Trotters, Kuehl, Whitehurst are conference champions
RBR girls, Monmouth boys finish second
By tim morris
Staff Writer

farrah maffai Rumson-Fair Haven’s Christy Planer heads toward the finish line at the Shore Conference Track and Field Championships at Neptune High School last Friday.

Amanda and Katy Trotter keep raising the ante on the track with their continued meet record performances. However, last weekend at the Shore Conference Track and Field Championships, they discovered that there were runners in the conference, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Christy Planer and Southern Regional’s Lauren Lewis, who were more than willing to mix it up with the champions, and the champions proved they were capable of meeting the challenge.

Amanda Trotter set a pair of records in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters at Neptune High School, while Katy took the 800. The meet was held over two days, Friday and Sunday afternoon (Saturday was wiped out by rain).

On Friday, Amanda Trotter received early resistance from Planer in the 3,200 before pulling away to claim the first of her meet records. Her impressive 10:38.8 eclipsed the old mark of 10:50.95 set by Manchester’s Lorena Adams in 1997. Planer dipped under 11:00 for the first time in second place, clocking 10:59.72.

"I went out too fast," said Trotter, the defending champion. "I didn’t have a good sense of pace. It was like, ‘It feels good now, but what’s it going to feel like on the last lap.’"

farrah maffai Red Bank Catholic’s Matt Piccarello (r) and James McCarthy get congratulated by Holmdel’s Craig Segal after finishing third and fourth in the 3,200 at the Shore Conference Track and Field Championships at Neptune High School last Friday.

The opening 5:12 was a little too ambitious, even for Amanda, but it was enough to break the race open and get the meet record she came to Neptune for.

Amanda and Katy ran one-two in the record-setting 1,600, held on Sunday, with Amanda again erasing Adams from the record book. Amanda lowered her personal best to 4:54.99, which is the fastest time in the state this year, capturing the race for a third straight year. Katy’s 4:55.92 was also under Adams’ 1997 meet record of 4:56.08.

Planer gave the Trotters all they wanted in this one, hanging with the Buc twins until the home stretch. Planer ran a personal best, 4:56.71, in third place.

It was the fastest one-two-three finish in the state. Katy Trotter and Planer ran the third and fourth fastest 1,600s of the season.

Katy Trotter came back later on Sunday in the 800 and had to really draw from her reservoir of speed to outduel Lewis for her second straight two-lap title.

Lewis, who likes to run from the front, settled behind Trotter and teammate Katie Kingsbery, letting the Bucs set the pace for the first 400 meters. On the backstretch, with 300 meters to go, Lewis attacked, passing both Trotter and Kingsbery. The Ram sophomore did open up some daylight heading into the curve, but Trotter kept Lewis in her sights, waiting for her counterattack with 200 meters left.

"I knew that she would be right with me," said Trotter. "Her strategy threw me off a bit. She likes to go to the lead. In the last 200 I ran as hard as I could. I saw that she was tiring a little."

Trotter went by Lewis as they rounded the final curve. Lewis would not give up, forcing Trotter to throw everything she had into her closing sprint. But, as has been the case in the past, she had what it takes to win, crossing the line in 2:15.21. Lewis posted a 2:15.62 with Kingsbery in third at 2:18.62.

The Trotters and Kingsbery came back to team up with Christine Hurley in the 1,600-meter relay and ran a superb 4:03.43, but it only got them a fourth place. Lewis got a bit of revenge, anchoring Southern Regional High School, Manahawkin, for the victory in a swift 3:57.79.

Kingsbery was fourth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (1:04.19), and Melissa Dooley placed fifth in the 3,200 meters (11:27.72) to round out Red Bank’s scorers.

The sweep of the 800-1,600-3,200 distances by the Trotters helped the Bucs to a second-place finish behind Jackson, 67-45. The Jaguars won with their superior depth and were sparked by Lisa Schenk, who equaled the meet record for the high jump at 5-10 and won the 100 hurdles (15.04). Teammate Nicole Montegary also won twice in the 400 hurdles (1:02.96) and the long jump (17-6 1/2).

Monmouth Regional’s Adam Kuehl is without peer in the conference, and perhaps the state. He broke his own meet record in the discus, reaching 201-2 on his first throw of the competition. The Golden Falcon did 197-6 in 2001.

Conditions provided the throwers with an added challenge. They were throwing in a light, misty rain with dark clouds hovering on the horizon threatening a downpour at any time.

"You have to prepare for anything," said the Arizona University-bound Kuehl. "In practice I’ll put water in the circle to prepare for rain. You have to handle anything. The weather does play with your mind."

The conference championships came on the heels of Kuehl’s huge 209-0 at the Monmouth County Championships that moved him up to No. 2 all-time in New Jersey. Having broken through the 200-foot barrier, Kuehl did not sit on his laurels during the week.

"It made me want to work harder than ever before," he said.

Kuehl came back on Sunday to take second in the shot put behind his rival, Uzoma Orji of Matawan. Kuehl surpassed 60-feet with his 60-5 1/2, but Orji had his best throw on the spring, 62-10 1/2. Kuehl’s mark was also his best this year.

Kuehl’s 18 points helped the Golden Falcons finish second to Toms River South, 70-47.

David Whitehurst got 20 points for the Falcons with a pair of wins. He won the high jump at 6-6 and took the 110-meter hurdles in 14.47. He was the only jumper to clear 6-6 in the high jump, and edged Toms River South’s Darian Dillard by .04 seconds in the hurdles.

The Falcons got field points from Rick Farrah, third in the javelin (175-2) and sixth in the discus (159-0), and David Russell, fifth in the long jump (21-4 1/2).

The other area medal winners were for the girls, Erika Huggler, Monmouth Regional (15.67), and Jillian Danback, Red Bank Catholic (16.08), fourth and fifth in the 100-meter hurdles; Erin Enderly, Ocean, fourth in the 1,600 (5:04.95).

The area medal winners for the boys were March Altenau, Shore Regional, sixth in the 1,600 (4:28.05); Matt Piccarello (9:39.78) and James McCarthy (9:39.89), third and fourth in the 3,200; and Rumson’s Brian Allen, fifth in the pole vault (13-0).

The road to the Meet of Champions begins today and tomorrow with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State Sectionals. Groups I and III will compete at Monmouth Regional High School, Tinton Falls, and groups II and IV will compete at Holmdel High School. The top six finishers in each event will advance to the State Group Championships at Egg Harbor Township, May 31-June 1.