Track & Field: Historic win for Point Boro girls at Ocean County Relays

STAFFORD – A group of teenagers from Point Pleasant Borough set a lofty goal: Make their high school known for girls track & field.

Legacies are easier to maintain than they are to create. But after Friday, you’d have to consider that ambition achieved. For the first time ever, the Panthers won the team title at the Ocean County Relays, romping a field that includes a bunch of schools twice the size.

“For us it’s such a huge deal,” senior Anna Heras said. “Before our group came around, we weren’t a big-name running school. This puts us on the map. People take us seriously as a running school. Our football team often gets a lot of hoo-rah, but now we’ve established ourselves among those high-ranked teams in our school.”

They are sending five athletes to compete on the Division I collegiate level in the fall – an extraordinary number for any public-school program.

“Colleges now know Point Boro,” said senior standout Shea Burke, who will compete for Princeton University next year. “The coaches I talk to, the coaches other girls talk to, even from colleges four or five hours away, they know about us.”

The Panthers set three school records Friday. They won the 4x100 in a time of 49.98 with Burke, Jordan Kelly, Lafayette-bound Annabella Ryan and Jordan Muraglia carrying the baton. Burke, Ryan, Kelly and Jenna Kuhn also won the 4x200 (1:47.06) and Burke and Muraglia paired with Sarina Danko and Sarah Sulzer to strike gold in the shuttle hurdles (1:05.58). The Marist-bound Kuhn also chipped in to a 4x400 triumph (4:05).

In the distances, UMass-bound Heras led off the winning 4x800 (9:50) and distance medley (12:51), with freshman Ivy Slavinski anchoring both in splits of 2:16 and 5:16, respectively.

In the field, senior Molly Leggett threw a meet-best 104-9 in the javelin and senior Morgan Ippolito contributed to wins in the javelin and discus. Monmouth University-bound senior Katelyn Fisher cleared 11-0 in the pole vault.

Such well-roundedness doesn’t happen by accident. Burke and Heras credited the coaching staff, led by Billy Kosteko and Kyle Roos. Roos is father to a newborn son, Charlie, who’s made a few appearances at practice this spring.

“The baby will be crying he’ll be doing both (parenting and coaching) at the same time and not complain about it,” Burke said of Roos. “It takes a village.”

Point Pleasant Borough racked up a total of 119 points Friday. Defending champ Southern finished second with 86. There were some misty eyes during the trophy presentation.

“Years from now what I’m going to remember is not any races I won – I’m going to remember getting that plaque and all of us crying,” Burke said. “We’ve worked for four years for this and it’s never happened before. To get it our senior year is a great way to wrap it up.”

Toms River’s budding superstar

Memo to Division I track & field coaches: Recruit Jacob Kiyler.

In just his second year in the sport, the Toms River North senior is tearing it up. He was the biggest boys star of the Ocean County Relays, without question.

In the 4x200 Kiyler's 21.6-second split anchored the Mariners to a come-from-behind victory in a school-record time of 1:29.77. He also ran a 13.8-second leg on the winning shuttle hurdles (1:01.27) and split 50.1 for his 400 leg on the winning sprint medley (3:36.17). In the field, he posted a distance of 20 feet, 4 inches in the long jump to earn a silver medal along with teammate Mordecai Ford (21-2).

Displaying immense versatility, Kiyler has clocked 55.5 in the 400 hurdles, though the Mariners are so deep that they won that event without him Friday.

“This is all new to me,” Kiyler said. “Track wasn’t really my thing. I’m not even sure if I’m going to run in college yet.”

Friends convinced him to join the team last year, and after experiencing some success, he took the gutsy step of running cross country this past fall to build up strength.

“Very out of my comfort zone,” he said. “But it got me ready.”

Kiyler, who led the Mariners to second place overall Friday, is grateful to his friends for convincing him to run. But he didn’t just show up and dominate.

“I wasn’t born with this,” he said. “It’s a lot of hard work.”

Southern boys defend title

There are no March Madness-style rush-the-court moments in track & field, no buzzer-beaters, but Southern’s title-clinching distance medley relay came close. Boston College-bound senior Fabian Ramales rallied the Rams from third place to first with a 4:21 anchor 1600, breaking the tape in 10:41 and getting mobbed by dozens of teammates who rushed the track in celebration as he was still gasping for air.

“I was in pain, but that was a very good feeling,” he said.

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Southern wound up compiling 124 points, holding off challenger Toms River North (94) thanks to a dominant showing in the distances. Drew Bowker, Dylan Hynes and Santino D’Amelio ran the first three legs on the distance medley. Bowker and D’Amelio were joined by Jack DeHart and Kyle Skiendzielewski for an 18:21 triumph in the 4x1600. Later, in the 4x800, D’Amelio, Ramales, Bowker and Christian Schiattarella (1:57 anchor) struck gold in 8:02.

“We always looked up to seniors,” Schiattarella said, “and now we’re trying to take over and leave an example for later years.”

Top 5 Boys Performers

Jacob Kiyler, Toms River North: The senior split 21.6 on the winning 4x200, 50.1 on the winning sprint medley and 13.8 on the winning shuttle hurdles while earning a silver medal in the long jump with a 20-4 contribution.

Al-Mubaraq Aderogba, Manchester: The senior leapt a Shore Conference-best 22-5.75 in the long jump and went 43-1.25 in the triple jump, the meet’s second-farthest distance.

Fabian Ramales, Southern: The senior anchored the winning distance medley with a 4:21 1600, and split 2:00 on the winning 4x800.

Jonathan Orellana, Toms River South: The senior cleared a meet-best 6-3 in the high jump, went 20-10 in the long jump and 40-3.75 in the triple jump.

Toms River North 3x400 hurdles: Sophomores Mamadi Diawara (55.07), Camryn Thomas (56.01) and Mordecai Ford (56.19) ran away with first place after posting the top three times of the meet.

Top 5 Girls Performers

Shea Burke, Point Pleasant Borough: The senior led winning efforts in the 4x100 (49.98), 4x200 (1:47) and shuttle hurdles (1:05) and posted a mark of 15-7 in the long jump.

Julia Santos, Toms River South: The sophomore posted the meet’s top distances in the shot put (35-3.75) and discus (104-3).

Lia Malave, Toms River North: The senior recorded the meet’s top long jump (16-9.75) and second-farthest triple jump (35-6) and ran on the winning sprint medley (4:06.44).

Ivy Slavinski, Point Pleasant Borough: The freshman anchored the winning 4x800 (2:16 split) and distance medley (5:16 1600).

Emerson Dirk, Toms River East: The senior posted the meet’s top pole vault clearance (11-7) and tied for the best high jump (5-0).

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Historic win for Point Boro girls track at Ocean County Relays