AMERICAN DIVISION XC CHAMPS--GIRLS GO 7-0; BOYS 5-2 TAKE 3RD

American Division XC Champs--Girls 7-0; Boys 5-2 Take 3rd

Friday, March 26, 2010

More Awards for Indoor

The Star Ledger recognized the accomplishments of a number of MO tracksters for the indoor season. Aeron Gilson picked up yet another award being named 1st Team for the 300meters. Dan Maya was named 2nd Team 55m, while Matt Herb (H.J.) and Scott Rennalls (1000m) were named 3rd Team along with the 4 x 400 team (Rennalls, Maya, Chris Orihuela, Gilson).
On the distaff side, the girls had two members make the 3rd Team: Val Zielinski in the 1000m and Gianna Pastena in the high jump.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Gilson, Rennalls Garner Awards

Senior Aeron Gilson and sophomore Scott Rennalls were both named to the Daily Record Boys Indoor Track & Field All Area First Team for the 2010 indoor season. Gilson was named 1st team in the 400 meter dash; Rennalls in the 1000 meter run. Gilson has been named numerous times since his freshmen year; this is Rennalls' first time.
Gilson won a number of titles and broken school records this season (see articles below) as well as has been named First Team All County, while Rennalls established himself as a formidable new face in the middle distance races and broke the school soph record for 800m.
Gilson recently competed in the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston in the 400 and 200, where he competed against the best athletes from all over the U.S. See results on Dyestat.com.
Congratulations to our athletes! More good news should follow the Star Ledger publication of their all area teams.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

College News

St. Francis U. senior Chris Behre successfully defended his NEC mile title for the Red Flash by winning in 4:20, after running a 4:19 in the qualifying rounds. He also took 5th in the 800 in 1:57 after qualifying in 1:55. At the same meet, former teammate Chris Taiwo took 4th in the 60m dash and 5th in the 200.
Kean U. frosh Kevin Persson took 3rd in the NJAC Championships in the 400 in 49.3. He also anchored the 2nd place 4 x 400 team who ran 3:23.
At the Kent State Tuneup, Tiffin U. soph Antoine Allen took 3rd in the l.j. (23'2 1/2") and 4th in the t.j. (44' 2 3/4").

Gilson Improves on 200 Record

Aeron Gilson established a clearcut hold on the school record in the 200 when he placed 8th in the Eastern States Championships on Tuesday, 2/23, at the New Balance Armory. His time of 22.53 bettered his 22.64 and also earned him US First Team Elite status on MilesplitUS. His time is 5th in NJ this season.
Armani Blair beat her own soph record in the 55 by running 7.69.

Group 3 State Championships

Aeron Gilson earned a bronze medal at the Groups Sat., 2/20, running 51.13 in the 400. He dove at the tape after leading the entire way in the seeded section, but was edged by a thousandth in the closest of finishes. Ashley Tomasula placed 6th in the pole vault, equalling her best, at 9'6". Gianna Pastena grabbed a wild card spot in the h.j., clearing 5', to become the 3rd member of the indoor team to make it to the Meet of Champs on 2/27.
Other notable marks were recorded by Scott Rennalls, who placed 9th in the 800, taking his own soph indoor mark down to 2:02.34; Jacinta Ford and Laura Goodfriend both jumped 4'10" to tie for 10th, one spot behind their teammate Pastena.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Big Apple Trip Bears Fruit

The boys & girls trip to the Armory in NYC proved worth it this past Monday, 2/8.
Aeron Gilson shone again in his performances. In the 400 he broke his own school record by running 50.4 (50.64 AT). Then in the 200, he tied Ryan Newberger's record at 22.4. To cap it off, he anchored the 4 x 400 in 49.6 when they ran 3:34.0.
The 4 x 800 team smashed last year's 8:35 record when Scott Rennall, Chris Orihuela, Chris Schneider, and Jon Weiss relayed to 8:22.1. The legs were 2:04, 2:05, 2:07, and 2:05 respectively.
Armani Blair broke soph records in the 55 (7.5T, 7.4S) and 200 (27.2). She also had a season-best in the 55H in 9.0.
Jacinta Ford placed 5th in the long jump in 16'4 1/2" and ran 7.5 and 7.3 in the trials and semis of the 55. Her 8.7 in the 55H was a p.r.
Numerous other season bests and p.r.'s were turned in throughout the night: boys 55-Dan Maya (6.5T & S), Jamal Davis (7.0), Jamore McBurroughs (7.1); boys 800-Chris Coyle (2:14.9); boys 200-John Johnson (23.4), Maya (23.8), Kevin Lepore (24.5); boys 1600-Bryan Kveglis (4:54.2); girls 55-Marissa Karl (8.1); girls 200-Kelly Sagi (29.1), Danielle Halikias (29.2); girls 1600-Erin Miller (5:45.9), Stephanie Smith (5:48.4), Ashley Torres (5:53.6).
Season bests were turned in by the 4 x 800 team in 10:16.9--notable were Val Zielinski's 2:28 leadoff and Laura Goodfriend's ensuing 2:31.7. The 4 x 400 ran 4:24.5 with a team of Sam Tavalare, Ingrid Nimoh, Goodfriend, and Zielinski.
Gianna Pastena made the opening height in the high jump at 5' for the third time this season to equal her season best.

Boys & Girls advance to Group 3 State Championships

M.O. qualified a total of 15 athletes to the Group 3 State Championships on Saturday, 2/13, at Toms River. Eight boys and seven girls will be making the trip. M.O. had three individual winners at the sectionals on 2/3.
For details about the boys, see the article below.
The girls demonstrated their improving maturity this year by coming in 4th with 38 pts., an incredible showing over last year's 15th place with a mere 2.75 pts.! Most amazing was senior Gianna Pastena, who failed to place last year in the high jump, winning that event this year at 4'10"! Senior teammate Val Zielinski, in her first undercover campaign, did a lioness's share for the team, placing 5th in both the 1600 and 800, both p.r.'s in 5:30.05 and 2:29.11, and anchoring the non-placing relay to a season best 4:25.62. Perhaps even better were Jacinta Ford's 3 medal total--all 5ths in the 55H, 55, and high jump. The high jump was a huge success for the Marauderettes as Laura Goodfriend also joined Pastena and Ford as qualifies by taking 4th. Ashley Tomasula was the girls' lone entrant in the pole vault, but that didn't stop her from grabbing 6 big points by taking 3rd, equalling her p.r., school-record height of 9'6". Armani Blair was also 3rd in the 55H in a p.r. 9.38. Finally, Casey Garcia, who just missed qualifying in the 1600 in 7th, came back to run her first 3200 of the season and placed 5th in 12:35.38.