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New Jersey Weekly Roundup |
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As New Jersey athletes await the opening of the state championship season this weekend, it becomes apparent that the central event of this winter will be one that will not be contested in the two marathon sessions at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym, the girls’ 3200-meter run. Action started early this season when Eleonora Spinazzi of Montgomery weight in with an 11:07.0 at the opening Fairleigh Dickinson Invitatioal. Brittany Sedberry of Ocean City, a two-time all-group cross-country champion won the 3K during the Christmas break at the Seton Hall Games in 10:26.22. On Jan. 7, she improved that to 10:11.8 at the Kutztown Invitational. Eleonora Spinazzi of Montgomery. Then, last Saturday, three girls weighed in with races that added up to sub-11:00 performances in one way or another. At the Stanner Games at the New York Armory, Jenn Ennis and Kris Stevens of Roxbury finishd 3rd and 5th in the 3K at 10:05.01 and 10:10.33. And, the next day in the Monmouth County meet at the Jersey City Armory, Briana Jackucewicz of Colts Neck set a state frosh 3200 mark of 10:43.7, in a meet which proved that the new Mondo track there can produce first-class performances. Still to be heard from in the 3200 carnival is the present state CC champ, Danielle Tauro of Southern Ocean Regional, who has yet to run an individual race this winter. Tauro was also due to compete in Jersey City on Sunday at the Ocean County meet, but this one was called off because of the overnight snow and ice storm. It would have been quite a race with the second-place finished in the AG CC meet, Amanda Marino of Jackson, also in the field along with her teammate, Jen Clausen. The Monmouth meet also produced a fast 400 duel in the boys’ division with Corey Wright of Neptune registering his third sub-50.0 400 of the season at 49.6 and Charles Cox of Monmouth close behind him at 49.9. The team titles in the meet went to Christian Brothers for the 9th year in a row and Colts Neck, both by comfortable margins. New Jersey had six winners apiece in the boys and girls’ divisions of the Stanner meet. A.J. Bunton of West Deptford shocked perhaps even himself with a 6.34 win in the 55M (usual rival Toms Walls of Wilson was absent), Anthony LaMastro of Pope John took the 1K in a close finish with Jason Apwah of Roxbury in 2:30.31, Andrew Hanko of Trinity Christian (Briana’s cousin) won the 3200 in 9:20.69, Jeff St. Florant of Old Bridge the 55H in 7.58, Miles Edwards of Winslow Twp the HJ at 6-5 and Pierre James of Franklin the SP at 53-1 3/4. The same day, in the Lavino Relays on New Jersey’s fastest track at The Lawrenceville School, Jackucewicz and Ashley Higgins had led Colts Neck to a 9:33.3 win in the 3200R. Hopewell Valley warmed up for defense of its Gr. II relay title this weekend as it took the 800R in 1:48.0. and the DMR in a meet record of 12:57.1. Trenton had a fine TJR mark of 72-8, but the breakdown is not yet available. In boys’ action there, Craig Forys made his season’s debut for Colts Neck with a 4:14.5 anchor leg in a 10:36.3 DMR win and, 45 minutes later, a 1:55.8 in a SMR victory. Forys is expected to nail down a Millrose bid at the New Balance Games on Saturday at the New York Armory, while the Colts Neck girls bid for a medley double in Gr. III against Morris Knolls and Roxbury. Two girls who will make a lot of noise this spring in the 400-meter hurdles, showed their talents in other events. Sophomore Josefine Kvist of Ridge had a double in the Cliff Back Invitational at Drew on Friday with a 41.73 record in the 300 and an 8.82 in the 55H. Then, on Wednesday, she won the 600M in 1:38.22 at the Wayne Valentine Invitational, a meet that also featured a virtually solo meet record of 2:56.84 in the 1K by Lauren Gregory of Morris Knolls. Kris Mahon of Notre Dame joined sister Megan to win the PVR at the Lavino Relays at 19-6, clearing 10-0. (Their father and uncle were both state PV champions.) It is expected that four of the nine champions in last year’s state relays will repeat this time. Camden Wilson and Hopewell Valley, who shared the Gr. II title last year, have split up this time with Wilson almost a sure winner over a strong Gr. III field, having top marks in five of the six running events. HoVall has Camden and Pope John to contend with in Gr. II, with the Lions able to match its combination of sprint and distance power. Jackson again looks to be too strong for the Essex County entry of East Orange and Columbia in Gr. IV, having run a 1:44.42 at Monday’s Martin Luther King Relays in New York without its top sprinter, Nicole Castronuovo, anchoring a B team to a lower place. Bishop Eustace has lost most of the girls who led it to the Gr. I title last winter and that one is up for grabs. Christian Brothers may be the only boys’ repeater. It has its usual distance strength, even with defending all-group 1600 champ Greg Leach on the sidelines until February, and, just for kicks, has a possible winner in the pole vault relay, having been the top NJ team at 24-6 at the Lavino Relays. Morris Hills looks too strong for Camden’s defenders and Pope John in Gr. II. Defending Shore could repeat in Gr, I, but lacks the field power that prevailed last year.
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