Allentown High School (dark uniforms) and South Brunswick High School players battle for control of a loose ball during their April 24 nonconference matchup in South Brunswick. The visiting Redbirds ran their record to 8-2 with a 10-7 victory. SCOTT FRIEDMAN ALLENTOWN
Conor Murphy ran a time of 8:37.33 in the 3,000 meters to finish sixth in his race at the Penn Relays April 24.
“I’m very pleased and happy with the way he ran,” said Brian Harshman, who coaches Allentown High School’s distance runners. “He had a great race and, if you translate that into the 3,200-meter distance he runs [in the high school season), it comes out to a 9:15, which rates right around his best times.”
“He ran really well,” Allentown outdoor track and field coach Drew Lachenmayer said. “He was running among the best in the nation and has been training really hard for this and for the end of the season.”
Murphy, who is headed to Rutgers in the fall, moved up from 11th place at the midway mark. “I think he realized he could’ve been even more aggressive at the early part of the race and had quite a bit left in him at the end, but it still was right among his better times that he has run,” Harshman said.
Allentown’s three relays had a quiet day. The boys 4×100 of Tarik Garvey, Mike Morris, Nahshon Taylor and Pat Zahn ran 47.0 and the girls 4×100 of Veronica Gotilla, McKenzie DeAngelo, Abby Rubenstein and Jenna Roche ran 54.7. The girls 4×400 of Carly Roche, Mimi Crawford, DeAngelo and Jenna Roche also had a subpar time. None of the relays had noteworthy places.
The boys hosted Robbinsville High School April 28, and Murphy will run his 3,200 meters in the Twilight Series in Holmdel May 1. The girls and boys will run the Twilight Meet at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North May 2. The Mercer County championships are May 9 at Steinert High School.
Baseball
Allentown swept three games last week to go to 8-3 and raise its chances for a favorable NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III tournament seed. Tom McCarthy and Brett Sandford each batted in three runs, Stephen Alpaugh knocked in two and Tom Malik allowed four hits over five innings as Allentown beat Lawrence High School, 10-0, April 24 in a game cut to five innings by the 10-run rule.
Jake Morse, Sandford and McCarthy batted in runs in a 4-2 victory over Notre Dame High School. Zack Ruetsch scattered seven hits over five innings with relief help from Sandford. The Redbirds, who pulled out a 4- 3, 14-inning victory over Hopewell Valley Central High School April 15, went eight innings April 22 before beating Robbinsville, 4-3, on a sacrifice fly by Ruetsch. Anthony Morrone pitched a three-hitter over seven innings. After a scheduled game against Robbinsville April 27, Allentown hosts Hightstown High School at 10 a.m. May 2.
Softball
Allentown bounced back from a 14-2 loss to Robbinsville April 22 for a 10-3 triumph over Lawrence two days later, as Haley Storey batted in three runs and Abby Stroud scattered nine hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Alyson Ariano drove in two runs for the Redbirds (6-3). Madison Storey and Stroud delivered the runs against Robbinsville. Allentown hosted Hopewell Valley April 28 and travels to Ewing High School May 1 before hosting Matawan Regional High School May 2.
Boys lacrosse
Dakota Wojcik had a hat trick and Kyle Moore had two goals and two assists as Allentown beat South Brunswick High School, 10-7, April 24 for its fifth straight victory in an 8-2 season. Ryan Bramble and James Neebling each struck for two goals. Wojcik scored his fifth goal of the game to give Allentown a 10-9 lead late in an 11-9 triumph over West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. Allentown closes its regular-season schedule at West Windsor- Plainsboro North April 28 and at Hopewell Valley at 7 p.m. May 1.