Penn Relays puts spotlight on local track and field standouts

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

Erin Redden has run two miles for Brick Township’s girls track and field team, but never competed at the slightly less 3,000 meters.

But the senior, who is headed to Virginia Tech in the fall, clocked a fine 10:33 in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on Friday, good for 23rd place in the prestigious showcase. And assistant girls coach K.C. Meehan pointed out that converting that time over Redden’s typical 3,200 meters that she runs would have made for an 11:15 clocking, her second-best time ever.

“I went out a little harder than I wanted to, but it was an experience. I had a lot of fun,” said Redden.

She says she is “really excited” about competing on her high school oval in the Ocean County championships again this year, which starts on Wednesday with the preliminaries and ends on Saturday morning with the finals, and in the Shore Conference championships the following weekend. Her strategy is a wait-and-see approach.

“I want to go out with the top group, and then just see what happens from there,” said Redden of the two championship meets.

On the boys side, Rob Mahler was not as fortunate at Penn. Headed to the University of Delaware, Mahler fouled on his first three throws of the javelin and was disqualified, but undoubtedly will be ready to defend his county title next week, where he uncorked the top throw in the state a year ago.

“His first throw looked out there but it was not meant to be,” said coach Pete Panuska. “Then, he clearly fouled on his next two throws.”

Damp, raw weather hindered Brick’s 4x400 boys relay team that clocked a 3:29 for sixth in its heat out of 16 teams. The 4x100 relay team nearly missed the start of the race when the bus taking them there was stuck in traffic. It clocked a 44.48 for fifth out of 10 teams in its heat. Tim Boeni, who has been slowed by ankle problems, Joe Marchetti, Tom Trafer and Matt Kay ran on both relays. Trafer will miss the Ocean County Relays at Southern Regional on Saturday because he has an ROTC commitment.

Also at Penn, Brick Township’s 4x400 relay was sixth in its heat at 4:13, which earned the praise of the coaching staff, considering that two of the runners are freshmen. One of them, Jackie Daniels, passed two runners in the third leg and ran a 1:03.8. Freshman Ryisha Boyd led off with a 1:03, followed by Tia Testa (1:05) and Cornell-bound Robin Daniels (1:00.2).

Both Daniels sisters on Saturday also did well in the Lion Invitational at Middletown North. Jackie Daniels won the 3,200 in 11:59, and Robin was second in the 800 in 2:20.7. Freshman Amber Hessenkemper won the 1,600 in 5:27.

Brick Memorial’s sensational freshman distance runner, Andrew Brodeur, won the 800 in 2:02.7 and was second in the 3,200 in 9:52.8 at the Lion Invitational. Brick Memorial’s girls got third-place finishes from freshman Melanie Weissinger, who ran a personal best 12:17 in the 3,200, and senior Bev Henderson, who triple jumped 32 feet, 2 inches. Mat Weissinger (Melanie’s older brother) was fifth in the 3,200 in 9:59.10.

Other strong times in the Lion Invitational for Brick Township’s girls included, in the 1,600-meter event, Haley Gimblett in 6:00, Alyssa Brown in 6:07, Jeanette Chang in 6:22 and Kerri McQuilken in 6:33. The Green Dragons’ 4x400 relay in the freshmen girls competition clocked a fifth place 4:40 and included Jackie Daniels, Gimblett, Brown and Hessenkemper. Freshman Jake Garcia ran a personal best 5:03 in the 1,600 and Brick Township boys teammate Erik Saenz was a second behind.