Cox brothers lead Falcons, Nembhard tops field
Monmouth boys win as Charles Cox wins twice
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Above, Rumson-Fair Haven's Alex Smith clears the bar while competing in the high jump at Saturday's Shore Conference Championships in Toms River. Below, Shore's Demitri Alicakos races to the finish in the 400-meter run.

Her best event wasn't on the program, but it didn't prevent Ocean Township's sprint star Georgina Nembhard from winning twice at Saturday's Shore Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Nembhard, whose best event is the 200 meters, was impressive in winning the 55-meter dash in a season's best 7.11 after winning the 55 hurdles (8.86) just minutes before. The championships were held in the new Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River

Monmouth Regional's Charles Cox matched Nembhard's two individual wins (55 dash and 400) and collected a third as a member of the Golden Falcons' victorious 4x400 relay team.

With Cox and his twin brother Charles leading the way, Monmouth won the team championship, 46-37, over a Colts Neck team that was led by the state's top distance runner, Craig Forys, who won the 1,600 and 3,200.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff

The Cougars were leading 37-36 heading into the last event on the program, the 4x400, but in reality, the Falcons had little to worry about. With Charles and Chris, who finished one-two in the 400, running the third leg and the anchor, it meant that Monmouth had the two fastest runners in the relay. They just had to avoid dropping the baton.

However, the Falcons are more than just the Cox brothers. Kelly Fisher and Rashon Verrett ran the opening two legs and got the baton to Chris with the lead, and from there, it was a matter of how fast the Falcons would go. Their 3:25.69 was their fastest time to date, and puts them up with the best teams in the state.

Cox's big day started at the beginning, the first event on the program, the 400. He and Chris left everyone else running for third place. They were the only sprinters under 50 seconds, with Charles posting 49.36 and Chris, 49.90.

"I still can improve, I'm still progressing," Charles remarked.

He came back and won the 55-meter dash, proving he can be explosive as well. The senior powered his way to a narrow win over Long Branch's Damier Johnson, with both runners getting the same time, 6.61.

"The 55 was the hardest," he said. "I had to do it twice (there was a qualifying heat) and it was tough."

Ocean's Willy Rodriguez was fourth (6.64) and Chris, fifth (6.65).

Although he didn't medal, Fisher made the final (seventh in 6.74), further proving the Falcons have the deepest sprinting corp in the conference.

The Falcons got points from reliable shot putter Brandon Catley, whose 51-4 effort placed him third.

For Nembhard, Saturday's double put to rest any doubt that she's isn't the fastest sprinter in the Shore Conference. She hadn't turned in the fastest time in the hurdles, but was the fastest when it counted. Her 8.64 in the final was well in front of Jackson's Jordan Bunch (8.71), one of the two runners who had run faster than her this year.

The 55 dash was a showdown between Nembhard, the Monmouth County champion, Ocean County winner Lakewood's Shavon Greaves and Marlboro's Ada Unachukwu, who was second to Nembhard at the county championships. Less than .10 separated the three by the clock. Where it counts, on the track, however, Nembhard reigned supreme. The winner was never in doubt as Nembhard beat everyone out of the blocks and gained speed with each stride. She lowered her season's best time to a fast 7.11.

"I like where I'm at," she said after her double gold. "I'm pretty happy about things.

"I got off to a pretty good start in both races," she added.

Ocean's Hannah Boyce was third in the high jump. This year's county champion cleared 5-01/2.

The 26 points earned by Nembhard and Boyce put the Spartans in third place. Southern Regional topped Jackson, 60.5-54, for the team title.

Rumson-Fair Haven's 4x400 relay team had another solid effort Saturday. Gabriella Kelly, Madeline Shebell, Christina Roque and Melissa Bellin finished fourth (4:10.68), one week after winning the county championship. They were first among the Monmouth County teams with the top three places going to Ocean County schools, led by Southern Regional (4:03.85).

Kelly was third in the 400 (1:00.21) beating all of her Monmouth County rivals to the line.

With 10 points, Rumson finished 10th.

Others winning medals were: Red Bank Regional's Mike Kolodziej, fifth in the boy's 1,600 (4:30.67); Rumson's Alex Smith, tied for fifth in the boy's high jump (6-01/4); and Jamie Pointer, Shore Regional, sixth in the 55 hurdles (9.12).

The road to the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions starts this weekend with the State Group Championships in Toms River. Today at 4 p.m. Group II boys and girls will compete. Tomorrow, Group III girls start at 9 a.m., followed at 1:30 p.m. by Group IV girls. Sunday, Group III boys start it off at 9 a.m. with Group IV boys starting at 1:30 p.m.

The top six finishers from each State Group automatically qualify for the MOC, which will be held back in Toms River over two days. The girls are up on Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. and the boys at the same time on Feb. 25.