Brunner has high hopes for BTHS's distance throwers

It was an up-and-down week for the throwers on Brick Township High School's girls track and field team last week, but coach Bill Brunner hopes they'll pull it together in time for the Ocean County outdoor track and field relay championships at Southern Regional High School on May 1.

Lisa Stuto threw the shot put well in the weekend meets at the Woodbury Invitational two weekends ago and at the Lion Invitational at Middletown North on Saturday, but struggled at the Penn Relays. And teammate Katie Brunner, the coach's daughter, missed the Penn Relays despite qualifying, because of a rib injury and a stomach muscle pull.

Coach Brunner, who has cultivated a treasure trove of state-caliber throwers over the years, also missed the Penn Relays, because he was hospitalized for surgery for melanoma.

"It was malignant, but surgery was scheduled for that day, and I'm healthy and fine now," Brunner said.

Kristy McCullough, who normally assists Brunner in working with the runners, coached Stuto at the Penn Relays.

But will his daughter be back in time for the county relays, where Brunner feels his discus relay can reset the county record it set last year and threaten the state mark before this season is over?

"We hope she'll be back for this week," Brunner said of his daughter. "We think she will, based on the impressions my wife had of her. That's the only question mark."

And Brunner wants Katie ready for the county individual championships on May 6, and the following Saturday, May 10, at Neptune High School. Katie had a top throw of 111 feet in the discus for sixth place at Woodbury before sitting out last week because of her injury.

"She'll be a major factor in the discus, with Stuto for second and third, and she can even beat Stuto, but neither will beat Shannon Watt [of Jackson]," said coach Brunner. "And we want to have Deena Haluza up there in the finals [for discus] and Katie and Lisa in the shot."

Brunner also feels that Haluza, Rachel Marino and Shaniece Hardy could do well in the javelin relay on Friday and get some medals individually in the county meet next week. Brunner is also entering Megan Schenk in the individual 1,600 meters, rather than the 800 meters, and in her customary 3,200 meters event. Hardy, a sophomore, teamed with freshmen Amanda Acebal and Jackie Price and team captain Chelsea Barretto on a 4x100 shuttle hurdles team that was third in 1:14 at the Lion Invitational.

"Other than the throwers, the best part of this team is the hurdlers, and I credit Jim Calabro [who also coaches Brick Township High School's boys team] with his

working with them," Brunner said. "We won't win the [county individuals] meet, but we could be a spoiler."

That won't overshadow the individual glory Brunner anticipates from Stuto if she throws to her ability. Stuto won the shot put at Woodbury at 41 feet 1 inch, and on Saturday

prevailed at the Lion Invitational with a 42-5 opening throw, surpassing the field by 5 feet. She hit 44 feet on her second attempt, but fouled, and threw consistently in the 40s. It was far different from the Penn Relays in between those two meets, when her best throw was 38-10.

"There was a feeling that my not being there contributed to that, but she has to create

her own mind-set when she goes to Eastern Michigan University [this fall]," Brunner said.

Stuto also won the discus on a measure of 121 feet on her third attempt. It was well shy of the 135-foot measure she had in warm-ups, but was 11 feet better than the rest of the field. Now Brunner wants to see more of the mental toughness that DeAnne Hahn left in her legacy the past three years before embarking on a career at the University of Minnesota, and the mettle that young Katie Brunner has shown.

"She doesn't have the ice in her veins like DeAnne and Katie show when they step in the circle," Brunner said. "She had a good day at the Lion Invitational, although not as consistent in the discus."

But Stuto's efforts at the Lion Invitational helped the Green Dragons finish eighth out of 27 teams, with 23 points.

"It was a good day for us, especially being without Katie, who could have gotten us more points that could have pushed us to around third place," Brunner said.

Hardy at the Lion Invitational was fifth in the high hurdles at a personal best :16.5. Marino, coming off a personal best throw of 106 feet in the javelin in a dual meet against Southern, hit 97-10 for sixth place. Schenk was sixth in the 3,200 meters in 12:05.