BOYS FIRST-TEAM CHART
100 Leonard Robbins-Lockhart East Brunswick Junior
200 Rontik Sadler Dunellen Junior
400 Clayton Gravesande Franklin Senior
800 Derrick Hargwood Metuchen Senior
1600 Tim Ball Bishop Ahr Sophomore
3200 Jeremy Antivo Rahway Junior
110 Hurdles Alan Broussard J.P. Stevens Senior
400 Hurdles Christian Boeteng Old Bridge Junior
Long Jump Jonard Hall Dunellen Senior
Triple Jump Derek Forthun South Brunswick Junior
High Jump Jason Donahue John F. Kennedy Senior
Pole Vault Luiz Maurina John F. Kennedy Junior
Shot Put Dan D’Amato Old Bridge Senior
Discus Sam Mattis East Brunswick Sophomore
Javelin Andre Davis Old Bridge Junior
4×400 Kevin Mulcahey East Brunswick Senior
4×400 Evan Walton East Brunswick Junior
4×400 Donald Urschel East Brunswick Sophomore
4×400 Leonard Robbins-Lockhart East Brunswick Junior
BOYS SECOND-TEAM CHART
100 Brian Oni South Brunswick Senior
200 Joel Shumate J.P. Stevens Senior
400 Evan Walton East Brunswick Junior
800 Shawn Burke Old Bridge Junior
1600 Cullen Davis Old Bridge Junior
3200 Khari Bowen Monroe Junior
110 Hurdles Charles Napolitano Monroe Junior
400 Hurdles Jarrett Phelps North Brunswick Senior
Long Jump Dante LaVecchia John F. Kennedy Senior
Triple Jump Emeke Eze Sayreville Sophomore
High Jump Mo Isaac Cardinal McCarrick Senior
Pole Vault Tyler Flood East Brunswick Junior
Shot Put Shareem Jenkins Linden Senior
Discus Dominic Padovano South Brunswick Junior
Javelin Mark Bauer St. Joseph Senior
4×400 Freeman McGaw Franklin Senior
4×400 Angelo Gardner Franklin Freshman
4×400 Kwesi Rutledge Franklin Junior
4×400 Clayton Gravesande Franklin Senior
BOYS THIRD-TEAM CHART
100 Taylor Clark Cardinal McCarrick Senior
200 Shoni Downes Old Bridge Junior
400 Shaquille Jackson Carteret Senior
800 Curtis Johnson Rahway Senior
1600 Moheb Thomas Old Bridge Senior
3200 Kyle Davis North Brunswick Junior
110 Hurdles Justin Kirkland Piscataway Senior
400 Hurdles Tom Perry Old Bridge Senior
Long Jump Earle James Piscataway Senior
Triple Jump Julian Quintin East Brunswick Junior
High Jump Daniel Cole Piscataway Junior
Pole Vault Quinn Meng Metuchen Senior
Shot Put Chris Staton Franklin Sophomore
Discus Carey Jones Rahway Junior
Javelin Tim Lorah Middlesex Senior
4×400 Shoni Downes Old Bridge Junior
4×400 Tom Perry Old Bridge Senior
4×400 Evan Petrovich Old Bridge Senior
4×400 Christian Boateng Old Bridge Junior
BOYS HONORABLE MENTION
Cardinal McCarrick: John Appiah;
Carteret: Kenney Salters;
Colonia: Mike Allen, Rich Ciuba;
Dunellen: Luke Francisco, Kerry Hansen, Andy Taylor;
East Brunswick: Justin Molarz, Tim O’Sullivan;
Edison: Andrew Edwards, Steve Flynn, Frank Pulgiano;
Franklin: Franklin Anya, Brian Danner, Darrel Gooding, Lionel Macauley Kye Morgan, Jarred Nelson, Eddie Lee, Josh Ugwuneri;
John F. Kennedy: Isiah Claiborne, Andre Sylvester, Daren Tang;
Linden: Luke Jarmolowski;
Metuchen: Stefan Antosiewicz, Henry Clements, Eric Ford, Will Lawson, Prince Richardson;
Middlesex: Dan Palmer;
North Brunswick: Nicholas DeNuzzo, Al Kamara, Bryan Martinez;
Old Bridge: Ramy Kased, Corey O’Neill, Chris Thornton;
Piscataway: Marcus Bailey, Quincy Foster, Jared Lane;
Rahway: William Harris, James Haynes, Leo Marcelin;
St. Joseph: Zachary Sikanowicz, Chris Troche;
Sayreville: Joe Janela, Daniel Saxon, Alex Yanuzzelli;
South Brunswick: Tyler Blackburn, Fabian Jackson, Jamaal James, Jon Pitt, Kapil Sathyakumar, Jevon Tyree, Brendan Vercammen;
South Plainfield: Freddie Reichert, Andrew Ritchie;
South River: Paul Flint, Michael Henry, Jose Lopez;
Spotswood: Tyler Pritchard;
Woodbridge: Oluwaseun Ibironke;
HNT BOYS FINAL TOP 10
1. East Brunswick
2. Old Bridge
3. Franklin
4. South Brunswick
5. Rahway
6. John F. Kennedy
7. Dunellen
8. Metuchen
9. J.P. Stevens
10. North Brunswick
TOP HONORS
HNT Boys Athlete of the Year: Sam Mattis, East Brunswick
HNT Girls Athlete of the Year: Mariah Browne South Brunswick
HNT Boys Coach of the Year: Don Mandy, East Brunswick
HNT Girls Coach of the Year: Stefan Moorhead, South Brunswick
CO-ED YEAR IN REVIEW
Any way you measure, this was a track and field season to remember in the Home News Tribune area.
Six county records were broken or equaled, two state sophomore records fell, four sectional team champions were crowned, three athletes struck gold at the Meet of Champions and four others placed third or better.
We had a wide-open scramble on the boys scene, with a county title decided by half a point and a sectional a title decided on the final race. There was a co-state champion boys team (East Brunswick) and a series of utterly dominant displays by a girls team for the ages (South Brunswick).
Here are some additional postseason honors:
Most improved teams
The East Brunswick boys redecorated the trophy case with their breakthrough campaign. More quietly, John F. Kennedy put together an outstanding campaign that included a third-place finish in North 2 Group III and a fourth-place showing at the GMC Championships.
On the girls’ side, North Brunswick proved to be well-rounded in the sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws while placing second at the GMC Championships and Edison’s distance team achieved a breakthrough campaign.
Most improved athletes
In May of 2009 Corinne Kominkiewicz was throwing 32 feet in the shot put and 106 feet in the discus. One year later the East Brunswick senior was winning Group IV in both events, with personal bests of 41-7 in the shot and 139-2, the latter a Middlesex County record.
In May of 2009 Tim Ball was a promising freshman but a virtual unknown outside of the GMC. One year later the Bishop Ahr sophomore is the proud owner of a 4:10 1600, which broke the 31-year-old Middlesex County record and the state sophomore record.
Most versatile athletes
Not many throwers excel at all three disciplines. Andre Davis does, and he’s an outstanding hurdler to boot. The Old Bridge junior placed in all three throws and the 110 hurdles at the Central Group IV meet and would have done the same in the GMC meet had he not tripped over one of the final barriers.
Spotswood senior Brooke Astor probably was the only girl in the state who excelled in the high jump (5-2), 400 hurdles (1:03) and javelin—she placed in all three at the GMC meet—and as a cross country standout ran the occasional distance race on the track.
Honorable mention to Dunellen junior Rontik Sadler and North Brunswick senior Laura Williams. Sadler broke 11 seconds in the 100, 22 in the 200, split 48 in the 4×400, high jumped 6-6 and triple jumped 44 feet. Williams threatened the Middlesex County records in the open 400, 400 hurdles and 200 (she tied the old mark) and also triple jumped 34 feet.
Rookies of the year
It was a sterling debut for Edison freshman Kayla Lubonski, who won the 800 at the GMC meet in 2:21 and also ran a leg on the Eagles’ 4:02 4×400.
Cardinal McCarrick senior Taylor Clark wasn’t your typical rookie, but as a newcomer to the oval he made a name for himself by winning the 100 (11.18) and 200 (22.93) in the Non-Public B meet.
Clutch efforts of the year
With everything riding on them, the East Brunswick boys 4×400 showed nerves of steel and delivered the program’s first sectional title since 1974 by breaking the tape in Central Group IV.
South Brunswick senior Sophia Ginez capped a remarkable career by sweeping the 1600 and 3200 at the GMC meet for the fourth straight year, then placed in all three distance races against a loaded sectional field.
Events of the year
With four runners under 1:03.5 at the GMC meet, the 400 hurdles was as good as it gets on the girls’ side.
For the boys, five runners broke 22.50 in the 200 at the GMC meet and two of them, plus Franklin’s Clayton Gravesande, eventually went 21.70 or faster.
Upsets of the year
East Brunswick had the star power, Old Bridge had the tradition, yet South Brunswick walked away from the GMC Relays with the boys team trophy. It was a true testament to balance and depth.
Individually from that same meet, Dunellen out-dueling Old Bridge and East Brunswick on the final lap of the boys 4×400 was a classic win for the little guy. Edison’s girls raised a few eyebrows by outrunning South Brunswick and everyone else in the 4×800.
Relay of the year
With Curtis Johnson and Jeremy Antivo leading the way, the Rahway boys distance medley posted the third-fastest time in area history with a 10:15.14, good for second at the East Coast Relays and the No. 2 time in New Jersey this spring.
Tough guy & gal awards
Few people know that East Brunswick speedster Leonard Robbins-Lockhart injured his groin while winning four events in Central Group IV, yet he pushed on and placed in four events at the Group IV meet to lead the Bears to a share of their first state title.
After an outstanding winter track campaign, Old Bridge senior Chelsea Lodato missed much of the spring due to mono, yet battled back to place eighth in the Central Group IV girls 800 in 2:22.02—one of the area’s top times.
