An NJRunners Look into the One For All The Marbles

The 2010 Indoor NJSIAA Meet of Champions kicks off at 10:00am on Saturday February 27th  (unless you hear otherwise by NJRunners) with the boys meet before the girls (girls start at 1:00pm).  Like past years this meet is sure to have fireworks.  2009’s big highlights were in the boys 1600m 4 runners were under 4:20, a number what would maybe be at 1 for the whole season, not the same race.  Also Nick Vena who seems to break a some sort of record every time he puts the rock in his hands threw 67-7 last year, a meet record.  So what’s in store for this year’s meet?  We’ll have to wait till Saturday to see, but for now I’m here to give you a run down on what could happen.

Girls 400m – One of the more intriguing races on the afternoon, the top two runners Michelle Brown (Seneca) and Amber Allen (Passaic Tech) were 1-2 respectively at last year’s meet.  After the Eastern States Championship race where the two races each other Allen has to be a slight favorite.  Allen beat Brown to the line in 55.55 to 55.74 respectively both are season bests.  This race will be decided by who gets out faster as Allen did at the Easterns.  Prediction – Michelle Brown get’s this rematch in 55.98

Girls 1600m – This race is arguably the most interesting of them all.  Lenape will be sporting two runners under 5:00, Caitlin Orr and Frosh Natalia Ocasio.  Orr and Ocasio made NJ history last week as they became the first duo from the same school to break 5:00 in the same race, Orr was 4:57.72 and Ocasio was 4:58.48.  There are probably 6 runners that have a shot at taking this race if the pace is right.  Two big questions regarding this race are involving Ajee Wilson (Neptune).  1, will she get into the seeded heat (she’s seeded 15th), she may need a few others to drop out, and 2, if she’s not in the seeded heat how low can she go by herself.  Two others that will give anyone a handful are newly NJ frosh 1600m record holder from Sparta Claudia Disomma and Joelle Amaral (Randolph) who has been running phenomenal times all season.  Prediction – Joelle Amaral passes Orr and Ocasio on the final turn to earn her 1st MOC crown, time-4:52.00

Girls 55h – Before the Eastern States Championships this race looked like it could be one by any of 4 athletes.  But after the Eastern States Championships the favorite has to be Kayann Richards of Columbia as she won the Eastern States Championships in 8.16 and blew away the field including Jamie Thompson of South Brunswick.  Prediction – Kayann Richards wins it a closer race than Tuesday with a time of 8.18

Girls 55m – The race that was.  Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic) the defending outdoor MOC champion in the 100m and 200m will not be in the race as she false start in the prelims at last weeks Group Championship race.  No question without Jacobs in the race NOBODY is beating English Gardner (Eastern) as she proved at Tuesday’s Eastern States running an all-time personal best in the 55m of 6.91.  Prediction – English Gardner 6.98

Girls 800m – Defending champion Ajee Wilson will no doubt be in the seeded heat in this one as she was the 8th fastest from the prior week.  Wilson has to be the favorite, she has been getting stronger every race.  One racer not to over look is Washington Twp’s Megan Tiernan who has come out of nowhere to beat some stiff competition the last few weeks and run 2:14.29 in the mean time.  Tiernan is known for her big last laps, so if Wilson wants to win this she’ll have to run her way and take it out from the gun to take the sting out of Tiernan’s kick.  Prediction – Ajee Wilson flies out in the first 400m in somewhere around 62.5 or faster and holds off the field to win in 2:10.2

Girls 3200m – The race is definitely missing it’s top runner in Chelsea Ley (Kingsway) who decided not to run in the sectionals.  NJ is still loaded with distance talent though and this title is definitely going to have to go through Megan Venables (Highland Reg.) .  All XC season long Venables had to deal with Ley and race after race Venables finished closer to Ley.  Without Ley in this race (I’m sure a disappointment to Venables) this race is hers to lose.  If Joelle Amaral decides to run this instead of the 1600m (let’s face it no one should try to double in the 1600m and 3200m, NJ is too good these days to pull it off) she’ll give Venables a real run for the crown.  Prediction – In a battle till the end with about 8 runners, Venables pulls it out in 10:39.87

Girls 4x400m Relay – With my obvious Shore Conference bias here, Southern Regional wins, ‘nuff said

Girls High Jump – With her big time jumping at the Eastern States Championships where Emily Kianka (Hopewell Valley) cleared 5-11 to win in a jump off, she is clearly the favorite and it probably won’t be close.  Prediction – Emily Kianka 6-0

Girls Pole Vault – Emily Urciuoli (Clifton) wins.  There’s not much more I can say about this one.  Urciuoli has dominated this event like the Canadian’s have dominated our hockey team for the last 50 years (that is until Sunday night)

Girls Shot Put – In one of the closest and best fields in years, this one could be a great show.  With the Shot Put being in the bubble this time (the last few weeks it has been in the school gym next to the bubble) the crowd could make their way over to see 4 girls battle with tosses over 40’.  Alana Pantale (Wayne Valley) is the top seed with a toss of 42-2 but is just the 3rd best throw of the year.  Kathryn Hirsch (Demarest) has thrown 44-10 just last week at the Bergen Co. Championships.  Apresha Hampton (Teaneck) has also been over 43’ with a toss of 43-3.25 at the NJSIAA State Sectionals meet.  The 4th 40 footer this year is Corinne Kominkiewicz (East Brunswick) who is sure to mix it up with the other 40 footers.  Prediction – Kathryn Hirsch tosses a bomb of 45-8 to win.

Boys 400m – After watching Najee Glass (St. Peter’s Prep) on Tuesday night I was sure he could go in the 47.x range, especially after running 48.77 at the Bubble with 1/8” and a flat, much slower track.  My feelings were spot on when Glass BLASTED another Soph NJ Record running 47.87 good enough for the #2 time in the United States.  Prediction – No one is touching Najee Glass right now (especially since Keith Griffith isn’t an option) and he wins in 48.x (can’t go much faster on the bubble’s flat track)

Boys 1600m – This race should be another thriller between Pat Schellberg (Delbarton) and DJ Thornton (Union Catholic).  The two squared off at the Non Public group meet where they both had PR’s with Schellberg going 4:10.48 and Thornton clocking 4:13.35. These two will clearly be in front of the rest of the field.  I think Schellberg will still be too powerful for Thornton or anyone else that wants to challenge his blistering (but even) pace.

Boys 55h – There a 4 hurdlers that have a legit shot at taking this race.  Syteek Farrington (Camden) is the state’s leader at 7.46 but he hasn’t run that fast since the Hispanic Games on January 9th.  Keshon Carter (Paterson-Kennedy) ran 7.49 with ¼” spikes on the flat bubble track just this past week at the Group Championship meet, so he should probably have a slight edge over Farrington.  At the same time don’t count out Devon Carter (Washington Twp) or Josh Major (West Orange) as both have been at 7.51 or faster.   Prediction – Keshon Carter wins edging out the other 3 in 7.47

Boys 55m – This one is Miles Shuler-Foster’s to lose, but no one has yet to beat him all year and it’s not about to happen at the Meet of Champions. Shuler-Foster whose just a junior ran 6.35 which is tied for US#3.  Prediction – Duhh

Boys 800m – I don’t think this one will be as close as people think.  This race has been billed as a great showdown between Kevin Byrne (RBC) and Hamer Farag (Morristown), but after watching Byrne at the Group Meet and the way he barreled down the backstretch on the last lap, I don’t think Farag or anything else has the strength to hang on in the end and let’s not forget how fast Byrne went over 1000m, 2:26.78 a National Leading time.  Prediction – Kevin Byrne wins his first MOC title in 1:54.89. Farag hangs on for 2nd in around 1:55 high.

Boys 3200m – This one certainly has the capability of topping a NJ state record of 8:59.77 held by Brian Leung (WWPS) set in 2008 (Here’s the video, you’re welcome Kurt ☺).  The pace will be pushed fast all race long with Jim Rosa (WWPN) who will be eyeing that 3200m record.  No one in the race has the speed or strength to hang on with Rosa so this will be a one man show.  Prediction – Jim Rosa wins, just missing the state record finishing in 8:59.78, but gets the State 2mile record at NIN running 8:50 ☺

Boys 4x400m Relay – There is a GOOD chance that 5 teams could be storming around the final turn on the final leg to try for a relay championship.  Absegami has the fastest time seeded in the meet when they ran 3:26.08 at the Group championship.  Bergen Catholic in my opinion is the slight favorite.  Out of the teams in the race they have the fastest time on the season and have been running well all year.  Prediction – Bergen Catholic wins in 3:24.69

Boys High Jump – This one could be interesting.  Mark Jones (Summit) has the best leap of 6-10 but there are two others that have cleared 6-8, Tommy DeVita (Ridgewood) and Edward Kramer (Cherokee) and as we all know in NJ the high jump is the most inconsistent event.  With that said I still think Jones has the edge.  Prediction – Mark Jones wins with a leap of 6-10 (sorry Mark  no 7-0 yet)

Boys Pole Vault – In another inconsistent event three guys have cleared 15-0 on the season, so being somewhat bias towards the Shore, I’ll take Jordan Subai (Toms River North) to win on misses with a height of 15-0

Boys Shot Put – Do I really need to tell you who wins.  NO.  But I will venture a guess.  73’ for a new National Junior Class Record!

For more videos of the Meet of Champions, Here are the rest of 2008's and 2009