By Tim Morris
Ciara Roche has proven her fitness and her fortitude.
Heading into the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) at Central Regional High School June 8, the Freehold Township High School standout is right where she wants to be and takes aim at the only individual championship to elude her during her scholastic career.
“I’m the most physically fit I’ve been,” she said. “It’s what I’ve been waiting for.”
The proof is in the results at the state meets. She swept the 800- and 1,600-meter runs at the Central Jersey, Group IV meet and before doing the same June 3-4 at the overall Group IV meet at Egg Harbor Township High School.
One week after taking the measure of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South’s Christine Rancan — the runner who defeated her in the 1,600 at the NJSIAA Indoor MOC — at the sectional championships, Roche showed how deep she can dig into her reserves when she overcame a 25- to 30-meter deficit over Rancan to win the Group IV state championship in a school record 4:47.90, which is the fastest time run in the state this spring.
Roche believed she had let the race slip away and given the psychological edge back to Rancan.
“After the first lap, I knew I had just thrown it away,” Roche said. “I wasn’t latched on [to Rancan] as I should have been. I had a lot of work to do.
“Going into the bell lap, I thought, ‘Its not over yet.’ I opened up my stride on the back straightaway.”
Roche’s trademark finishing kicked caught Southern Regional High School’s Kaitlyn Mooney, who had been pushing the pace with Rancan, with 200 meters to go.
On the home straightaway, Roche pulled even with Rancan and it came down to which runner was either the most determined or who had an extra gear. That was Roche, as she ran past her rival to the championship. Rancan finished with a time of 4:48.23.
The win makes Roche the favorite to take the MOC title. She is well aware of the stakes.
“I’ve tried not to linger on it,” she said. “It’s definitely the last chance I have to win it.”
Everything leading up to the MOC race has been nothing but positive for the Patriots’ standout. She has gained the edge on her rival, so much so that Rancan didn’t run the 800 in Egg Harbor Township, which Roche took in 2:10.69.
“[The Group IV win] gives me more confidence, but I’m not overlooking the competition,” Roche said.
Roche knows she has to get passed Rancan and Mooney one more time, as well as Briana Gess, the Group II champion from Haddonfield High School who ran 4:52.24. All will be out to push the pace and take the sting out of her kick.
“It’s going to be a really good race,” she said.
While Roche rolls into the MOC on a winning streak, the indoor boys 3,200 champion, Jordan Brannan of Colts Neck High School, heads to Central Regional having run fast times at the Group III championship — 4:17.81 in the 1,600 and 9:12.43 in the 3,200. Both were good for second place.
The junior, who confirmed he’s one of the state’s best with his indoor MOC title and his fast times this spring, would like to back up his winter triumph by winning the biggest race of the year.
Roche was not the only state champion crowned last weekend. Howell High School’s Rachel Kern, who has been a consistent winner all season, came up with her best javelin throw of the year at 139-10 to take the Group IV title. The mark was not only a new school record for the Rebels’ junior, but it was also the second best ever by a Freehold Regional High School District thrower. It also made Kern a contender for the MOC title. Her throw ranked second among all the groups behind only the 143-11 by Absegami High School’s Ayana Culhane at the Group III championships.
Kern is the first Howell girl to win an overall group championship since 2000, when Lindsey Gallo won the 1,600 and 3,200.
Kern’s win helped Howell finish sixth in the team standings with 24 points.
Also from Howell, Niamh Hayes turned in a personal best in the 3,200 meters, 10:47.32, to finish second, while thrower Stephanie Bock picked up a pair of third-place meals in the shot put (41-1) and discus (128-1). The latter was a personal best.
Those athletes finishing in the top six at the group meets qualified automatically for the MOC.
For the boys in Group IV, Freehold Township’s Steve Staklinski was fifth in the high jump (6-4), and the 4×800 relay team of Chris Cardace, Mike Malteste, Sean O’Donnell and Jake Konig placed sixth (7:58.94).
At the Group III championships, in addition to Brannan, the other Cougars moving on included Anthony Russo, who was sixth in the 1,600 (4:19.03) and fourth in the 3,200 (9:18.02), and high jumper Ryan Tompkins, who was fifth (6-4), for the boys. The girls headed to the MOC are Raeann Giannattasio, who was fifth in the 1,600 (5:00.21), and the 4×800 team of Giannattasio, Eva Gibson, Kayleigh Hoagland and Stephanie O’Horo, which was fourth (9:32.71).
Special “wild cards” went to the five best non-qualifying performances. Earning wild cards were Manalapan High School’s Jared Skalski (1:55.17) and Marlboro High School’s Chalres Maree (1:55.41) in the boys 800 and Marlboro’s district record-setting 4×100 relay team of Alicia Zhou, Labeeqa Khizir, Lauren Newman and Danielle Spano, who posted a time of 49.25.
