New Jersey Weekly Roundup

Thursday, April 6, 2006 By Ed Grant

Any doubt that the boys' high jump would be one of the featured events of the 2006 outdoor season in New Jersey vanished on the opening weekend with the performance of Devon Bond of Trenton at the Kearny Relays.

Competing under a six-jump rule in a relay event, Bond soared over the bar at 6-10 with plenty to spare to win a personal duel with Ray Manning of West Orange who cleared 6-8 before missing his only try at the higher level. Bond was unable to take a shot at 7-0 because of the jump limit.

Devon was the "X" factor in the event after what happened to him last spring. Recruited off an outdoor basketball court, he won the sectionals for Trenton at 6-8, but went no further as he was forced to leave the country with his mother because of visa problems. This was straightened out in time for his return for the current school year and he played junior varsity basketball for the Tornadoes this past winter.

Trenton has a history of producing top jumpers with one high school 7-footer, Felix Davis, another at 6-11 and a number who topped 6-8. But Bond could become the best of the lot as he is only a junior.

Justin Frick of Freehold Boro, the outdoor all-group champion last spring at 6-10, was not in action over the weekend, but figures to compete this week at the Huskie Relays in Matawan. Indoor state champ Josh Butler of Delsea and Justin Oliver of Pennsauken will be at the Camden-Gloucester Relays at the latter's school and Joe Martinek of Hopatcong will be at the Ranger Relays at Wallkill Valley.

Shaquan Brown of Paterson Kennedy, a notable absentee from the past indoor season, got back in action last Saturday at the Sean Opener Relays at Indian Hills, helping his school the teams honors with a 55.7 leg in the intermediate hurdles team race and an eased-up 49.5 anchor leg in the 1600-meter relay. The national indoor 600-meter record-holder had missed the winter campaign due a shoulder injury suffered in football last fall.

Irvington's national indoor shuttle hurdles team was beaten on time by Trenton at the Kearny Relays, but scored a fast sprint triple at 42.5, 1:28.6 and 3:24.1, but was only third in the team race behind the Tornadoes and Morristown. St. Benedict's Prep had better fortune in the small-school division with ample weight and distance points to back up its spring triple of 43.6. 1:30.3 and 3:27.1. The girls' title went to well-balanced Hunterdon Central which doubled the hurdle event and also won the pole vault event. Roxbury skipped the distance medley in this one, but took the 3200R easily in 9:32.03. East orange, which had planned to run only the intermediate hurdles team race, changed gears after a disqualification in that event and doubled the 1600R and sprint medley in 4:04.0 and 4:18.0.

Christian Brothers made its annual journey to the Pawlowski Relays in Ridgewood and won six running events to defeat the home team and Don Bosco, 92-87-83. There were no notable times in the wind on the five-lap-to-a-mile track, but the good news for the Colts was the performance of Greg Leach, another injury victim indoors, who ran on three of the winning teams. In the girls' division, Jackson suffered its first relay loss in several years, 96-88, to Shaker, as it ran without distance stars Amanda Marino and Jen Clausen.

Indian Hills featured the Season Opener with an 8:03.3 3200R win that assured its presence at the Penn Relays. It would have been a couple of seconds faster but for an horrendous pass on the final exchange between Garret Kroner and Maxwell Bruno, who still ran 1:58.4 and 1:57.1. Visiting Montgomery ran away with the girls' meet, 91-37, over Kennedy.

Two other boys' 400R teams got under 43.0 on opening day. Old Bridge had a 42.8 at the Middlesex Conference Coaches Relays in South Plainfield and won six other events in the non-scoring meet. Rahway had five wins in the small-school division with a 3:40.9 record in the sprint medley. In the girls' meet, Piscataway won the large-school 400 in a record-tying 49.7 in a near dead-heat with Franklin and Plainfield set an intermediate hurdles mark of 3:24.2.

Camden was the other team under 43.0 in the 400, running 42.9 to defeat city rival Wilson at the wind and rain-swept Buena Relays. The Camden girls also had a fast double there in 48.5 and 1:45.1 without competition from the Wilson girls, who were at Icahn Staium on Randalls Island, taking the 800R in 1:43.09, as well as getting fast individual intermediate hurdle races in a 1-2 finish by Shaquanda Meylor and Tamara Jones in 1:03.71 and 1:04.89.

The Buena meet also saw the Bridgeton boys post a 1:00.6 in the shuttle hurdles and a 43.9 in the 400R while sweeping team honors in the small-school division. The girls ran 1:49.5 in the 800R. Ocean City took a shot at a Penn qualifying time in the large-school girls DMR there but, with the weather and little competition, managed only a 12:24.6 and will have to try again. Brittany Sedberry anchored that one and also brought the sprint medley home in 4:17.8. Lenape, however, had an easy team win over the Raiders, 62-40, placing in the top three in seven of eight events and winning the shuttle hurdles in 1:08.4 and the 3200R in 9:50.4.