Unachukwu, Marlboro rule county track meet

Ada Unachukwu is creating memories not only for herself, but for everyone in the high school track and field fold. The Marlboro High School senior said she wanted to soak up the atmosphere at all of her meets this spring because 2009 is the last time around for this extraordinary athlete.

CHRIS KELLY staff Marlboro High School senior Ada Unachukwu (third from left) strides to the finish line to win the 100-meter dash at the Monmouth County Track and Field Championships on May 9 at Neptune High School. Unachukwu won four events and led the Mustangs to their first Monmouth County track and field team championship. At Saturday's Monmouth County Track and Field Championships at Neptune High School, Unachukwu once again gave the crowd something to remember by winning four titles (100-200-400 sprints and the triple jump) for the second straight year. That performance brought her career total of individual outdoor county titles to 11, believed to be the all-time best in meet history.

With rain and lightning canceling the activities on May 7 (the first day of the meet), Unachukwu had to do it all in one day and that made her achievement even more impressive.

CHRIS KELLY staff Howell High School's Maggie Gilbertson competes in the high jump at the Monmouth County Track and Field Championships on May 9 at Neptune High School. With a jump of 5-4, Gilbertson won the county championship. There was plenty of glory to go around for Marlboro as the Mustangs won their first Monmouth County championship, scoring 89 points to surpass Neptune (80). Colts Neck (46) and Freehold Township (45) were third and fourth, respectively, in the team standings.

"It finally came together," said Marlboro Coach Ray Sypniewski. "Everyone put together a better-than-average day. The oneday meet didn't hurt us at all."

Meanwhile, the steamroller that is the Freehold Township High School boys track and field team won its second straight Monmouth County championship. The Patriots won by 10 points over Matawan Regional High School, 79-69. Manalapan (20) was ninth in the team standings.

With rain playing havoc with the 2009 season, Patriots Coach Todd Briggs said his team had not been tested yet. He was anxious to see how the athletes would respond and was pleased with the result: a second straight championship.

Unachukwu, of course, was the heart and soul of Marlboro's effort. The Mustangs needed the 40 points she scored for the team in winning four events, especially with Neptune countering with Ajee Wilson, who won the 800- and 1,600-meter double.

Unachukwu won the 100-meter dash handily in 12.09.

In the 400-meter dash the Scarlet Fliers took a chance and put Wilson up against Unachukwu, hoping to stop her and the Mustangs there.

"It wasn't even a contest," Sypniewski said.

Unachukwu left Wilson in the rear view mirror and won the 400-meter dash crown in 55.74, more than three seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

On the track, Unachukwu ended her day by winning the 200-meter dash in 25.29.

In the triple jump, Unachukwu did not need to use all her jumps to defend her title. Her leap of 38 feet and ½ inch did the job.

The triple jump at the county meet was like a replay of the Freehold Regional High School District championships as local jumpers took the first five places.

Behind Unachukwu, Colts Neck's Lindsey Rappleyea was second (36-1½), Howell's Maggie Gilbertson (35-7) was third, Freehold Township's Desiree Reese was fourth (35-5½) and Colts Neck's Tracey Vill was fifth (33-8).

In the contest for the county team championship there were many heroes for Marlboro.

Sisters Lauren Pietrosh and Brittany Pietrosh did yeoman work on the track.

In the 1,600 meters, Lauren (5:08.33) and Brittany (5:11.47) were third and fifth, respectively.

In the 800 meters, Lauren (2:16.86) and Brittany (2:18.05) ran third and fourth, respectively.

The Pietrosh twins teamed up with Megan Berger and Brianna Nicholls to finish third in the 4x400-meter relay (4:06.88).

"The Pietrosh sisters did what we needed them to do," Sypniewski said.

Rachel Weinberger scored team points for the Mustangs in the 3,200-meter run as she placed fourth (12:13.01).

Nicholls placed sixth in the 200-meter dash (26.91) and scored a big team point for Marlboro in doing so. Nicholls ran in an unseeded section of the event.

Victories in the discus and javelin made a big difference for Marlboro in the race for the team title.

"The field was huge," said Sypniewski. "We came up big."

Fresh off her Freehold Regional High School District meet triumph, Marlboro's Yana Katalevskaya won the county discus championship with a throw of 110-5, a season's best.

Sypniewski said that in the week preceding the county meet, Katalevskaya had worked on a full spin and it helped make a difference.

Elaina Mezzasalma stunned the javelin field by unleashing a personal best throw of 120-8 to win the gold medal.

Marlboro usually relies on Mezzasalma's track points to boost the team scoring total, but with other team members of the squad stepping up, she was able to focus more on the javelin leading up to the county meet and that effort showed with her performance.

"She had a great series of throws," said Sypniewski. "That event (her win in the javelin) calmed everyone down."

Marlboro trailed in the team standings for most of the meet, but when the Mustangs scored 11 team points in the 200- meter dash and Katalevskaya won the discus, the Mustangs caught and passed the Neptune Scarlet Fliers.

All the Mustangs needed to do in the 4x400 relay was to score some team points — which they did — to secure the school's first Monmouth County track and field championship.

Staying with the girls, Freehold Township High School has had the best combination in the long jump this season and the one-two finish by Desiree Reese and Gabby Galanti at the county meet confirmed that. Reese defeated Galanti by 1½ inches, 17-8 to 17-6½.

The county meet was a good event for area jumpers as Colts Neck's Lindsey Rappleyea was third (16-11¼) and Freehold Township's Colette Johnson was fifth (16- 4) in the long jump.

Freehold Township's 4x400 relay team of Kelly Berg, Christina Camassa, Kelly Perreira and Emily Perreira finished second in 4:04.47.

Kelly Perreira was fourth in the 400- meter intermediate hurdles (1:05.87) and her sister Emily was sixth in the same event (1:06.91).

Emily Perreira placed third in the 100- meter hurdles (16.73) and Reese was sixth (17.13) in that event.

Chelsea Thorsheim finished sixth in the 3,200-meter run for Freehold Township (12:22.17).

Howell's Maggie Gilbertson picked a good time to come up with her season's best high jump. She was the only jumper to clear 5-4 as she won the Monmouth County championship. Rappleyea was fourth in a group that cleared 5-0.

Howell's Kellie Bresz tied for second in the pole vault as she matched her outdoor best of 9-6. Vill was fifth (9-0) for Colts Neck.

On the track, Howell's Amanda Luccarelli placed fourth in the 100-meter dash (12.65).

For Colts Neck, Rachel Morris was second in the 3,200 (11:38.02), and Emily Laurence (115-03) and Allison Lang (107-3) were third and sixth, respectively, in the javelin throw.

Karissa Herrick was third in the 400- meter intermediate hurdles (1:05.58) and fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.84) for Colts Neck.

Freehold High School's Kelly Vitale was second to Katalevskaya in the discus by a half-inch with a throw of 110-0.

Freehold Township boys win title

On the boys side of the Monmouth County meet, there was no stopping the Freehold Township Patriots and their depth.

The first event of the competition spelled doom for the rest of the competition as the Patriots' Bobby Searby (55.26) led a one-two-three sweep of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Jeff Kole (56.48) and Ramier Wright (56.52) gave the Patriots a quick 24 points in the team standings.

Searby was third in the 400-meter dash (49.58), getting under 50 seconds just behind teammate Ryan Spadola (49.49). Ocean Township High School's John Alesi won the race in 49.38.

Spadola was fifth in the 200-meter dash in 22.98.

Abe Hamami won the 800-meter title in 1:58.58, edging Manalapan's Kingsley Prophete (1:59.02). The Patriots scored big in the 800 with Rich Fedak (2:00.03) and Gregg Tilley (2:00.42) placing third and fifth, respectively.

Sean Walsh scored points for the team in the 110-meter high hurdles by placing fourth (15.68). Eric Dynarski was sixth in the 1,600 (4:28.57) for Freehold Township.

At the end of the day, Spadola, Searby, Matt Intile and Ralph McFadden won the 4x400 relay in 3:22.88, which is the Patriots' best time this spring.

Freehold Township received field points from Gerard Castronova, who was third in the shot put (47-0).

For Manalapan High School, the 4x400 relay team added Robby Andrews and he helped the Braves run to a third-place finish in 3:26.11. Prophete, Anthony Menza and Leighton Harrison ran the first three legs of the relay for Manalapan.

Andrews, though, was relegated to third place in the 3,200-meter run. He turned in a time of 9:39.99 and finished behind 2009 champion George Galasso of Holmdel High School (9:31.63) and Colts Neck's Mark Leininger (9:33.02).

Colts Neck's Mike O'Dowd was fourth in the 3,200 (9:59.15). O'Dowd ran a nice double for Colts Neck by placing fifth in the 1,600 (4:27.13).

Howell's Conrad Zwolinski leaped 20- 10 to finish second in the long jump at the county championships. He was third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.49).

Howell's Chris Sullivan was sixth in the 100-meter dash (11.13) and the Rebels' Sean Harvey whirled the discus 138-3, good enough for fourth place.

Dane Canoncio was sixth in the shot put (44-8) for Colts Neck.

The Shore Conference Track and Field Championships will be held at Neptune High School on May 15 (3:30 p.m.) and May 16 (9 a.m.).