Neptune freshman Koran McDaniel continued to turn heads as he place 4th in the Emerging Elite 200.
Track and field legend Carl Lewis was on hand to check out the next generation of track superstars.
The 2008 Nike Outdoor Nationals were a great success for Shore
athletes. All of the Jersey Shore
athletes who qualified for
this prestigious meet arrived poised and ready for the battle. But
with
weather conditions changing as often as the events on the track, the
competitors found out quickly that it takes more than training your
body to
compete at the highest level. Between the sun beaming down harshly,
sweltering humidity, swirling winds and storms brewing you could see
the
effect it took on the mental aspect in each athlete as they competed
inside of Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A
& T University.
With 2008 being an Olympic year, it also means that there would be a USA
Junior National team. The competition here at the Nike Outdoor Nationals
was watered down due to the Junior national meet being held at Ohio State University on the same weekend. Nevertheless, the competition was still fierce at the
NON.
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CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM THE WEEKEND
100m, 200m, 400m
Opening the meet for Shore athletes was Neptune's Michael Peavy in the
100 meters. Peavy was the Monmouth County, Shore Conference, Group III and Indoor Eastern Champ at
100 meters and he ran his second fastest time of the year in 10.76 seconds. That time gave Peavy 10th place here at the NON.
Peavy took third in the
Emerging Elite 200 with a time of 22.28 and freshman sensation Koran
McDaniel, also from Neptune, placed fourth.
Tyquan Brown of Neptune closed out his season with
a time of 49.26 in the Emerging elite 400 which was good for 10th place out of the
30 athletes invited.
After speaking with the three men from Neptune HS,
McDaniel and Brown said it was time for a well deserved rest after the
long season. As for Peavy, one of the country's top 100 running backs, he
will go right into preparation for football after leading the Shore Conference in rushing last year during the regular season.
On the ladies side, Tylia Gillion of Jackson was the area's lone short
sprinter in the 100 meters. Tylia ran 12.13 to place her 13th out of the
28 ladies invited.
Ada Unachukwu of Marlboro and Ryisha Boyd post
very respectful times in the girls 400; 55.74 for Unachukwu and 55.79 for
Boyd of Brick. The times were good enough to rank both ladies in the top 15
in the country in the 400 meters. Unachukwa will return for her senior year
while Boyd will continue her track career at the University of Illinois.
110HH, 400IH
Shore athletes also fared well in both the short and long hurdles.
Chris
Rutherford of Toms River East posted times in both the 110 HH and the
400IH fast enough to put him in the top 10 in the country in each event
to close out
a successful senior year.
Ashley Porterfield (100H) and Jade Wilson (400IH)
of Neptune both ran well enough to post times which found them in
the top 20.
Melissa Bellin, of Rumson-Fair Haven, came to the NON
posting a US #7
time in the 400IH.
Competing in this event in her first year, Bellin found herself with
some
tough competition. However, when it was all said and done, Bellin,
always
humble and classy, left the NON an All-American after finishing in 6th
place. Melissa, just a junior, has set the bar high for her senior
year and I for one truly believe she is capable of accomplishing
anything set
on her plate.
400m, 800m
The middle distances were where Shore athletes found their most success here at the
NON.
In the 800m, Jackson's Monroe Kearns turned in a blistering time of
1.51.81. Kearns ran in the back of the pack
most of the race even though he is use to running in the front. In the final 300
meters, Monroe began making his move and
sliced his way from the back of the pack into 7th place with 150 meters to
go. Then he hit another gear, surged into 4th place and became an All-American. All athletes finishing in the top six
become All-Americans here at the NON.
As for the ladies, well two words: JILLIAN SMITH. Smith arrived
in North Carolina with her family and
Southern teammate Chelsea Cox. Coach Brian Zatorski was unavailable for this
trip because he was with his wife as she gave birth to thier new
child. Congratulations to the Zatorski family!
Jillian was her usual
self, full of life but focused, as was Cox. Jillian has been totally unaware
she is in range to break Joetta
Clark's 800m state record of 2:04.5 set back in 1980. Yes, the 800m record is 28 years old. Jillian
executed her race perfectly. Get out fast, control the pace and move
out with 300 meters to go. As she made her move with 300 meters
to go she would move all alone. No runner wanted to go with her. For
Jillian to to be on pace she would have to cross the 600-meter
mark between 1:30.00 - 1:34.00. Jillian came through the 600-meter
mark at 1.31.58, well ahead of pace, by herself. However, she would finish in 2:05.24, good enough for a Shore Conference record and 1st place. I believe the state record
will go when either Smith says its time, or she is pushed to run
faster. Jillian has been trained to win, not break records or to embarrass
other runners. She as well as her teammate, Cox (2.09.57), who out-kicked UNC-bound Tasha Stanley in the same
race, are truly the cream of the crop here in NJ. Both ladies received All-American honors, respectively finishing 1st and 5th.
All in all, the Jersey Shore has produced some of New Jersey's best track
talent. This group in 2008 was no let down at all and I believe
the class of 2009 will leave us with memories that will last a very, very
long time