Red Bank DMR team sets record at Eastern States
Trotters, Kingsbery, Hurley run second-best time ever in nation
By tim morris
Staff Writer

FARRAH MAFFAI Red Bank Regional's distance-medley relay team of (l-r) Amanda Trotter, Katie Kingsbery, Christine Hurley and Katy Trotter ran the second fastest time in the nation, and set a new state record in the process, at last weekend’s Eastern States Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Armory in New York City.

Amanda Trotter wasn’t the only one who couldn’t believe it. Her teammates, twin sister Katy, Katie Kingsbery and Christine Hurley, were just as shocked when they saw the time, 11:51.54.

The quartet who make up Red Bank Regional High School’s Distance Medley Relay had exceeded their expectations at the 66th Eastern States Track and Field Championships held Feb. 26 at the Armory in New York City. They came to the Armory ready to run fast and anxious for another shot at 2001 champion Boys and Girls High School of New York City.

A big effort was expected from both teams at the Armory, but neither team could have anticipated that, at the end of the evening, they would have produced the two fastest indoor DMR’s ever run.

Defending champion B and G would get the measure of the Bucs again, but there was honor for both magnificent races run by the two teams. The B and G team was pushed to an astonishing 11:50.86, with Red Bank right on their heels with its 11:51.54. Both teams dipped under the old indoor DMR national record of 11:52.8 set by Mepham High School from Bellmore, N.Y. in 1984.

The consolation for the RBR girls was a big one: they now own the state record. Their 11:51.54 easily smashed the former state mark of 11:58.04 set by Bernards at the same meet back in 1983.

To everyone’s astonishment, all four Bucs ran at or under their previous personal bests, producing an improvement over last year’s effort by 10 seconds.

"We couldn’t ask for anything more," said Katy Trotter. "We couldn’t give any more on the track than we did.

"We trained so hard for this; we all push each other in practice," she added.

Kingsbery said it took a little while for her and her teammates to realize just what they had done.

"When we were cooling down, we said to each other we broke the national record," she said.

Despite their considerable accomplishments as individuals, the Trotters, Kingsbery and Hurley find even more satisfaction in winning as a team, and they had made the DMR a priority this winter.

"It’s such a great feeling when you get to share it," said Amanda Trotter.

Hurley remarked the record is something the foursome will always have in common.

"It’s an experience we can all share and talk about — ‘remember when we did this,’ " she said. "It’s pretty amazing what we did."

Kingsbery added the friendship the four share gives them a little extra incentive.

"We are really close, and that helps," she said. "We don’t want to let each other down."

The state record began with a six-second improvement in the opening 1,200-meter leg by Katy Trotter, the state’s indoor 800 champion. Trotter had the unenviable task of racing B and G’s Stacey Ann Livingston, who has been the nation’s best runner this year and had recently lowered the U.S. high school record for 600 meters at the Armory.

"It was intimidating; she’s such a great runner," she said. "My goal was to stay with her. It really didn’t hit me that I had been going so fast."

Trotter’s 3:34.8 was less than a second behind Livingston’s 3:34. The record race was on.

Kingsbery said that Katy’s leg sparked the team.

"We knew that we could run well, but I didn’t feel that we were running great in practice," she said. "I didn’t think it would come. Katy’s race was a big help."

Although Boys and Girls would open up an 11-second gap on RBR when Keziah Fernandez (56.8) and Meisue Francis (2:10.8) came up with remarkably fast 400 and 800 times, Hurley and Kingsbery ran their best-ever legs to keep the Bucs on pace for a very fast time.

Hurley came through with a personal best 60.9 for her 400 leg.

"My plan was to go out hard for the first 200, and hold on" she explained. "I’ve been running my 400s too conservatively, not pushing it for the first half of the race.

"It was pretty exciting to run a personal best for the season," she added. "I was glad that I had done my best and that I could feel a part of the record."

Kingsbery took the baton from Hurley and reeled off her best relay leg 800, 2:16.7, well under her pervious 2:20 best.

"I just wanted to run my own race and keep her [Francis] in reaching distance for Amanda," she said.

Kingsbery added that some touch-up work on their hand-offs also helped the Bucs clip off some time.

"It’s important that the person giving the baton run through the exchange," she said.

Amanda Trotter received the baton for the anchor 1,600 down to B and G’s Akilah Vargas by 11 seconds. But with her sub-5:00 ability, she was within striking distance of Vargas. Trotter wisely chose not to pick up all the time at once and instead gradually reeled Vargas in.

"My goal was to chase her down," noted Trotter. "I know what I can do, and I wasn’t going to go faster than I can."

It was déjà vu all over again for Trotter, who had been in a similar position last year against Vargas, who was running a smart race herself. Knowing that she had the lead and didn’t have to push herself to the max, Vargas made sure she had enough left for a kick at the end, because she knew she would need it. That’s the strategy that had worked a year ago when Trotter caught her late in the race.

"I thought I had a chance in the last straight-away when I caught up to her," recalled Trotter. "She has an amazing kick."

Vargas’ 5:09.3 leg just held off the gallant Trotter’s 4:58.9 to preserve the win and break the national record.

Immediately after crossing the finish line Trotter focused on the clock.

"Time is what we cared about," she pointed out.

And time was on their side this time as they took their place among the best DMR teams ever.

The Buc runners will return to the Armory this weekend for a rematch with B and G in the DMR. They will also try their hand at the 4 x 1-mile relay, with Melissa Dooley taking Hurley’s place on the team. They know they have a hard act to follow, but they return to the Armory very confident in their abilities.

"We’ll go after it again," said Amanda Trotter.

Rumson-Fair Haven’s Christy Planer picked up the bronze medal in the 2-mile run at the Eastern States as the senior posted an 11:13.97. She was first among New Jersey runners. Tri-Valley’s Heather Iataura was first across the line in 11:08.61.

The War at the Shore in the shot-put circle went to Matawan’s Uzoma Orji this time over Monmouth Regional’s Adam Kuehl. The two strongmen have dueled all winter with Kuehl having the upper hand. But at the Armory, Orji unleashed his best throw of the season, 63-1, to finish second behind the now three-time national indoor champion Glenn DiGiorgio, whose 66-2 broke the old meet record 64-8 held by Steve Adams of St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) since 1970.

Kuehl was third in this New Jersey-dominated event with a best of 58-0 1/2.