By Wayne Witkowski
Matawan Regional High School’s boys’ outdoor track and field team has been lying low through the first month of the season.
The Huskies are beginning to break out as they prepare for the big meets, starting May 10 and 12 with the Monmouth County Championships at Holmdel High School.
Even without going full strength, the Huskies put in a tour de force in handily winning the Lion Invitational at Middletown High School North May 29. The girls made it a clean sweep.
“I’m real happy with how they performed,” Matawan boys’ coach Sam Turner said. “We’ve had a chance to rest kids who are banged up. Hopefully, they’ll be ready, and we’ll be strong for the county meet.”
That includes Dave Alston, who is one of the best high jumpers in New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group II. Alston finished second in the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.91 but passed up the high jump because of problems he has had with his takeoff leg. Turner said it is too soon to determine Alston’s status for the county meet, where he is expected to finish near the top if healthy.
Shot puter Donald Smalls continued his impressive comeback after missing last season with patella surgery by finishing in second place with a throw of 52-6¾.
Tom Kalieta swept the 200 (21.82) and 400 (47.86) as expected, and the 400 relay won in 3:34.28.
The surprise was discus thrower Mike Pepe, who went 11 feet above his personal best this season with a winning throw of 155-4. He beat by 8 inches highly regarded Todd Steuber of Group IV Toms River High School South. Steuber finished ahead of Smalls in the shot put.
Jacob Labinger finished fourth in the pole vault by clearing 12-0, and Andrew Montaperto was sixth in the 400 hurdles in 59.75.
They helped Matawan comfortably outscore runner-up Phillipsburg High School in the boys’ team standings, 79.5-40.
Matawan is not assuming a first-place finish in the county meet that it has not won since 1993, as Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) has been a perennial champion in recent years.
“CBA is a great program that will give us a gauge on where we are at,” Turner said. “What we’re preparing for is the [Central Jersey] sectional meet.”
In that meet, perennial rival Rahway High School has been moved out of the section and South Plainfield High School was moved in to what remains a tough bracket. Governor Livingston High School also is expected to contend again.
As for Matawan’s girls, who won the team title for the first time in recent years, Sam Anderson again picked up a lot of points by finishing in second place in the 400 hurdles in 58.28 and fourth in the 200 meters in 26.12. Rachel Kenny was second in the 800 in 2:18.30, and Khoury Banis was second in the triple jump in 34-7½ and fourth in the long jump with a measure of 15-2.
Matawan picked up points in the pole vault, where Isabella Viggiano had her best jump of the season at 9-6 for third place, and Mua Carroll was in a three-way tie for fourth by clearing 9-0. Aniyah Moore was third in the javelin with a season-best distance of 116-9.
Matawan outpointed host Middletown North for first place, 47.33-44.33.