Colts Neck High School’s distance runners were the highlight of the 2016 boys track and field season in the Freehold Regional High School District (FRHSD).
Jordan Brannan and Anthony Russo ran a series of fast times that put them up with the state’s best. Brannan took fourth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) in the 3,200 meters after claiming the title indoors. They were part of the Cougars’ 4×1-mile relay team that broke the district record at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals.
Freehold Township High School’s Steve Staklinski, known more for jumping up for rebounds on the basketball team, broke the Patriots’ school record in the high jump when he sailed over the bar at 6-8¼ to win the Central Jersey, Group IV championship.
Marlboro High School’s Kwaku Amponsah won the 110 hurdles at the Monmouth County Championships.
Brannan and Russo, along with Marlboro’s CJ Maree and Manalapan High School’s Jared Skalski are the distance runners leading the New Transcript’s 2016 All-FRHSD Boys Track and Field Team. The sprinters/hurdlers are Marlboro’s Amponsah and Julien Hill and Howell High School’s David Galarza.
In the field, Staklinski, Colts Neck’s Ryan Tompkins, Howell’s Evan Hodousek, Freehold Township’s Christopher Nami and Marlboro’s JP Edralin are the jumpers. The throwers are Freehold Township’s Alexander Schlumpf and Henry Bader.
The relay teams are Manalapan’s 4×100 (Symire Blacknall, Scott Scherzer, Mike McNicholas and Ljeron Holder), Howell’s 4×400 (Bill Bajohr, Alex Behan, Galarza and Simas Glebavicius), and Freehold Township’s 4×800 (Chris Cardace, Mike Maltese, Sean O’Donnell and Jake Konig).
Although not pleased with his results in championship meets (too many second-place finished to suit him), Brannan nevertheless could find comfort in knowing that he has established himself as one of the state’s elite distance runners. His times — 4:13.87 for 1,600 and 9:08.17 for 3,200 — and his fourth-place finish at the MOC back it up. He also ran 8:26.57 for the 3,000 in finishing second at the Penn Relays, and he posted a time of 14:58.64 for the 5K at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, where he was 11th. Both of those times are second only to ex-Cougars legend Craig Forys.
All those second-place finishes will serve as added motivation for Brannan as he looks ahead to what could be a memorable senior season.
Most years, the times that Russo put up would have made him the dominant runner in the district. He posted a time of 4:19.03 for the 1,600 and 9:13.92 for 3,200 meters. His ninth-place showing in the 3,200 at the MOC is proof that he he’ll be someone to look out for next year.
Brannan and Russo teamed up with Kevin Berry and Nick Nager to set a district record of 17:45.43 for the 4×1-mile relay. The ran it at the outdoor nationals, where they placed ninth.
The cross-country season, where the Cougars are the defending Central Jersey, Group III champions, holds a lot of promise with Brannan and Russo at the top of the lineup.
Maree and Skalski dueled all year in the 800, finishing 2-2 in head-to-head races. Skalski picked up where he left off during the indoor season, peaking at the end of the season. He ran the fastest time of the spring, 1:55.17, in finishing ninth at the Group IV championships and qualifying for the MOC.
Maree also made the MOC, running 1:55.41 at the Group IV race for 10th place. He finished third in the county, fifth in the conference and third in Central Jersey, Group IV, besting Skalski in both the county and sectional meets. With Skalski a senior and Maree a junior, the 800 should be the Mustangs’ domain next year.
Amponsah is the best sprinter/hurdler in the district. At the Monmouth County meet, the Mustangs’ junior won the 110 hurdles in a personal best of 14.91 and finished third in the 100. The century dash proved to be his best event, as he took fourth in the conference and sixth in Central Jersey, Group IV. His fastest 100 was 11.02. He also had the season’s best 200 (23.50).
Amponsah’s teammate, Hill, was the area’s best 400 intermediate hurdler with a season-best 56.61. He medaled at the county, conference and sectional meets.
Howell’s Galarza was the fastest over 200 and 400 meters. He ran 22.29 for the half lap and 50.26 for the 400. The Rebels’ senior was fourth in the county, third in the conference and sixth in South Jersey, Group IV in the 200. He was also fifth in the county, fourth in the conference and eighth in South Jersey, Group IV in the 400.
Galarrza and 4×400 teammates Bajohr, Behan and Glebavicius won the county relays, were second in the Shore Conference and placed fifth in South Jersey, Group IV (3:27.86).
Hill finished fourth in the county and fifth in the conference in the 400 intermediate hurdles. He also clocked the fastest time (56.61). He ran the 400 dash in 51.39.
Staklinski will take his high jumping more seriously after his record-setting junior campaign. He improved weekly in the event, starting off with finishing second at the county relays, fourth at the county championships and third in the Shore Conference. He appeared stuck at 6-4 until his winning mark of 6-8¼ at the Central Jersey, Group IV championships. He followed that with a fifth-place finish at the overall Group IV championships. The junior began the year with a personal best of 6-0. He has his sights set on 6-10 or maybe even 7-0 next year.
Tompkins, the indoor Group III state champion, makes the team because of his consistency in the high jump. He cleared 6-4 in all the championship meets. He took second at the county and conference meets, beating Staklinski in their only meetings of the spring. He was fifth in Central Jersey, Group III and 12th at the MOC. The junior had the second best long jump of the year (19-8½).
Hodousek cleared 12-6 at the championship meets, taking second in the county, third in the conference and second in both the South Jersey, Group IV and overall Group IV championships.The junior won the Husky Relays at the start of the season. He improved his personal best by a foot.
Edralin was the only district jumper in the 20-foot range, leaping 20-0 at the county championships, where he was seventh. He jumped better than 19-0 at two other meets. The junior also triple jumped 38-8¾.
Nami, who was a pretty fair 400 hurdler and long jumper, was at his best in the triple jump. He had the season’s best mark of 42-6 in finishing second at the county championships. He was seventh in the conference and eighth in Central Jersey, Group IV. Like so many of the All-District athletes, he is a junior.
The Patriots’ Schlumpf outclassed the district shot putters in every meet this spring, and his best toss of 48-9 was also tops. He was second at the county relays and seventh at the Monmouth County Championships. The senior was ninth in Central Jersey, Group IV.
No one was more versatile in the throws than Freehold Township’s Bader. He put up marks of 46-7½ in the shot put (fourth in the county relays), 143-0 in the discus (good for fourth in the county) and 146-1 in the javelin (seventh at the county meet). He enjoyed top 10 finishes in all three disciplines.
The 4×800 has been Freehold Township’s since it became part of the MOC program, and this year was no exception. This year’s quartet of Cardace, Maltese, O’Donnell and Konig were the only team under eight minutes. They ran 7:57.76 for third place in Central Jersey, Group IV. They were sixth in Group IV, qualifying for the MOC.
Blacknall, Scherzer, McNicholas and Holder turned in a 4×100 mark of 44.66 in taking ninth in Central Jersey, Group IV.
