comes on, or at nationals, we feel like we can break the record even more.
"I just hope that we can break another school record for the 4×4," she added. "I hope we all PR. Hopefully we all get 57s this time. I just hope we do our best since this is our last time running and then we have to wait ‘til next season."
Sabatino will also be competing at nationals. She is jumping in the emerging elite division after missing by just an inch the qualifying standard for the championship division. After she had wrapped up her first outdoor gold, the Harvard-bound Sabatino went for 12-7.
"My PR is 12-6," Sabatino said. "I was really looking for a PR. I’ve had good attempts at it. I still have next year and nationals."
Sabatino is coming to the close of her high school career in fine fashion. She is heading in the right direction after some health and form struggles.
"When I started really training again and being consistent in the beginning of March, ever since then, I’ve seen improvement in practices and meets," Sabatino said. "I knew I could, I just didn’t know when. I’m glad it came by the end of my high school year so I have that confidence going to college.
"This helps a little bit. Seeing your training pay off, even having the practices I’ve been having, that not only boosted my confidence, but it obviously meant I was getting better. Going into next year, this is a better place to be."
Sabatino is taking strength from knowing that she has cleared 12 feet in each of the last two meets.
"It does mean a lot to me," she said. "When I first jumped 12 feet, I think I was jumping 12 pretty consistently every meet after that indoors and outdoors. That’s when I jumped 12-6. Even though it’s only two meets, it’s a good sign for me."
She would like nothing more than to equal or eclipse her personal record at nationals. From there, she will begin training for Harvard and keep sharp with some lower key competitions. She goes into the summer looking forward to one of her final scholastic meets and jumping in college.
"It’s one thing to say that I jumped 12 feet," Sabatino said. "Even being close to these bars puts me in position to do well. Being able to say I jumped that last year, it’ll put me in better position to start off next year, for myself mentally. I feel a lot better."