NJ track sectionals: Rumson-Fair Haven boys, Colts Neck girls win titles
This was a first for RFH's boys. Holmdel's Sydney Goldson, Middletown North's Rett Schnoor and Shore's Caroline Donohoe also led their teams to titles
Jerry Carino
JACKSON — Joe Aglione came into spring track season with low expectations. His goals: stay healthy, have fun, improve.
"I really didn't know what to expect," the Rumson-Fair Haven High School senior said. "I thought I was just going to be happy to be running and be with the team again."
He is doing those things, and a whole lot more. Aglione is the most surprising breakout star of the Shore Conference, a multi-event threat who helped the Bulldogs to win their first sectional title in boys track Saturday.
"It's been an unbelievable season," Aglione said, "a dream come true."
Aglione was the lone athlete, male or female, to earn three gold medals at the Shore Conference meet May 22. This past weekend, competing in Central Group II at Jackson Liberty High School, he won Friday's 400 hurdles (55.61), placed second in the 110 hurdles (14.95) and ran on the third-place 4x400 as the Bulldogs ran away with the team title.
They were one of three Shore Conference team champions at the site, joining Colts Necks girls in Central Group III and Holmdel's girls in Central Group II.
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Bulldog seniors come through
Aglione's emergence truly came out of nowhere. He was a respectable runner as a sophomore, posting a top time of 59.33 in the 400 hurdles. He intended to add the highs to his repertoire last spring before the pandemic shut everything down. This past winter he never got rolling; the schedule was shortened to begin with, and contact tracing (there was COVID in his household) cost Aglione two precious weeks. He ran 55.19 in the open 400, but that hardly hinted at what was coming next.
"Our first meet (this spring) I ran 55.57 in the 400 hurdles and I was shocked with myself," he said. "I didn't know I had it in me."
He swept both hurdle races at the Monmouth County and Shore Conference meets, clocking top times of 54.81 in the intermediates and 14.99 in the highs. That's within range of the school records (53.7 and 14.5, both set by Mike Boyd in 1986). Aglione also showed his toughness at the conference meet, running a leg on the winning 4x400 — his fourth race of the day in stifling heat.
"Joe has been such a great leader for us this year and just dominant on the track," Rumson-Fair Haven coach Jeremy Schulte said. "If we asked him to run the 3200 because we needed points for the team, he wouldn't be happy about it, but he would definitely do it. He's the type of kid you want 50 of on your team."
Fortunately for Schulte, he has a few more warriors cut from the same cloth. Senior Sam Coughlin won the 400 (49.86) and placed second in the 200 (22.70). Senior Gabe LePage won the 800 (2:01.61) and finished third in the 1600 (4:26.24).
"It feels good, I'm not going to lie," LePage said of the title. "Our other spring sports have been so good. It feels good for us to win something and represent."
Added Coughlin, "Recently boys track has not been that good. This is why we put in the work, to bring a sectional title home."
Senior John Volker won the 100 dash (11.12) and sophomore Gabe Stypul took second in the pole vault (11-6) as Rumson-Fair Haven topped the 100-point mark, nearly doubling the rest of the field.
Aglione said the long, COVID-forced layoff from sports deepened everyone's hunger.
"We're so excited to get out there and compete," he said. "There was a lot of built-up energy."
Gold medals, school records, championship banners. Aglione can hardly believe it. Two months ago, he headed to Lehigh University strictly as a student. Now there's a spot for him on the Mountain Hawks' track team.
"I didn't know where this season was going," he said. "I knew if I trained hard I would reach my potential, but I didn't know what that was going to be...Now I hope we can carry this into next week (state groups) and the Meet of Champions."
Colts Neck girls win as Shapiro rolls
The Colts Neck girls dominated Central Group III, scoring big in the distances with superstar Lilly Shapiro leading the way. The junior coasted to wins in the 1600 (5:00.96) and 800 (2:13.09) and ran on the winning 4x800 (10:02).
"As a team, you can't win a sectional championship with just one kid," head coach Dennis Bruck said. " You need to have a team."
The Cougars do. Senior Grace Suhocki won the 400 hurdles (1:05.90) and ran on the winning 4x400 (4:05). Junior Elizabeth Yodakis won the shot put (36-7.75) and junior Julianna Gibson won the discus. Colts Neck went 1-2 in the javelin with senior Ashley Cataneo (112-7) and junior Katherine Taylor (101-8). Taylor also placed third in the high jump (4-10).
It added up to 132 points, most of any of the four sectional champs at the site and 40 more than Group III girls runner-up Hopewell Valley.
Goldson leads Holmdel girls' title
It's impossible to have a better meet than Holmdel sprinter Sydney Goldson. The senior posted a clean sweep of the Central Group II girls sprints, taking the 400 (56.29), 200 (25.54) and 100 dash (12.75) as the Hornets edged Rumson-Fair Haven for the championship.
Goldson also ran on the winning 4x400 (4:07.55), earning her fourth gold medal — the maximum, and a rarity at the sectional level.
But this wasn't a one-girl team. Holmdel also got big points from senior Margaret Wojie, who won the 400 hurdles (1:08.70) and took third in the 100 dash (12.89). Senior Arianna Bartholomew placed second in the long jump (16-8).
Middletown North, Shore girls triumph
Senior Rett Schnorr was superb as Middletown North's girls defended home turf and won North 2 Group III, the program's third sectional crown. Schnorr, a senior, won the 100 (12.48) and 200 (25.78), placed second in the long jump (17-10) and anchored the victorious 4x100 (49.50) as the Lions tallied 78 points, edging runner-up Mendham by one point.
Also scoring big for Middletown North were junior Patricia Walsh in the javelin (95-8) and senior Hailey Guerrieri in the 100 hurdles (second place, 15.18) and high jump (third, 5-0).
Shore Regional's girls routed the Central Group I competition as Caroline Donohoe delivered an impressive triple-victory in the 800 (2:21.42), 400 (58.57) and 400 hurdles (1:06.50).
Also scoring big for the Blue Devils: Megan Donlevie in the 1600 (first, 5:29) and 3200 (first, 12:40) and Madison LaRosa in the javelin (first, 105-5) and discus (second, 92-8).
Individually, Manchester senior Jada Ellis turned in a spectacular meet in South Group II. The Maryland-bound sprinter obliterated the 100 dash (11.86) and 200 (24.89), both personal bests and among the top times in the state this season.
Bad call disqualifies Braddock
There was controversy in the South Group IV boys 1600 Friday as a much-anticipated showdown ended with the disqualification of Southern Regional star Jackson Braddock. Braddock crossed the finish line second behind Kingsway's Kyle Rakitis 4:08.58 to 4:08.65, but officials ruled that he interfered with Rakitis down the stretch.
Interference is rarely called and even then only in the most flagrant circumstances, but video of the race didn't show anything that appeared disqualification-worthy. The ruling marred what was the fastest sectional 1600 in NJSIAA history.
Braddock, a senior who is headed to the University of Virginia in the fall, owns the state's top 1600 time this season of 4:06.25. He responded on Saturday by winning the 3200 in a blazing time of 8:55.46, routing Rakitis by 31 seconds. But Rakitis won their rubber match later in the day, taking the 800 by a hair, 1:53.13 to 1:53.18.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.