Unachukwu sets four meet records

Marlboro High School senior Ada Unachukwu bid farewell to the Freehold Regional High School District Track and Field Championships as only she could.

ERIC SUCAR staff Freehold Township High School's Gabrielle Galanti kicks up some sand as she competes in the long jump at the April 30 Freehold Regional High School District Track and Field Championships at Howell High School. Galanti finished third in the long jump and helped her squad capture the team championship.

In her final appearance at the FRHSD meet on April 30, Unachukwu won four events for the third straight year. All of her victories were record performances.

While Unachukwu dazzled one last time, the Freehold Township High School girls won the team championship in one of the finest team battles ever contested at the meet.

Coach Sean Levinson's Patriots prevailed in a three-team race with 132 points and snapped Colts Neck's four-year reign as champions. The Cougars scored 128 points and Marlboro, which had the most champions (seven), was third with 126 points.

"Marlboro did a good job on the track and Colts Neck was good in the field," said Levinson. "We had a nice combination on the track and in the field. The nice part of the team is depth. I didn't have to expend anyone. I'm proud of my kids."

Unachukwu began her extraordinary record-setting day by equaling the meet record for the 100-meter dash. Her time of 12.0 put her miles ahead of the field and matched the time set by Freehold High School's Sonda Brangman in 1989.

Next up was the 400 meters and Unachukwu, who has settled into the longer sprint over time, was again in a class of her own. In this race she lowered her own FRHSD meet record from 57.6 to 55.7.

"As a freshman I didn't want to run the 400," she said. "Now I know how to go about running the race. I don't have the anxiety I used to have."

Unachukwu's final race on the track was the 200-meter dash, where her handheld time of 24.7 is equal to the 24.72 set by Freehold High School's Vicky Roy in 1980.

"I'm starting to hit the big times and I'm happy about that," said the Marlboro senior.

The fourth win for Unachukwu was in the triple jump, where she bested her own meet record of 35-5½ with a leap of 37-3½. That was on her first and only jump. She needed to break her record on that leap in order to hold off Howell's Maggie Gilbertson, who also exceeded the meet record with her 36-8 in second place.

"It doesn't hit you until afterward," Unachukwu said of her final appearance at the FRHSD meet. "What I like about this meet is that all the school principals are here. It's my school district and it makes me happy to do a good job."

Unachukwu said she will miss the camaraderie of meeting the athletes from the other schools. This year's underclassmen, no doubt, will be happy to have a chance at winning the sprints next year. This time around they were privileged to have been able to watch one of the district's greatest athletes, and the record book is proof of that.With her four wins at the meet, Unachukwu brought her career total of district titles to 14. She won the 100-meter dash and the triple jump four times each.

She will be competing for the University of Michigan next year.

Marlboro's Lauren Pietrosh won the 1,600 meters (5:15.2) and was second to her twin sister, Brittany Pietrosh, in the 800 (2:19.9 to 2:20.4), as Marlboro almost stunned Freehold Township and Colts Neck with its star power.

Yana Katalevskaya won the discus for the Mustangs, spinning the platter 103-5.

The highlight for Freehold Township was the meet record in the 4x400 that was set by the quartet of Emily Pereira, Kelly Pereira, Kelly Berg and Rhianna Zalewski, who turned in a time of 4:04.2 and clipped .08 off Howell's 4:05 record from 2007.

Levinson pointed to Kelly Pereira's win in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in a personal best time of 1:06.1 and to freshman Christina Camassa placing second in the 400 as being key performances on the track for Freehold Township.

In the field events, Freehold Township discus throwers J'Nel Billups (96-0) and Kelly Vitale (95-11) both improved their personal bests by 10 feet and scored important second- and third-place points for the Patriots in that event.

Desiree Reese provided the Patriots with a victory in the long jump. She won by more than a foot with a leap of 16-8.

Colts Neck got wins on the track from Karissa Herrick in the 110 hurdles (15.3) and Rachel Morris in the 3,200 (11:39.6). Emily Laurence won the javelin (110-8) for the Cougars.

Howell's Kellie Bresz and Colts Neck's Tracey Vill put their names in the record book as both athletes equaled the FRHSD meet record in the pole vault, clearing 9-6. Brez cleared 9-6 on her first jump and Vill cleared 9-6 on her second attempt. Bresz won the event on fewer jumps.

Marlboro's Gretchen Volherbst and Jenna Meagher each cleared 9-6 in 2006 to set the record.

Kristen Lehrer of Howell won the shot put (32-2).

Unachukwu was named the meet's most outstanding athlete on the track.

Colts Neck's Lindsey Rappleyea was named the meet's most outstanding athlete in the field with her win in the high jump (5-2).

Katalevskaya was named the meet's most outstanding athlete in the weights.

The FRHSD meet was Round One between Freehold Township and Colts Neck. Their next meeting will be in a tri-meet with Middletown South on May 12 in Middletown with the Shore Conference A North Division title at stake. Colts Neck has won six consecutive division titles and is riding a 33-dual meet win streak.

The Monmouth County Track and Field Championships will be held on May 7 (4 p.m.) and on May 9 (1 p.m.) at Neptune High School.