By Tim Morris
The Monmouth County Relays provided the area track and field athletes with a tune-up for this week’s county outdoor championships.
Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School’s girls and Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) put their full arsenal on display in winning the team championships May 5 at Long Branch High School.
The Caseys scored points in 12 of the 14 events with their sprinters, distance runner, throwers and jumpers, as they finished 14 points up on runner-up Howell High School, 85-71.
“This year, we made sure that we were covered in every event,” said Caseys head coach Rob DeFilippis, whose team lost by just six points last year. “Our depth definitely helped us.”
In the field, Jyllissa Harris and Casie Riley both cleared 5-0 in the high jump to tie for first place and win the relay.
Samantha Spallanzi had the best long jump, 16-2¼, helping the Caseys take fourth in that event.
On the track, Julia Cangialosi, Megan Cronk, Gabriella Ferrigine and Shaviahnah King won the distance medley in 12:57.87.
RBC also took the 4×800 with Cangialosi, Cronk, Ferrigine and Shayne McNally. Their winning time was 9:42.82.
Monica Heil anchored St. John Vianney High School’s girls to the 4×200 championship. Katie DiFrancesco, Ashley Omoregie and Sarah Van Duzer ran the first three legs for the Lancers.
Middletown High School North’s Jenna Reid (1:05.00) and Kerri Powers (1:05.95) went first and second in the 400 intermediate hurdles to give the Lions an easy win in that relay.
Reid and Powers were also part of the Lions’ 1,600 sprint medley championship team that included Kayla Pfleger and Kelli Molnar. They posted a time of 4:14.91.
Middletown High School South took the seldom contested 4×1,600 meters in 22:14.33, with Madison Brand, Rachel Hutson, Delia Tota and Katie Spencer. They finished just a second ahead of RBC (22:15.38).
Matawan Regional High School’s team of Taylor Davis, Emma Ellison, Darielle Cross and Iailie Benko won the shuttle hurdles in 1:06.37.
Raritan High School and Holmdel High School scored well in the field events.
Kaitlyn Holtz (9-0) and Kazia Moore (9-0) finished in a tie for first in the pole vault and won the relay championship for the Rockets.
In the discus circle, Baye Juntunen (117-7) and Hayley Connelly (97-3) teamed up to win that relay.
The Hornets won the triple jump relay, with Isabella Pinnero having the best leap at 34-5¼. Teammate Keira Yonclass did 31-1½, which was good enough combined with Pinnero’s mark to give the Hornets the victory.
CBA dominated the boys competition, rolling up 95.33 points.
Will Lutkewitte led CBA to wins in the shot put and discus relays with the best throws. He won the shot put with a toss of 54-6½ and, when added to Matt Markowski’s 44-4¼ mark, the Colts were first.
Lutkewitte’s 153-10 discus whirl was more than 23 feet farther than anyone else. Dan Mead was fifth (123-1), giving the Colts an easy win in the event.
On the track, CBA won the 4×1,600 relay in 19:11.30, with Jon Dooling, Sean Martinek, Matthew Roma and Nick Trigani.
Tim Jacoutot ran the fastest time in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (56.12). Brendan Bodisch (58.14) and Christian Berger (1:02.83) completed CBA’s victorious relay team in this event.
Drake Anzano, Colin Trigani, Martinek and Nick Trigani won the distance medley (11:00.17).
Holmdel’s Nick Primemrano, Adam Chang, Marcello Pinnero and Peter Bongiorni won the 4×110 shuttle hurdles (1:02.45).
In the field, Raritan jumpers Jahciere Jones (19-9) and Vito Aleo (18-0¼) teamed up to capture the long jump title.
Middletown North won the triple jump with Tyler Downing (40-4¾) and Andrew Alex (38-7¾). The best jump of the competition belonged to Holmdel’s Steve Walier, who traveled 42-2.
Dan Mastopaolo (175-5) had the best javelin throw, leading to a Middletown South win. His throw with that of teammate Michael Cardano (132-10) bested the field.
The Monmouth County Championships, which are where the individual competitions begin, are scheduled for May 11 and 13 at Holmdel High School’s Bob Roggy Memorial Field.