2006-2007 Winter Track News

The Holiday’s have passed and the indoor season is in full affect and Union County runners have already started turning in some outstanding performances. With the MVC Champs and the County Relays only a few days away, Union County track is in full swing. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from the first two weeks of the season:

-Rahdel Savage (Roselle) has lit up the track in the early season by jumping his way into the record books. Savage jumped 13.84m (45-5) in the triple jump at the Seton Hall Games to break the County Record of 45-3.25 held by Kevin Guyton of Elizabeth. Will this record stand? Not likely. Not only does Savage have the potential to break his own record, Scotch Plain’s Kyle Rowbotham, the County Outdoor Champ, will be looking to take that record down. Rowbotham’s outdoor PR is over 46 feet. Savage has not only jumped into the record books in the triple jump, but he has also moved himself into the all-time top list in the long jump. At the Spiked Shoe Invite at the NY Armory, Savage jumped 22-4.5, the 7^th best jump in county history. And to show that his long jump performance was not a fluke, he backed it up with a 22-3.75 performance at Seton Hall. Savage has excelled in the sprints in hurdles. He leads the county with a 7.89 55H and is currently ranked 2^nd in the county in the 400m at 52.82.

-The girl’s sprints seem to be much stronger this year, led by Rahway’s Andrea Butler. Butler posted a 7.43 in the 55m dash to take third at the Seton Hall games. So far this season 10 girls have already run sub 7.80 in the dash, while only 6 were able to accomplish that feat last winter. The amazing thing is the youth. The front runners, Butler, Aigner Holmes (Ros), and Kesi Irvin (Kent), are all juniors. Two outstanding freshman are already making an impact in Union County. Union’s Anayah Mosby has run 7.67 in the 55m, while St. Patrick’s Imani Sapini have run 7.5h and 27.2h.

-With the graduation of the Plainfield duo of Ashley Adams and Letecia Taylor, Rahway’s LaShonda Carter, and Union’s Nicole Bryant, one may have thought that the Union County hurdles were depleted. That certainly is not the case! Juniors Ashley Battle of Union and Susan Scavone of Summit have stepped into the forefront. Both have gone 8.6h this season, but in their first head to head competition of the season, Battle won Round 1 8.75 to 9.09. Union’s Tolu Oyetunde, Ugonna Ndu, and Rahway sophomore Sattirah Johnson are looking break 9 seconds, having already run sub 9.40.

-The men’s sprints are off and running with Paul Jones-Burden opening up his delayed season (football playoffs) with a 23.03 200m win at Seton Hall. He also ran 51.68 to place 6^th in his signature event, the 400m. Union’s Marques Wallace has stepped into the forefront leading the county in the 55m dash, having twice run 6.88. Defending county and State Champion Reggie Dixon of Plainfield is just returning from injury sustained during the football season. Dixon has resumed training and will be competing in the coming weeks. Vinny Reis of ALJ, who has a PR of 6.60 has yet to open up in the 55m.

-The girls distance got off to a nice start with Paige Boehmcke of Summit running a strong 1000m in 3:10.97, which moves her up to #3 on the County All-Time list. Boehmcke also leads the county in the 1600m at 5:26.44, while Stephanie Genna of Union leads the 800m at 2:26.85. Kelly Cattano of New Providence leads the county in the 3200m at 11:59.75.

-Adam Bergo of Westfield opened his season with a jump of 6-4 in the HJ making him a strong contender for the county title. Union’s Jonathan Wallace has jumped 6-0 this season. Natasha Celius of Scotch Plains’s moved up to #3 on the county all-time list in the triple jump with her early season 34-3.25.

-The battle royal in the throws has begun! SPF’s Mike Alleman has gotten off to a good start posting a PR of 56-11.5 in the shot put, putting him at a tie for 12^th on the county all-time list. ALJ’s Oliver Haney has yet to compete, but will likely open up at the MVC Champs on Saturday. The two will likely meet up for the first time this season at the County Relays on Jan. 10^th. Alleman’s teammate John Badala has begun his quest to join the 50 foot club, by posting a solid 48-4.25.

-Union Catholic and Roselle boys and Union girls have been dominant in the relays. Union Catholic is certainly looking for a Penn qualifier having already run 10:38.85 (#6 in county history) in the DMR and 8:18.37 in the 4x800. They also lead the county in the 4x400 at 3:37.62. The Roselle boys are continuing a strong Union County tradition in the hurdles, having opened up their season with a 31.62 in the SHR. They also lead the county in the 4x200 at 1:35.65. Union girls are off to a fast start leading the county in the 4x200 (1:50.84), 4x400 (4:14.90), and the SHR (33.67).

BOYS WINTER TRACK PREVIEW

Union County Boys Winter Track Preview
Sprints:
Plainfield’s Reggie Dixon, the defending Union County and State MOC 55m winner, is the top returnee. Currently sitting at #6 on the county all-time list in the 55m dash at 6.47, Dixon will likely be shooting for the county record of 6.33 set by current Roselle coach, Mike Fields, in 1995. Although there is no 200m in the state meet this year, Dixon had a full summer season that saw him excel in the deuce, an event he rarely contests. Dixon consistently ran sub 22, posting a PR of 21.44. With his size and speed, Dixon also has a shot at the county 200m record of 21.76, set by Ray Williams (Scotch Plains) in 2002. Dixon’s closest competitor in the dash will likely be ALJ’s Vinny Reis. Reis, the Group II 55m runner-up, also finished ninth in the 200m at the Indoor MOC. Union Catholic’s junior Garrett Ellis is looking to improve upon an outstanding sophomore campaign that saw him place 6th in the 200m at the Indoor MOC. Rahway’s Paul Jones-Burden, the defending county 400m champion, should make an impact this season. After running indoors for the first time last year, Jones-Burden finished 12th at the Indoor MOC, with Roselle Catholic’s Mark Given’s only two places behind.
People to watch: Marques Wallace, Union; Julian Phillips, Union Catholic; Rahdel Savage, Roselle; Christian Caballero, Gov. Livingston
Hurdles:
Defending indoor and outdoor champ Kyle Rowbotham of Scotch Plains leads the way. Rowbotham, arguably one of the county’s best all-around athletes, will look to become one of the states top hurdlers. This will be a season of dynamic duos as Rowbotham’s teammate Tom Panella will also pose a strong challenge. Roselle’s duo of Rahdel Savage and Gerkins Senesca will provide a challenge as well as the Rahway duo of Deion Lawson and Mahdi Sumter.
Others to watch: Quinn Williams, Elizabeth; Anthony Vargas, Johnson; Marshall King, Hillside.
Distance:
With Westfield’s Jeff Perella and Rahway’s Watson Estelan graduated, the county distance races become a three man show. Union Catholic’s Brian Guterl, Cranford’s Joseph McKenney, and Summit’s Stephen Hankinson will battle for the distance titles. McKenney finished 2nd in the Group 2 3200m and 10th at the Indoor MOC. Hankinson finished 7th in the Group 2 in 16th at the MOC in the 1600m. Guterl has a breakout season last spring, where he placed 5th at the MOC in the 1600m, with Hankinson finishing 10th.
People to watch: Mike Sprague, Union Catholic; Christian Caballero, Gov. Livingston; Adam Biner, Scotch Plains; Evan Friedman, Westfield.
Jumps:
Elizabeth’s Kareem Andrews looks to be the class of the field, having a PR of 6-2 in the high jump. Tom Penella (Scotch Plains) and Eric Brandman (Westfield) lead the PV having jumped 12ft in 2006. While the high jump and pole vault are the only two jumping events contested at the state level, the real excitement may come from one of the horizontal jumps. Kyle Rowbotham (SPF) and Rahdel Savage (Roselle) currently sit at #2 and #3 on the County All-Time list in the triple jump, having jumped 44-10 and 44-4.5 respectively last winter. The county record of 45-3.25 by Kevin Guyton of Elizabeth is in serious jeopardy. Both Rowbotham and Savage have jumped further than the indoor record during the outdoor season, where they again sit #2 and #3 respectively on the County All-Time list.
People to watch: Anthony Vargas, ALJ; Adam Bergo, Westfield.
Throws:
The battle royal continues with Scotch Plain’s Mike Alleman and ALJ’s Oliver Haney. The Minnesota-bound Haney finished 9th at the Indoor MOC with Alleman finishing right behind him in 10th. Scotch Plain’s John Badala should also contend as he tries to gain entry into the 50 foot club. Badala launched the shot put 49 feet last spring.
People to watch: Thomas Tavalaro, Johnson; Josh Dolisca, Oratory; Tim Dempsey, New Providence;