Dynarski Runs Wild to Stun CBA, Freehold Twp Sweeps Titles

TOMS RIVER, NJ - Going into the Distance Medley Relay Freehold Twp knew they needed points to stay alive for the team title especially after losing a possible ten in the boys 4x200m when 2nd leg Kwame Manful took a hard fall on the back turn.  Looking at the two lineups that Freehold Twp and CBA fielded for the DMR it was clear that CBA had the better team on paper.  Well that's why the races are run.  Leading off for Freehold Twp was Randy Spadola who has been running sensational times this winter.  Spadola ran great once again and CBA's leg was right with Twp.  That's pretty much the story of the race.  Freehold Twp and CBA were neck and neck the entire way.  On the handoff from the 800m to the 1600m CBA had built up a 20-30m lead.  Throughout the first 4 to 5 laps it looked apparent that CBA was going to claim victory and Freehold Twp would claim 8 points and 2nd place.  To coach Todd Briggs that would have been good enough as Freehold Twp had the 4x400m left to secure the team title.  Well that wasn't good enough for Dynarski as he began to chip away ever so slowly at the lead that Dan Bailey (CBA) had.  Coming into the bell lap the lead had shrunk down to 10-15 meters and Dynarski was closing fast.  Around the final turn Dynarski had kicked into a new gear and was headed full steam past Bailey and down the final stretch.  Dynarski had outkicked Bailey and the Toms River Bubble had erupted.  Dynarski had pulled off a tremendous upset.  Freehold Twp beat CBA in the distance medley relay 10:46.85 to 10:47.06.

After the race I had a chance to talk with the hero of the night and I asked him, "getting the handoff from your teammate and seeing the lead that CBA had built up did you think you could get him"?

His reply, "I just tried to keep pushing and when it came to that final lap I just went for it".  "I saw I was getting closer to him (Bailey) and rounding the final turn I knew I could get him.

Freehold Twp had an up and down night all night.  They started off the meet running a US#4 and NJ#1 4x800m topping CBA by 5 seconds 8:03.63 to 8:08.51.  Freehold's fastest leg on the 4x800m came from Randy Spadola the brother of recently graduated all-star Ryan Spadola. 

Twp's 4x55m shuttle hurdle relay team took the track after that.  After the first two legs they had fallen a little behind but on that third leg by Chris Donlon they had gotten closer to the other 3 teams in the race (Raritan, Matawan and CBA).  When Donlon crossed the line for anchor Sean Walsh to go Walsh was out like a rocket picking 1 runner off at a time.  Walsh crossed the line in a NJ#1 time of 31.45.

The girls Freehold Twp team was also victorious on the night giving coach Todd Briggs the sweep of team titles.  The girls team started the meet off well running the 4x800m relay where they took 2nd to RBC (whose time was a NJ#1 this winter (9:36.3)) in a time of 10:00.42.  Like the boys the fielded a strong shuttle hurdle relay squad and took 3rd wit a time of 40.23.

The Freehold girls team took 8 valuable points away from the sprint medley relay on the heels of their anchor Rhianna Zalewski.  She had no easy task on the anchor as she had to run against All-Stater Ajee Wilson (frosh state record last year of 2:10.45).  She hung in tough as Wilson took the pace out in 62 for the first 400m.  She hung till the end and crossed the line finishing with a time of 4:20.73.  The girls squad closed the night out in good fashion dominating the 4x400m relay running 4:10.64, nine seconds ahead of 2nd place to claim the team title 44-28 over RBC