Lamesha Burgess, middle, and the Allentown High School girls basketball team has had plenty to cheer about this winter. The Redbirds are 17-3 and seeded No. 3 in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III tournament that begins next month. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Allentown High School’s indoor track and field team never had a state champion before this season. But in a span of 15 minutes, it got two at the NJSIAA Group III championships on Feb. 13 at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River. They also advanced to the Meet of Champions (MOC) that takes place on Feb. 21 at the same site.
Senior Conor Murphy moves on to the MOC, which he has reached during the outdoor track and cross-country seasons in the past, with a school-record time of 9:26.61 to win the 3,200-meter run. Murphy’s time surpassed his school-record times of 9:39 during the indoor season and 9:38 outdoors.
He hung in second place until the final two laps, when he passed Millburn High School’s Matt Grossman, who finished second in 9:27.04. Murphy’s time was the fourth fastest among all six group meets.
Fellow senior Mike Morris was also a winner with a 6-2 mark in the high jump. Three other high jumpers cleared 6-2, but Morris won based on fewest misses.
Two other Redbirds also advanced to the MOC. Junior Alden Littlefield locked up a return in the shot put with a fourth-place finish (48-1½), and freshman Kassidy Mulryne on the girls team nailed down the sixth and final qualifying spot in the high jump by matching her personal best at 5-0.
“It was a huge meet. We never had an individual state champion indoors and I don’t think we ever had one outdoors,” said Brian Harshman, who coaches the distance runners. “Conor ran a brilliant race. He was in perfect position the whole race. The [top] runners were faster on the second mile, and Conor ran the last quarter in 61 seconds. The other guy he passed ran a fantastic race as well.
“Conor is so mature as a runner. He instinctively makes the right moves.”
Murphy said he planned on training part of the time on the treadmill this week to stay ready.
“It definitely feels good [reaching the indoor MOC for the first time], but especially winning Group III makes it better,” said Murphy, who is also considering a college career at NCAA Division I programs Monmouth University, Seton Hall University and Rutgers University. “I stuck to my plan and did exactly as I thought I would. I definitely think I can run faster.”
Murphy said it “feels a lot better” going to the MOC with three teammates, recalling how he and Morris also qualified for the outdoor MOC last spring.
“He’s something else — so unbelievably calm and relaxed,” Harshman said of Morris. “He has such a great attitude, which you need in those events.” Harshman said that Morris “is right there” for the school-record height of 6-4 he reached earlier this season at the Lavino Relays in Lawrenceville. “He’s jumping at his best,” the coach said.
Last year, Littlefield was 26th at the indoor MOC with a mark of 46-5¾ in the shot put.
“I had an off day. My technique was not there at all, but I’m going to be ready [for the MOC],” Littlefield said of the group meet. “Last year, the energy was there, and I was able to work with that. Now I know that.”
Harshman said he noticed Littlefield was not as explosive throwing out of the circle but believes he has enough time to regroup for the MOC.
Girls basketball
Allentown’s girls basketball team (17- 3) wrapped up a repeat Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Patriot Division title and is home as the No. 2 seed for its Mercer County Tournament (MCT) opener at 5 p.m. on Feb. 20 against the winner of Lawrence High School vs. Hamilton High School West.
Allentown beat both of those teams last week. The Redbirds won 20 games last season.
The winner of that MCT opener plays the winner of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North vs. Steinert High School on Feb. 23.
“We’ll be a tough team to beat with the balance we have,” said coach Linda Weise, who had four big scorers in three victories last week.
Allentown is also the No. 3 seed for its March 3 NJSIAA tournament opener against Red Bank Regional High School, the best seed of any CVC team for the state tournament.
Bianca Santos scored 15 points, Kali Hartshorn scored 14 and Ryan Weise added 12 when Allentown beat Lawrence, 63-37, on Feb. 13. It got off to a fast start in a 23- 6 first quarter.
A day earlier, Allentown rolled to a 60-28 victory over Hamilton West, as Hartshorn and Weise scored 23 points between them. Santos led a 67-45 victory over Robbinsville High School on Feb. 10 with 18 points, while Lamesha Burgess scored 17 points, including four 3-pointers, as one of three seniors honored on Senior Night. Christa and Alyssa Ebers are the other two seniors.
Allentown was scheduled for a game at Hopewell Valley Central High School on Feb. 17 and was home against Steinert on Feb. 18.
Boys basketball
Allentown’s boys basketball team hiked its best record in recent memory to 13-7 as it won three of four games last week, capped by a 63-42 victory over Willingboro High School on Feb. 14. Hal Shaw led the way with 13 points and Bekim Nikovic scored 10. The Redbirds beat Lawrence, 52- 41, as Shaw and Nikovic scored 25 points between them on Feb. 13, and they will play a rematch in the opening round of the MCT at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Allentown.
“We’re excited for the opportunity, but we also know how tough it is to beat a team twice, which we’ve done against Lawrence, and now we have to try to beat them three times,” coach Jay Graber said. “We have to continue to play defense and rebound the ball and to take good shots. We’ve played good the last few games. We have to keep it going.”
On Feb. 11, Allentown lost to Hamilton West, 68-54, as Tristan Millett and Shaw each scored 13 points and Xavier Roldan put in 10. A day earlier, Allentown beat Robbinsville, 51-31, behind Millett’s 18 points.
Allentown also had a game scheduled on Feb. 17 against Hopewell Valley.
Ice hockey
The Robbinsville-Allentown Ravens (10-7-3) ice hockey team continued its recent upswing with an impressive 3-2 victory over Hopewell Valley in the MCT quarterfinals. The Ravens were slated to play Hun School in the next round on Feb. 18 at Mercer County Park.
“It’s David vs. Goliath as we play one of the premier teams in the state — public or private,” coach Dan Bergan said. “They run a fast-paced, highly effective ‘attack triangle’ on the offensive rush. They headman the puck as well as any high school team you will see. We will have to take steps to try and counter that and need stellar tending in net to be competitive.”
Nick Koch made 28 saves in goal against Hopewell Valley, and Shawn Camisa scored the first two goals and assisted the other by John Francis as Allentown took a 3-1 lead into the final period. Hopewell Valley is 13-9-1. Joey Nolan has also performed well in goal.
“In our recent upswing, we have raised our overall competitive level,” Bergan said. “In addition to that, we have had many firsttime, primetime ice time kids that have become more accustomed to carrying the load rather than their part-time roles last year. That experience has been invaluable.”