Andrew Brodeur of Brick Memorial High School is looking for big things in the 1,600-meter run at the Shore Conference indoor track and field championship meet this weekend at the John Bennett Complex in Toms River, but nationally regarded shot-putter DeAnne Hahn will be sitting it out.
“I’m getting back into it, and I’m just trying to get ready for the spring [for outdoor track and field],” said Brodeur, who recently verbally committed to Duke University because “they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Brodeur, a runner-up in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions cross-country finals in November, outclassed the field in the Ocean County championships at the same bubble on Saturday with a 4:30.11 time. Brodeur led throughout and pulled away over the final two laps.
He also finished third in the 800 meters in a school record 1:59.53.
“That’s more for speed. I felt bad for a while, but itmakes you better,”Brodeur said.
“He’s back on track after a little time off after cross country and a slow start [indoors],” said coach Al Cuthbert.
Ryisha Boyd of Brick Township also had a winning performance in the 400, which she won for the third straight year, in 58.40 seconds.
Hahn, who swept first place last indoor season in the shot put all theway to theMeet of Champions, finished second in the county meet to Toms RiverNorth’sMaureen Laffin, who threw 46 feet 6 inches. Hahn threw 43- 11, almost two feet less thanwhat she threw 10 days earlier in the state relays, when she and Lisa Stuto combined for a Group III record throw of 86-7.
“I had a bad day, said Hahn, who hit her placing distance in the preliminary round and had one throw just shy of that during the finals. “I threw about 45 or 46 [feet] once and fouled. I have a lot of little technical things to work on.”
Neither Hahn nor Laffin, who is planning a college recruiting visit, will be throwing in the Shore Conference championships. Hahn already has made her college decision, verbally committing to the University of Minnesota before next month’s signing period, where she said she will throw the shot put, discus and hammer. Hahn had her choices narrowed to the Gophers and the University of Tennessee but said she felt “very comfortable” in Minnesota, where her brother Damian had an outstanding wrestling career and is an assistant coach.
“If I was going into that [Shore Conference] meet, I’d only be throwing through Wednesday, but I want to continue to train through theweek for the biggest competition up ahead,” said Hahn, referring to the state competitions that begin with the sectional meet next Saturday at theBennettComplex. “I need the work and don’t need to participate in the Shore Conferencemeet.”
That opens things up in the Shore Conference meet for Stuto, who finished fourth in the county meet with a final throw of 41-0.
“I know it feels a little scary, because it looks like it’ll be between me and Shannon Watt [of Jackson Memorial],” said Stuto. “I’ve beaten her before, but she’s beaten me before. It’ll be very interesting, maybe a preview of next year [both are juniors].”
Stuto said she is leaving behind her performance in the county meet.
“DeAnne and I were disappointed in the county meet, because I was throwing horribly, 36, 37 feet in my earlier throws. You get to a point where 41 feet is not acceptable, and that it’s time to step up and improve,” said Stuto, who is looking to surpass her throw of 41-7 this season. “I didn’t have a strong start.”
But she also has been working on her technique and said shemay bemodifying her throwto amore rotational throwrather than the slide technique she was using.
“We got the idea watching coach [Bill] Brunner’s daughter, Katie, throwing in a practice, and she uses that style,” said Stuto. “Surprisingly, I just picked it right up. It’s a rotational throw, the same spin as the discus. I like it more.”
Stuto said she is “confident, but I can’t control things. I just do what I do, and do my best. This is New Jersey. Maybe it’s something in the water, but you have to do well in this event here.”
Also for Brick Memorial, Kristen Perrine was second in the 1,600 in 5:19 and fourth in the 800 in 2:26. Perrine was a Meet of Champions qualifier last season.
Melany Weissinger was fourth in the 3,200 in 11:42.
“They did well,” said coach Jessica Jones. “For performance, it’s about getting ready for the spring.”
Taylor Calise was sixth in the boys shot put with a throw of 47-1. He was seventh in the preliminary round before uncorking his best throw in the finals to move up to a spot for a medal.