Pellegrino leads track contingent; O’Rourke again tops field performers

Dave O’Rourke’s remarkable career in the weight events included perennial appearances at the Meet of Champions and setting the District record in the shot put with a mark of 60-6.

The boys track and field season in Freehold District produced memorable swan songs from veterans Dave O’Rourke of Freehold Borough and Nick Pellegrino of Marlboro, as well as the emergence of new stars like Freehold Borough’s Alex Kennedy and Colts Neck’s Jorge Ventura.

All in all, it made for an exciting season which saw several athletes win major championships and Marlboro emerge as the top team.

O’Rourke (shot put and discus) and Pellegrino (3,200), the senior stars of the 2000 season head the News Transcript’s 2000 All-Freehold District Track and Field Team.

Joining Pellegrino on the track side are Kennedy (100-200), Freehold Township’s Eric Levinson (400), Ventura (800), Marlboro’s Ty Jensen (1,600), Manalapan’s Sujoy Banerjee (110-meter high hurdles), Marlboro’s Brandon Portelli (400-meter intermediate hurdles) and Freehold Township’s 1,600-meter relay team.

Marlboro’s Jon Korbrinski (javelin) takes his place alongside O’Rourke in the throwing events. Jesse Askew repeats in the high jump and the long jumper is Howell’s Greg Ostrowicki. Jonas Tepaske of Freehold Borough is the pole vaulter.

The University of Virginia-bound O’Rourke was prevented from reaching his full potential this spring by tendonitis in his right leg that hampered his training. Still, he had a year that anyone else would trade for.

He began the year with a fifth place at the Penn Relays and was the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the Freehold District Track and Field Championships after winning the shot put (58-6 1/2) and discus (157-5 1/2) impressively. He was named the most outstanding field performer at the county championships after winning the discus and taking second in the shot.

In the rain at the Shore Conference he won the shot put again and then won both the shot put and discus at the Central Jersey Group II Championships. At the Group II state championships he was second in the shot put and discus (where he threw his season’s best, 158-9). At the state championship’s O’Rourke was third in the shot put (58-5) ending his career with three silvers and one bronze medal at the Meet of Champions. He graduates with the best shot put in district history, 60-6.

No one ran with as much heart as the Mustangs’ Pellegrino. No matter who was in the race or the stakes, Pellegrino was unintimidated. He made life uncomfortable for the favorites because he would not sit back and run for second place. He’s the one who made every race a tough one.

Pellegrino won the district 3,200 title and was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer after a second in the 1,600 and running a leg on the 1,600-meter relay team that was second, and wrapped up Marlboro’s championship. He won the Monmouth County title (9:30.55) and was fifth in the Shore Conference. His greatest race was in the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional where he lowered his school record to 9:24.8 and broke the 17-year-old meet record held by North Hunterdon’s Andy Martin (9:25.2). In the heat at the Group IV state championships, Pellegrino was fourth. At the MOC he finished 15th. Pellegrino will continue his running career at Monmouth University, West Long Branch. His senior season was one of the best in recent years by a district distance runner.

Pellegrino’s heir apparent is teammate Jensen, the top 1,600-meter runner. Jensen spent the early part of the season finishing behind Pellegrino’s kick in the 1,600. He turned things around at the Freehold District Championships, making his move from further out and not waiting for the final 100 meters. His win set the stage for a solid season from the junior. He was fourth in Monmouth County, seventh in the SC and second in CJ IV (4:23.2). He was a pretty fair 3,200-runner as well, placing second behind Pellegrino in the district and at Central Jersey Group IV. Look for Jensen to take center stage next year.

Jensen won’t have to go far for competition, however, it will be right up the road at Colts Neck where sophomore Ventura is blossoming into a good one. He was a convincing winner in the 800 at the district meet, running the best time of the year, 1:59. He went on to take fifth in the county, win Central Jersey I and take fourth at the Group I state championships. Ventura became a top miler as well, winning the Central Jersey title before making history at the Group I state championship, becoming the first Cougar to win a state championship capturing the 1,600 in 4:26.07.

A quad injury got Kennedy’s season off to a late start, but he more than made up for lost time. He made his championship debut at the Shore Conference where he splashed his way to wins in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. At Central Jersey, he won the 200 meters in a meet record 21.6, eclipsing the old mark set in 1985 by former Colonial great Joe Henderson. Kennedy was second in the century at the sectional. At the Group II state championships he was second in the 100 and sixth in the 200. The potential for Kennedy, who is a junior, is enormous.

The 400 meters was a close choice between Levinson and Manalapan’s Bryan Chapman. Chapman did win his second straight district title, with Levinson second.

However, Levinson finished first among district 400 runners at the county (third) and Shore Conference (tied for third), and, most important, Central Jersey (50.74) where he was fourth.

Banerjee put his stamp on the 110-meter high hurdles at the district championships (15.4) and went on to back it up with an eighth place in the county and sixth in the conference. He is still just a junior.

Marlboro’s Portelli gets the nod at the 400 hurdles for his win at the district championships (58.6). The versatile sprinter/hurdler was seventh in the county.

Freehold Township’s team of Levinson, Chris Reed, Alex Wong and Ryan Brown were the best all season. They ran 3:30.6 at the district. Their best time came in CJ IV where they were fourth after a 3:27.2.

Kobrinski did not win a third straight district title in the javelin this year, but he was the best throughout the season. He lost to Manalapan’s Darius Sepassi at the district championships (177-2-171-5), but that was his last loss to anyone in the area. He would win his biggest championship at Monmouth County, throwing 171-11 to edge out teammate Michael Hofman (166-6). The Marlboro senior went on to take second in CJ IV and 10th in Group IV.

Bad weather kept the high jumpers in check for some of the major meets, but Howell’s Jesse Askew still managed to equal his indoor school record of 6-6 outdoors. The high-flying Rebel senior repeated as district champion and picked up his first-ever state sectional title in CJ IV. He was third in the county and fifth in the conference. He was 10th in Group IV concluding one of the best high jumping careers ever by a district jumper.

In the pole vault, it was a battle between Colonials Jonas Tepaske and Josh James. Each had his moment during the season. Tepaske and James were one-two at the district with Tepaske joining his graduated brother Marcus as a district champion.

James out jumped Tepaske at the county and in Central Jersey where he did 12-6. But Tepaske was sixth in Group II (12-6), advancing to the MOC where he finished 10th giving him the edge on his teammate. Tepaske and James are both sophomores and should push each other to greater heights before their Colonial careers are finished.

The long jump was as close as it could get. With no one distinguishing himself at the county, conference or sectional meets, the district meet became the barometer and it was Howell’s Greg Ostrowicki who won on a tie-breaker. He and Manalapan’s Tony Joseph both did 19-11 with Ostrowicki getting the gold because his next best jump was better than Joseph’s. It was enough to give the edge to the Rebel junior. Ostrowicki also was a top hurdler for the Rebels.

Those earning honorable mention for their efforts this spring were: Israel Payan, Joe Orrico and Craig Stivala of Colts Neck; Desmond Sepulvade, Zadius Perry, Doug McGinnis and Kasen Whitehouse of Freehold Borough; Peter Erndl, Brian Brach, Tom Antus, Rafael Damo and Evan Alemeda of Freehold Township; Matt Coupland and Rob Haller of Howell; Derek Mahoney, Derek Thompson and Tony Joseph of Manalapan; Lee Geller, Anthony Evegan, Michael Hofman, Josh Lunde and Dave Pugliese of Marlboro.