Cox, Nembhard, Waite win state Group titles
Meet of Champions this weekend in Toms River
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

After capturing their respective State Group championships, Monmouth Regional's Charles Cox and Ocean Township's Georgina Nembhard will sprint for elusive Meet of Champions (MOC) titles this weekend.

The Bennett Indoor Sports Complex will host this year's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) indoor Meet of Champions, where Cox and Nembhard will look to become MOC winners.

Cox already has an MOC crown - last spring's outdoor 400 title. The fleet Falcon has never won an indoor title, which is his stated goal for the winter. He'll have two chances on his own, having won the 55-meter dash and the 400 at the State Group II Championships last weekend in Toms River. He won the 55-meter dash in 6.52 and the 400 in 49.11. The senior has said that he likes the progress he has been making weekly and believes he still has room to improve.

He goes into the MOC with the third best performance overall from the Group championships in the 55, and the second best in the 400, trailing Old Bridge's Group IV champion, Allan Lukenheimer, who ran 49.01.

Another sprinter who is seriously in the mix is Charles' twin brother, Chris Cox, who was second to his brother in the 400 (49.98). Charles has said all year that Chris' "time will come" and it could be Sunday.

When Chris Cox joined his twin brother this year, everyone anticipated a sprint powerhouse in Tinton Falls, and that's exactly what happened. With Charles and Chris running one-two in the 400, it helped pave the way for the Golden Falcons' state championship. Monmouth Regional successfully defended its 2006 title by 14 points over runner-up, Hanover Park, 46-32.

Besides Cox's two sprint wins, Monmouth's 4x400 relay team set a new meet record with its 3:24.42. They smashed the previous Group II mark of 3:29.06 by Buena back in 2001.

Kelly Fisher and Joseph Ortiz ran the opening two legs for the Falcons, with Chris and Charles Cox bringing it home. The relay will be Cox's third chance at an indoor MOC. The Falcons are seeded No. 2 behind Trenton Central, which ran a 3:24.30 in winning the Group IV title. The 4x400 relay could turn out to be one of the highlights of the meet.

The Falcons got important field points from shot putter Brandon Catley, third in the shot put (53-2 1/2), and pole vaulter John Leung, sixth (11-0), en route to the team title.

Ocean's Nembhard has never won an MOC title and will be one of the favorites in both the 55 dash and hurdles.

She remained unbeaten in championship meets in the dash, winning the Group III state title in 7.18. She suffered her first loss in the hurdles, finishing second to Holland Thomas of West Windsor-Plainsboro North (8.41-8.53).

Nembhard, who also has been pleased with her progress throughout the season, will be seeded fourth in the 55 dash. However, her 7.11 in winning the Shore Conference title, is just .01 behind Eastern's English Gardner, who ran 7.10 in capturing the Group IV title.

Nembhard will have her work cut out for her in the hurdles, where her 8.63 is seventh fastest. East Orange's Racquel Vassell is the top seed after her scorching 8.15.

Nembhard's teammate, Hannah Boyce, finished in a four-way tie for third in the high jump, scaling 5-0.

The Spartan girls tallied 21.25 points and were fifth.

After winning the Monmouth County 1,600 title, Red Bank Regional's Dennie Waite said that it was high time that he began to leave his mark at the school with a rich running tradition. The county title proved to be just the tip of the iceberg. He joined the ranks of the school's state champions by winning the Group II title in a personal indoor best of 4:21.58, out-kicking Cinnaminson's Brian Tetreault (4:21.81) to the line.

Waite had the No. 2 performance behind Colts Neck's Group IV champion Craig Forys (4:21.53). He'll go to Toms River with a realistic chance to win the MOC title. For a season that began with a goal of running 4:24, Waite finds his goals evolving.

It was a very good four days of action (the championships were held Thursday through Sunday) with Group I Thursday, Group II Friday, Group III and IV girls on Saturday, and Group II and IV boys on Sunday) for local track and field athletes as a number qualified for this weekend's action.

Rumson-Fair Haven's sprinters enjoyed a big day in Toms River. Gabriella Kelly was third in the Group II 400 (1:00.36) and teammate Melissa Bellin, fifth (1:00.60).

Bellin and Kelly were joined on the 4x400 team by Jaime Carrol and Christina Roque. Together they ran a 4:10.23 and took sixth place.

Carrol qualified individually in the 800, finishing fifth (2:23.76).

The 11 points earned by the sprinters put the Bulldogs in 11th place.

High jumper Alex Smith led the Rumson-Fair Haven's boys. He was third after a jump of 6-2.

Red Bank Catholic's Janine Louie was fourth in the 800 (2:23.59) and Erin Lunny, fourth in the 3,200 (11:17.10).

Red Bank Regional's Elizabeth Doudy was sixth in the girl's Group II 800 (2:26.75).

Two Long Branch sprinters extended their indoor campaigns. Damier Johnson was sixth in the 55 dash (6.69) that was won by Charles Cox, and Deseria Snaders was sixth in the girls' 55 dash (7.50).

In Group I, Shore Regional's Jamie Pointer qualified in the 55 hurdles and, as a member of the Blue Devils' 4x400 team.

Pointer was fourth in the 55 hurdles (9.15) and team with Kaylee Mikolon, Cameo Kirk and Alicia Baldo to take third in the relay with a time of 4:13.50.

The girls tied for 10th with 10 points.

For the Blue Devil boys, pole vaulter Sean Kelly was third in the pole vault (12-0).

The Blue Devils 4x400 of Derek Schultz, Tom Juliano, Trevor Hewitt and Demitri Alicakos, were fourth (3:34.69).

With 10 points, the boys tied for 10th.