BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Freehold Borough’s Justin Frick and Colts Neck’s Craig Forys earned All-American honors for the second time this year at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
The top six finishers in each event at last weekend’s championships held in Greensboro, NC, collected All-American hardware. Both Frick and Forys had won indoor All-American certificates over the winter.
For Frick, his third place in the high jump in North Carolina, was the perfect ending to a great scholastic career.
“It’s a great feeling after finishing seventh last year,” he said.
Frick, who will be competing for Princeton University in the future, came up with his best jump of the year, 6-8 1/4, in tying fellow New Jerseyan Justin Oliver (Pennsauken) for third place. The winning height was 6-10 1/4.
Frick, who had finished third at the NJSIAA Outdoor Meet of Champions, was disappointed that night that he didn’t do 6-8, a height he had done routinely during the season.
“I knew I should have made 6-8 at the MOC,” he said. “I wanted to jump it, or at least finish in the top six and make All-American at the nationals. I did both.”
Frick came close to the winning height on his third try and was genuinely pleased with the way he jumped throughout the competition.
“I felt really good,” he remarked.
Forys claimed his second All-American honor by finishing sixth in the one-mile run. Forys had been hoping to put down a fast time after his meet record 8:56.14 for the 3,200 at the MOC, but that was doomed by a slow opening quarter.
“I was not too happy with the race,” he said. “My legs weren’t there.”
Still, Forys was able to close with a 2:01 final half-mile in posting a 4:11.30 in sixth place behind champion Michael Coe, of Cubrillo, Calif. Coe and Forys were one-two in the two-mile run at the indoor nationals.
Forys did set yet another record, erasing the 29-year-old District record of 4:11.50 for the mile run by Marlboro’s Guy Emmons. Forys did do a 4:09.77 for the full mile indoors, but it’s the first time he dipped under Emmons’ record outdoors.
“I didn’t accomplished everything this year, but, I’m happy with the whole year,” said the Cougar junior, who won four MOC titles in 2005-06 in establishing himself as indisputably the best distance runner in the state.
While Forys and Frick were the only District athletes to earn All-American honors at Greensboro, there were several other notable performances.
Howell’s Bed Edwards made his final scholastic race memorable himself. The Rebel senior finished 10th in the 400 intermediate hurdles, clocking 53.76. He’ll be continuing his career at NJIT.
Manalapan’s Adam Hegel was 15th in the long jump (21-2 1/2).
Back on the track, Colts Neck’s Ashley Higginson was 13th in the girls two-mile run (10:43.0).
With Janel Parker running a fast anchor leg, the Freehold Township girls were 13th in the 4×800 relay. Megan Matza, Allyson Moskal and Charlotte Walsh ran the opening three legs. The quartet turned in a 9:24.57.
Parker, Matza, Moskal and Walsh also finished 20th in the Distance Medley (12:31.59).
Howell’s quartet of Kellee Hand, Lauren Wiemken, Lauren Rome and Lindsey Lambert, finished 12th in the 4x-1-mile relay, teaming up for a 22:02.70.
In the Sprint Medley, Hand, Mellisa Goodwin, Jessica Johnson and Jamie Leacock turned in a 4:13.99 and finished 21st for Howell.
Colts Neck’s quartet of Kathlyn Herrick, Meryl Wimberley, Julia Tomaro and Samantha Santo broke 4:00 once again in the 4×400. Their 3:59.45, which included a 56.8 split by Wimberley, brought them home in 22nd.
Manalapan’s Kristin Andrews was 24th in the girls 400 intermediate hurdles (1:04.61).
Kristen Batts, of Marlboro, was 28th in the girls discus (125-3), and in the boys javelin, the Cougars’ Kevin Kelly was 21st (164-5).