Panton, Haines capture titles at Group IV championships

By TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Colts Neck High School’s Kevin Murch puts everything into his triple jump effort at the NJSIAA Group III Track and Field Championships at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield May 30. Murch’s best jump of 43-9½ was good enough to put him in the June 3 Meet of Champions, also at Frank Jost Field.Colts Neck High School’s Kevin Murch puts everything into his triple jump effort at the NJSIAA Group III Track and Field Championships at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield May 30. Murch’s best jump of 43-9½ was good enough to put him in the June 3 Meet of Champions, also at Frank Jost Field.In 1979, when Manalapan High School’s Jodi Radziewicz soared 18-9¾ in the long jump, the headline in the News Transcript read “Jodi’s Giant Leap.”

That giant leap stood the test of time. It took 36 years until this year’s NJSIAA Group IV state championships at Egg Harbor Township High School May 29-30 for someone to take Radziewicz’s name from the record book.

Freehold Township High School’s Domonique Panton surpassed Radziewicz’s legendary mark — which with Freehold High School’s Vicki Roy’s 24.1 hand-timed 200- meter dash from 1979 stood as the oldest records in the Freehold Regional High School District — when she flew 18-10 at the state meet. There was an added prize for the Patriots’ senior: the Group IV state championship.

At first, Panton couldn’t believe how far she had traveled in her third-round jump.

“I heard the official say 18-10, and I thought he was talking about someone else,” Panton said. “I thought it’s not really me. I couldn’t have jumped that far.” In a remarkably deep competition with six girls jumping more than 18 feet, Panton edged Millville High School’s Rachel Armstead by 1½ inches.

Two things drove the Duke University-bound jumper to her record-setting state title, she noted. One was the competition, and the other was a tweak in her form.

“The competition was really amazing,” Panton said. “I knew I had to do something great just to qualify [for the finals].”

Her 18-10 came on the third jump of qualifying, moving her into the finals and standing up as the state championship winner.

Panton has always looked at herself as a triple jumper (she was an indoor All-American this winter), and that had been a drawback for her long jumping.

“I’m a speed jumper, and I’m used to going straight out. I didn’t get as high as I needed to be,” she said. “I had to learn to jump up and out.”

Panton credited jumping coach Brian Golub with helping her make that transition.

“He told me I had to get my legs up,” she said.

Once she mastered the liftoff, the rest was district history.

Panton added that she shortened her approach to eight steps from 10 because with her sprinter’s background, that’s all she needed to produce the required speed.

As if to prove her giant leap wasn’t a fluke, Panton produced the greatest series of jumps in district history. In the finals, her jumps were 18-9, 18-2 and 18-6.

The long jump title made up for Patton’s disappointment in the triple jump. She had two 40-foot jumps, but both were fouls. She took third at 38-8¼.

Panton’s goals are to leap 40 feet at the June 3 Meet of Champions (40-0 is the district record held by Marlboro High School’s Ada Unachukwu) and win both jumps.

Freehold Township’s Nasir Haines also struck gold in Egg Harbor by capturing the 400-meter run. He turned in a season-best 48.52.

“It feels good,” Haines said of his state title. “I was looking to have a good day.

“After my second place at the [Central Jersey] sectionals, I had more determination.”

Haines ran the group meet race more conservatively, and it helped him close faster.

“I had a really strong finish,” he said. “I ran the first 200 meters more relaxed and had a little more left for the finish. I was pretty drained after the race.”

Haines came back to anchor the Patriots’ 4×400 relay team to second place (3:21.59). The time was under the old meet record of 3:21.94 set by Franklin Township High School. Egg Harbor set the new mark of 3:21.03 in holding off the Patriots.

Kyle Czajkowski, Jason Czajkowski and Tyree Wilson ran the first three legs of the relay for Freehold Township.

The top six finishers at last weekend’s group championships automatically qualified for the Meet of Champions at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield.

Among those headed to the Meet of Champions were Freehold Township’s Ciara Roche, who was third in the 3,200 (10:57.82), and Howell High School’s Niamh Hayes, who was sixth in both the 1,600 (5:01.15) and 3,200 (11:01.63).

The Rebels’ Stephanie Bock also qualified in two throwing events. She was sixth in the shot put (37-8¼) and fourth in the discus (122-8).

The Patriots’ 4×800 relay team of Erin Bertscha, Caitlyn Poss, Rose Barrett and Emily Bracher was fifth (9:30.20).

For the boys, the Patriots’ 4×800 relay is Meet of Champions-bond. The team of Kyle Czajkowski, Chris Cardace, Jason Czajkowski and Jake Konig took fifth in 7:56.13.

The six best performances among those non-qualifiers earned wild card spots to the Meet of Champions.

Those going the wild card route include Konig, who finished eighth in the 3,200 (9:39.23) and Marlboro’s Alexis Bartelloni, who was ninth in the 1,600 (5:03.04).

The Group III state meet was held at Frank Jost Field, and Colts Neck High School’s Kevin Murch and the girls 4×800 relay team qualified as wild cards

Murch made it in the triple jump. He was seventh with a mark of 43-9½.

Kayleigh Hoagland, Radhika Shah, Stephanie O’Horo and Megan Cavrak clocked 9:45.73.

Competition begins at 2:30 p.m. for the Meet of Champions.

Roche doubles in Central Jersey IV

At the state sectionals held May 22-23, Roche scored the 1,600-3,200 double in Central Jersey Group IV. She turned in her fastest times of the year to that point, clocking 4:54.61 in the 1,600 and 10:47.56 for the 3,200 in winning those sectional races.

Roche was the lone area track and field athlete to win gold at the meet held at Hillsborough High School; however, many extended their seasons to the group championships by finishing in the top six.

The other qualifiers included Freehold Township’s Panton, who was second in the triple jump (39-4¼), third in the long jump (17-11½) and third in the 100 dash (12.54); Bracher, who was sixth in the 800 (2:20.71); and the 4×800 relay team of Bertscha, Poss, Barrett and Bracher, who placed second (9:30.72).

Howell’s Hayes was fifth in the 1,600 (5:04.09) and 3,200 (10:56.31), Stephanie Bock was second in the discus (116-1) and fifth in the shot put (36-3), and Rachel Kern placed second in the javelin (118-11).

Marlboro’s Danielle Spano was third in the 200 (26:03) and sixth in the 100 (12.72); Bartelloni finished fourth in the 1,600 (5:03.08) and fifth in the 800 (2:20.67); and the 4×100 team of Alicia Zhu, Tara Ryan, Labeequ Khizir and Spano finished sixth (49.89).

The boys who advanced to Egg Harbor included Freehold Township’s Haines, who was second in the 400 (49.00); Jesse McKnight, who finished fourth in the high jump (6-0); Konig, who was third in the 3,200 (9:31.04); Allan Jacob, who placed sixth in the long jump (20-0¼); and Eric Nelson, who was third in the pole vault (12-6).

Manalapan’s Mike McNicholas was sixth in the 100 (11.33).

Marlboro’s Kwaku Amponsah finished fourth in the 100 (11.27), Matt Linder tied for fifth in the high jump (6-0), and Mark Orlando came in sixth in the javelin (158-0).

Freehold Township’s 4×400 and 4×800 teams also moved on.

Kyle Czajkowski, Jason Czajkowski, Wilson and Haines came in second (3:19.50) in the 4×400.

In the 4×800, the quartet was Kyle Czajkowski, Cardace, Jason Czajkowski and Konig. They were third in 7:56.84. That time was well under the previous meet record of 8:06.81 set by South Brunswick High School in 2013. In all, five teams ran under the old mark, led by champion Old Bridge High School’s 7:55.68.

Murch medals in three events

The Central Jersey Group III meet was held at Northern Burlington County Regional High School over the same two days. Colts Neck athletes thrived, led by Murch, who medaled in three events.

The senior was fourth in the 400 hurdles (56.65), third in the triple jump (43-9) and fourth in the long jump (20-11¼).

Distance runner Jordan Brannen advanced in two events. He took sixth in the 1,600 (4:25.73) and fourth in the 3,200 (9:33.69).

Also advancing for the boys were Armand Rockwell-Moore, who was third in the shot put (45-7½); Ryan Tomkins, who placed second in the high jump (6-0); and Brian Knauf, who came in sixth in the 400 (50.71).

Also qualifying was Colts Neck’s 4×800 relay team of Andrew Imbesi, Gavin Mc- Donnell, Alexander Megerle and Brad D’Antuno, which took fifth (8:15.82).

Colts Neck’s girls excelled in the relays, qualifying in all three.

The 4×100 team consisted of Briana Luongo, Justine Gaines, Sarah Elice and Allie Ryan and was third (50.23).

Elice, Cavrak, Meridith Schaffer and Shah made up the fourth-place 4×400 team (4:06.08).

Samantha Hoagland, Kayleigh Hoagland, Shah and O’Horo teamed up to take fourth in the 4×800 (9:49.82).

Samantha Hoagland was the only Cougar to qualify individually. She finished fourth in the 3,200 (11:16.68).