Allentown High School’s Marin Hartshorn, left, and Old Bridge High School’s Eliza Ryan battle for control of the faceoff during the April 16 game played in Allentown. The Redbirds won the nondivisional match, 16-4. FRANK GALIPO ALLENTOWN
Conor Murphy added another distinction to his bulging portfolio in cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and field at Allentown High School.
The senior, who signed a National Letter of Intent April 15 for Rutgers University, is the first Allentown athlete in at least five years to qualify for the Penn Relays.
Murphy is being joined by the girls and boys 4×100 relay teams and the girls 4×800 relay.
Murphy is one of three New Jersey runners among the national qualifiers in the 3,000-meter run that takes place April 23. It’s slightly less than the 3,200 meters he ran during the indoor season and is an unusual distance for him outdoors, where he runs the standard mile and 2-mile runs.
“I’m really excited. It’s definitely an honor to qualify and was a goal of mine,” said Murphy, who has competed in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) in all three sports in distance events. “I’m looking forward to running against the best in the country. I’m looking to have my best time.”
Murphy said his time, calculated from the 3,200 meters he ran indoors to the 3,000 meters he’ll run at the Penn Relays, comes out to 8:34. He is looking to crack 8:30 and has shown versatility running different distances throughout his career, which he did not begin competitively until his sophomore year. He said he expected to continue being a distance events runner for indoors and outdoors and to run for the cross-country team at Rutgers.
“I love the school, and it’s close to home so my family can come to see me compete,” Murphy said of his decision. “There’s a lot of school pride in New Jersey, and I really like the program they run there.”
Murphy said he is ready for a fine performance and not too concerned that the Penn Relays comes weeks before when outdoor track and field athletes peak in training for the state meets.
“I’ve discussed it with my coaches and I’m in good shape, although I plan to be at my best for the MOC in June,” Murphy said.
Murphy qualified for Penn Relays off a times of 9:15 in the indoor 2-mile run at the nationals held last month at the 168th Street Armory in New York.
“He looks very good [in workouts], but this is hard for him because you have to train to be your best at the end of the season in June at the MOC,” said Brian Harshman, the head indoor track coach at Allentown who is working with Murphy and the distance runners with outdoor head coach Drew Lachenmayer.
“Conor is just special, and the way he runs once he turns it on is very special,” Lachenmayer said.
As for the relays, the boys 4×100 relay competing April 23 at the Penn Relays includes sophomore Tarik Garvey, senior Mike Morris, sophomore Nahshon Taylor and senior Pat Zahn. That relay set a school record in the Mercer County championships April 18 in 45.2 — a .3 margin over the old record. The team finished shy of a medal, which goes to only the top three finishers in the county relays. Morris did get a medal, however, in the high jump relay, where he and junior Matt Hart combined for a thirdplace height of 11-0. Morris jumped 6-0 feet, and Hart hit 5-0.
Zahn is having a special year, according to Lachenmayer.
“He advanced out of sections into groups in the 55 meters indoors, and his 11.1 time in the 100-meter dash is just off the school record of 10.9,” Lachenmayer said. “And his 51.3 time in the 400 meters in the distance medley is just one second short of the school record.”
Lachenmayer also praised Morris, who not only excelled in the high jump at the county relays but also set a personal best in the triple jump at 41-5.
“He’s a very talented athlete,” Lachenmayer said.
Girls track and field
As for the girls, senior Jenna Roche continues to have a season of distinction as she will run on both relays competing at the Penn Relays April 24. She’ll anchor the 4×400 relay in which her freshman sister, Carly, leads off, followed by seniors Danielle Zahn and Mimi Crawford. Jenna Roche will lead off the 4×100 relay with sophomores McKinley DeAngelo and Abby Rubenstein and junior Veronica Gotilla.
“Jenna is having an unbelievable year running the 100, 200 and 400 and is a great kid and a great leader,” Lachenmayer said. “We have high expectations for all of our relays.”
Also at the Mercer County meet, the girls distance medley broke the school record handily in 13:18.5 with sophomore Sara Gutter running the 1,200, Roche running the 400 leg, Crawford running the 800 and freshman Deveon Hoernlein anchoring in the 1,600. Last week, in a dual meet against Lawrence High School, Hoernlein broke the school record in the mile in 5:24.8.
Also individually in the county relays, Allentown’s Ricky Mottram had the second best distance in the shot put at 41-1¾, and Chloe Almeida was tied for first in girls high jump at 4-10. The Mercer County championship meet is May 15.
Boys lacrosse
Dakota Wojcik scored his 100th career goal last week as Allentown’s boys lacrosse team reeled off three victories to raise its record to 8-2.
Wojcik broke loose for five goals, while Kyle Moore scored four more in an 18-6 victory over Delran High School April 17. Connor Sullivan had the hat trick, and Michael Dacey chipped in a pair of goals.
Earlier in the week, Allentown got off to a fast start and beat Robbinsville High School, 12-6, as Dacey and Wojcik scored four and three goals, respectively. Wojcik scored four goals, including his 100th career goal, in a 12-9 victory over Howell High School. Kyle Moore fired in two goals.
Allentown hosts West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South April 21 and travels to West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North April 28.
Softball
Abby Stroud backed her three-hit pitching performance with three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs as Allentown won its third straight game, 4-1, at Manalapan High School April 18 to raise its record to 5-2. Stroud struck out six and walked three. Kayla Peterson knocked in the other run.
Stroud pitched a four-hitter and batted in three runs with a pair of hits as Allentown beat West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 7-1. Alyssa Ariano drove in two runs and Sarina Campanella had two hits and an RBI. Earlier in the week, Carly Bailey had two hits and two RBIs and Madison Storey collected three hits and drove in a run as Allentown beat Hopewell Valley Central High School, 7-4. Campanella chipped in two hits and an RBI.
Allentown has games scheduled this week on April 20 at Trenton Central High School, April 22 at home against Robbinsville, April 24 at home against Lawrence and April 27 in a rematch with Robbinsville.