Track & Field News

2003-2004 Indoor/Outdoor

"Katie B" Leaves Lasting Mark on PJ Record Book

POPE JOHN, NJ (June 28, 2004) - During the mid-1990s the track athlete that dominated Pope John and Sussex County girls track was Emily Bienko. As a all-around track performer, no one could argue Emily's dominance - solidifying that reputation by competing as a top heptathlete at the University of Notre Dame. Two of Emily's school records still stand from 1995 - the 100m HH record of 14.7, and the Long Jump record of 18' 1.5".

The girls program has said goodbye to another Pope John and Sussex County great this year, with the graduation of Katie Bieganousky. "Katie B", as she is affectionately called by teammates, coaches and fans alike, has rewritten the Pope John record book. To this writer's knowledge, no PJ athlete has left such a pervasive mark as she.


Homecoming Queen (and still on the track)!	Competing at the 2004 Meet of Champions

Katie holds the school and class records in the 200m, 300m, 400m, and 600m indoors. (With the exception of the freshman class record in the 600m which was eclipsed this year by her sister, Carolyn). She also is a part of the record holding 4 x 200, 4 x 400, SMR, and DMR indoor relay teams. Outdoors she holds the records in the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprints, as well as being a part of the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400, and SMR teams. Katie is also a member of the County record holding 4 x 100, 4 x 200, and SMR teams.

I'm sure that Katie is embarrassed to be reading these accolades. Bragging is not her style. So, she's going to have to accept our congratulations, best wishes and hopes for a successful career next year, on and off the track, at the University of Connecticut.

Daily Record Announces Post-Season Honors

Boys Selected As Team Of The Year - Girls Are Ranked Second

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ (June 18, 2004) - The Daily Record announced its 2004 Boys and Girls Track and Field All-Area teams today, and the Lions were very well represented.

Despite pressure from Morris County track coaches and fans to select a Morris County team as Team of the Year, the Daily Record's Track & Field reporter, Maurice Brooks, selected the Lions Boys as the number one team in the Morris and Sussex County area. This reporter cannot say it better then Mr. Brooks:

"Morris County track and field fans have grumbled for years about Sussex County schools being included in the Daily Record-area Top 10. 'How is the competition in the Sussex County Interscholastic League?' Good. 'You've seen our elite teams. Don't you think we would destroy them?' No. 'Do you really think their best teams would do well in our county?' Sure do.

The measuring stick for track dominance in the SCIL is Pope John, the 2004 Daily Record Boys Spring Track and Field Team of the Year. A quick glance at the individual and team accomplishments by the Lions shows supremacy, regardless of the county."

Enough said! Mr. Brooks also selected the Girls second on the Top 10 list behind Morris Knolls.

The following is a list of the individual honorees.

Boys First Team

200 meters	Mike Carhart	Senior
1,600 meters	Justin Scheid	Senior
Shot Put	Brandon Perez	Senior
All-Purpose Relay	Chris Seabold	Senior
	Kevin O'Brien	Senior
	Mike Carhart	Senior
	Chris Fanelli	Junior

Boys Honorable Mention

Jumps, Hurdles	Ryan Bent	Senior
Jumps	Joe Marra	Senior
Javelin	Jon Otto	Senior
Jumps, Hurdles	Bryan Downing	Junior
Hurdles	Chris Loyas	Junior
Jumps, Pole Vault	Mike Mazur	Junior
Hurdles, Jumps	Peter Murphy	Junior
Distance	Albert Taylor	Junior
Sprints, Pole Vault, Jumps	Dan Allen	Sophomore
800 meters	Anthony LaMastro	Sophomore
Throws	Rick Rogers	Sophomore

Girls First Team

Discus	Jen Kramer	Senior

Girls Second Team

200 meters	Katie Bieganousky	Senior
All-Purpose Thrower	Ashley Moormann	Senior
All-Purpose Runner	Franny Morro	Senior
Long Jump	Sam Spence	Senior
Triple Jump	Kim Bannat	Sophomore

Girls Honorable Mention

Sprints	Christine DeVasto	Senior
Throws	Vicky Melroy	Junior
Mid-Distance	Brynn Merritt	Sophomore
Sprints	Rachel Posthumus	Sophomore
Distance	Elizabeth So	Sophomore
Mid-Distance	Carolyn Bieganousky	Freshman
Sprints	Tara Downing	Freshman
Mid-Distance, Distance	Lara Heigis	Freshman

Other SCIL individual honorees included Greg Bloemer (Sparta, 110 HH, First Team), Phil Smith (Hopatcong, Discus, First Team), Peter Papenestor (Sparta, 100m, Second Team), Dave LaRocca (Sparta, 400m, Second Team), Joe Martinek (Hopatcong, LJ, Second Team), Carlleen Allison (Lenape Valley, 200m, First Team), Ashley Ray (Newton, 400 IH, Second Team), Kallyn Falvo (Sparta, HJ, Second Team), and Alyssa Schmidt (Jefferson, Javelin, Second Team).

Adidas Outdoor Championships Previews, Updates, and Recap

RALEIGH, NC (June 19, 2004) - The day started early for the Lions, with both the Girls and Boys scheduled to run the 4 x 1 Mile events to open day two of the Adidas Outdoor Championships. The team of Lara Heigis ('07), Brynn Merritt ('06), Liz So ('06), and Franny Morro ('04) placed eighth in the nation with a time of 22:01.87. The first six teams are recognized as All-Americans, so the girls were disappointed with the result. The young members of the team did get the taste of competition at the national level, and will be ready for next year. Senior captain Franny Morro capped off her outstanding career with this race. She will be racing for Lafayette College next year.

The Boys 4 x 1 mile team of Anthony LaMastro ('06), Albert Taylor ('05), Jeremy Scheid ('07), and Will Ehrhardt ('05) followed the girls and finished 21st in the nation with a time of 19:02.92. Valuable experience was gained by this very young team.

In a tough morning double, Brynn Merritt and Lara Heigis were called on to run with the Bieganousky sisters in the Distance Medley Relay. Merritt led off the race by running her 1200m leg and handing off to Katie Bieganousky ('04) for the 400m leg. Another Pope John track legend, Katie B. ran a great leg, and had the privilege of literally and figuratively handing the baton to her younger sister, Carolyn Bieganousky ('07) for the 800m leg. Heigis then ran her second mile of the morning, completing the race in a time of 13:04.56, good enough for 19th place in the competition. More important then the race, however, was the finish to Katie Bieganousky's career. She leaves holding records in more events then any other athlete in Pope John history. Good luck to Katie at UConn next year.

The next event of interest for Lion's fans was the Girl's Freshman 1 Mile run. In that race, Aimee Chegwidden of Wallkill Valley, who traveled with the team to Raleigh, finished 13th in the nation with a time of 5:26.16. Aimee was running in ninth place going into the final lap of her section and displayed a tremendous kick to get herself a fourth place finish in the unseeded section of the race.

In the Boys 400 Meter Run, Mike Carhart ('04) finished tenth in a time of 48.96. He finished first in the first section of the race and looked very good doing so, taking the lead at the 200m mark and not being challenged the rest of the way. Mike will continue his running career at Seton Hall University under the tutelage of legendary 400m coach, John Moon.

Another race that captivated the team was the Girls 1 Mile run. That race featured some of the greatest high school milers ever assembled. Caitlin Chock, of Roseville, CA, who is going to be a teammate of Sam Beese ('02) at the University of Richmond, and who was staying with our team during this meet, came in as one of the favorites. She did not disappoint. Taking the lead after the second lap, Caitlin controlled the pace for the second half of the race - and it was fast! She finished second in 4:42.52, just 0.12 seconds behind winner, Nicole Blood of Saratoga Springs, NY. The times were the ninth and tenth fastest high school girls' miles in history.


Anthony LaMastro battles in the Boys 4 x Mile	Caitlin Chock (center) fits right in with new friends, Cathleen Cavanaugh and Christine DeVasto	Katie Bieganousky runs the 400m leg in the Girls DMR

Finally, in the last event of the day, the Boys Distance Medley Relay team hoped to make Justin Scheid's and Mike Carhart's last races in PJ colors a memorable one. Anthony LaMastro ran a fine 1200m leg, followed by a sizzling 400 leg by Carhart. Albert Taylor took the stick and ran a credible 800m leg to give Justin Scheid a chance for a placement. Scheid ran very well, taking the team from 13th place to seventh, before fading to 10th place in the section. Overall the team finished in 11th place in a time of 10:18.27. Justin now goes into the Pope John record book as the most successful track athlete in school history, and one of the greatest in NJ history. He will now bring his considerable talents to Georgetown University.

Complete Results

AOC Photo Gallery

RALEIGH, NC (June 18, 2004) - With temperatures reaching 100 degrees and humidity approaching 100%, everyone knew that the day would bear down on the student-athletes competing early in the meet day. The heat bore down, but it did not wilt the performances one bit.

Ashley Moormann was the first Lion to take to the field, competing in the women's javelin at 5:00 PM. Seeded in the first section, Ashley's best throw measured 110' 6", not good enough to make it to the finals, but certainly enough to close out a phenomenal career at Pope John. Ashley's goal all year was to qualify for the AOC. She attained that goal, and in the process set a new Pope John javelin record while winning the SCIL Festival, finishing second in the Parochial A Championships, and seventh in the Meet of Champions.

The PJ coaches will miss Ashley's dedication to her sport, especially her habit of being the last one out of the weight room. (She touted her strength by wearing a T-shirt proclaiming "I can bench press my boyfriend".) She also accomplished a minor goal today, by avenging losses to Jordan Sarruba of Bishop Eustace (the Parochial A champion), and to Christiana Cappelle of Monsignor Donovan (the NJCTC champion). Ashley will continue her throwing career at Susquehanna University next year.

Justin Scheid finished seventh, in arguably the greatest high school 2 mile race ever. His time of 9:03 was one second out of sixth place which earns All-American honors, The first four places broke the nine minute barrier, with Shadrick Kiptoo of NM, eventually winning the race in a time of 8:45. Justin's time was his fastest of the season, and sets him up nicely for this mile run in the Distance Medley Relay tomorrow.

Complete Results

RALEIGH, NC (June 17, 2004) - The team and coaches boarded the charter bus at approximately 6:15 AM for our trip to the AOC's at North Carolina State University. Our driver, Lenny, was incredibly professional, and as luck would have it, was a track athlete and is the father of a track athlete. He is almost as excited as we are about the next two days.

We arrived at our hotel at 5:00 PM, took possession of our rental vehicles, and picked-up the remainder of the team who traveled with their parents. By 7:00 PM, Coach Corcoran had the boys working out at the NC State track. With Coach Zappile in charge, the girls had their workout at a park near the hotel. Your faithful webmaster went to work writing this article.

The competition starts tomorrow when Ashley Moormann competes in the Girls Javelin at 6:00 PM. Justin Scheid will be the second Friday competitor when he seeks to repeat his All-American effort in the Boys 2 Mile run at 9:50 PM.

Finally, two guests are staying with the team in North Carolina - Caitlin Chock from Roseville, CA., will compete Saturday in the Girls 1 Mile run at 6:35 PM. For readers who are not familiar with Caitlin, she is coming off a very successful 3200m performance at the Golden West Invitational two weeks ago. In that meet, Caitlin ran 9:58 - # 3 all time in U.S. high school history. We were introduced to Caitlin by Sam Beese ('02), who will be Caitlin's new teammate at the University of Richmond, where Caitlin will be attending next year. Aimee Chegwidden, the freshman distance phenom from Wallkill Valley, will be competing in the freshman mile on Saturday at 3:00 PM. Best of luck to both of our new friends.

Complete event information can be found on John Dye's awesome website - DyeStat.com.

Spring Track Banquet Honors Most Successful Teams in School History

Eighteen Student-Athletes Honored With Special Awards

FARMSTEAD GOLF CLUB (June 14, 2004) - The annual Spring Track Banquet, organized by Coach Barbara Zappile, was by all accounts a great success. Over two hundred twenty athletes, parents, grandparents, and friends were in attendance, making this the best attended awards banquet in PJ Track history.

The program began with the awarding of Junior Varsity certificates and Varsity Letters and pins. Based on the number of certificates and letters awarded, the future of Pope John Track is bright. Coach Corcoran mentioned in his opening remarks, that both the Boys and Girls teams were the most successful in school history - and for this he credited the senior members of the teams. As reported in previous articles, the Class of 2004 has set and holds more County, School and Class records then any class in school history. The seniors were also acknowledged for their leadership and mentoring of our younger athletes.

Eighteen athletes were singled out for special awards. John Dean ('04) and Katelyn Katzgrau ('04) were the recipients of the Pope John Spirit Award. The Booster Club grants this award to student-athletes on every Varsity team, and is considered one of the most coveted awards that can be won by a PJ athlete. John and Katelyn are very deserving winners - both have endured numerous injuries during their careers, but they never were deterred. They never missed a practice or meet, and were the greatest supporters and advocates for their teammates and the program. Katelyn will be competing for Kutztown University next year.

On the Boys side, the Most Improved Athletes were Bryan Downing ('05) and Will Ehrhardt ('05). The Girls Most Improved winners were Jen Kramer ('04) and Vicky Melroy ('05). The Coaches' Award winners were Chris Seabold ('04), Mike Mazur ('05), Carolyn Bieganousky ('07), and Ashley Moormann ('04). Most Valuable Athlete awards were earned by Kim Bannat ('06), Katie Bieganousky ('04), Franny Morro ('04), Sam Spence ('04), Ryan Bent ('04), Brandon Perez ('04), Mike Carhart ('04), and Justin Scheid ('04).

The Lions compete in the last meet of the year this weekend - the Adidas Outdoor Championships. Stay tuned for daily reports from NC State University.

2004 Spring Track & Field Performance List

PJ Track Graduates Twenty-Nine Seniors

Fourteen to Compete in College

MURPHY ATHLETIC CENTER (PJHS - June 4, 2004) - Twenty-nine members of the Pope John Track team graduated today, and by all accounts they represent some of the most successful athletes in school history. The members of the class of 2004 hold twenty-four Pope John individual or relay records, and twelve Sussex County records. Justin Scheid became the first All-American in school history when he placed third in the Adidas Outdoor Championships 3200m run last June. During the indoor season this past winter, Scheid, Mike Carhart, and Chris Seabold were crowned All-Americans at the New Balance Indoor National Championships.

Matt Haight, Christine DeVasto, and Chris Seabold will be competing at The Citadel next year

The following student-athletes will be sorely missed: Ryan Bent, Katie Bieganousky (UConn), Mike Carhart (Seton Hall), Cathleen Cavanaugh, John Dean, Christine DeVasto (The Citadel), Rob DeVasto (Cabrini), Liam Dillaway, Lauren Farrell, Matt Haight (The Citadel), Katherine Hamon, Sarah Johannes, Kaitlyn Katzgrau (Kutztown), Erin Kelly, Jen Kramer (Delaware), Steve Kulsar, Joe Marra, Judy Meissner, Ashley Moormann (Susquehanna), Franny Morro (Lafayette), Kevin O'Brien (Bentley), John Otto (Catholic), Brandon Perez (Forked Union), Justin Scheid (Georgetown), Joe Schlosser, Chris Seabold (The Citadel), Samantha Spence (Gettysburg), Scott Sullivan, and Mark Trainor.

Good wishes and best of luck to all of our seniors!

Lions Among Top Teams at Meet of Champions

Boys and Girls Post Eight Top 10 Finishes

FRANK JOST FIELD (South Plainfield, NJ - June 2, 2004) - The largest Meet of Champions contingent in Pope John history delivered the best performances of any Lion team. Eight athletes posted top ten finishes, to lead all schools in New Jersey except Winslow Twp., which also posted eight top ten performances.

Led by Justin Scheid ('04), who finished sixth in the 3200m run, the boys had three other top ten athletes. Mike Carhart ('04) was seventh in the 400m run and ninth in the 200m dash. Brandon Perez ('04) was ninth in the shot put with a throw of 52' 2". Non top ten athletes included Anthony LaMastro ('06), placing 11th in the 800m run; Ryan Bent ('04) who was 22nd in the 400m IH; Rick Rogers ('06), twenty-sixth in the javelin throw, and Jon Otto ('04) who was tied for 32nd in the javelin. The 4 x 400m relay team of Kevin O'Brien ('04), Steve Kulsar ('04), Bryan Downing ('05), and Chris Seabold ('04) placed twenty-first in a time of 3:29.60. Seabold's split was 49.9 seconds.

On the girls side, top ten performers included Lara Heigis ('07), seventh in the 3200m run. Her time of 11:08.04 broke her own school record, set just last week, by over nineteen seconds. Kim Bannat ('06) was seventh in the high jump. Ashley Moormann ('04) placed seventh in the javelin, and the sevens kept coming when Jen Kramer ('04) took that placement in the discus. Other performances included Franny Morro ('04), who placed twelfth in the 3200m run in a personal best 11:26.81; Katie Bieganousky ('04), taking 11th in the 400m run and thirteenth in the 200m dash; Liz So ('06) who was fifteenth in the 3200m run; Brynn Merritt ('06), 21st in the 1600m run, and Ashley Moormann, who took 29th in the discus. Finally, the girls 4 x 400m relay team of Carolyn Bieganousky ('07), Rachel Posthumus ('06), Alex Bush ('07), and Christine DeVasto ('04), placed twenty-first in a time of 4:07.51.

The Lions will take the track for the final time this season at the Adidas Outdoor Championships, June 18 - 19, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Boys Complete Results

Girls Complete Results

Bannat, Carhart, and Scheid Crowned State Champions

Great Team Depth Displayed at Parochial A Championships

NOTRE DAME HS (May 27 & 28, 2004) - When the Lions arrived at the NJSIAA Parochial A Championships on Friday afternoon, every athlete, coach, and fan knew that both the Girls and Boys teams had the potential to win the first Parochial A championship in school history. Although that goal was not accomplished, the athletes displayed the tremendous depth of both teams. Pope John will be sending 25 athletes to the Meet of Champions - more then any other school in New Jersey. On top of that, PJ athletes will be competing in more events than any other school in the state. The first six places in each event advance to the Meet of Champions, which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2 at South Plainfield HS.

The Girls team finished in second place behind Monsignor Donovan, 85.5 to 80. Kim Bannat ('06) won the high jump state championship with a leap of 5' 2" for the sole first place showing, but she was very capably supported by the second place performances of Ashley Moormann ('04) in the javelin (117-10), Vicky Melroy ('05) in the shot put (36-7), Jen Kramer ('04) in the discus (120-8), Sam Spence ('04) in the long jump (16-7.5), and Lara Heigis ('07) in the 3200m run (11:28.63)..

Other girls who qualified for the MOC include Katie Bieganousky ('04), who placed fourth in the 400m run (59.00), fifth in the 200m dash (26.96), and as the anchor of the second place 4 x 400m relay (4:08.27). Katie B. becomes the first athlete in Pope John history to qualify for the MOC in all four years of her career. Christine DeVasto ('04), Rachel Posthumus ('06), Alex Bush ('07), and Carolyn Bieganousky ('07) rounded out the 4 x 400m relay team. Brynn Merritt ('06) placed sixth in the 1600m run (5:16.50).

Several athletes qualified for two events: Ashley Moormann placed sixth in the discus with a throw of 109-9. Jen Kramer qualified by taking fourth in the shot put with a throw of 34-1. Sam Spence took sixth place in the triple jump with a leap of 32-2.25, and Lara Heigis was fourth in the 1600m run (5:14.89).

In the 3200m race, Heigis, Franny Morro, and Liz So each set their personal record times and ran faster then the former school record of 11:39.1 held by Sam Beese ('02). Along with Heigis' second place finish, Morro ('04) placed fourth (11:29.12) and So ('06) placed sixth (11:34.18).

All told, fourteen girls will be representing Pope John in ten separate events.

The Boys team finished in third place behind Christian Brothers Academy, and Seton Hall Prep. Justin Scheid ('04) continued his storied career by successfully defending his championship titles in the 1600m (4:16.57) and 3200m runs (9:11.09), making him the only dual state champion in Pope John history. Mike Carhart ('04) claimed his first state championship by winning the 400m run (48.53), following that with a fourth place finish in the 200m dash (23.37), joining Scheid as a Lion that will be competing in the MOC in multiple events.

Other Boys that qualified for the Meet of Champions are Brandon Perez ('04), placing second in the shot put with a throw of 53' 9.75"; Anthony LaMastro ('06) - second in the 800m run (1:57.79); Ryan Bent ('04), a fifth place finisher in the 400m intermediate hurdles (57.59); and the members of the 4 x 400m relay team - Chris Seabold ('04), LaMastro, Kevin O'Brien ('04), and Carhart, who finished fourth in a time of 3:26.65. With changes planned in the 4 x 400 line-up, eleven boys will be going to the MOC, competing in eight events.

Boys Complete Results

Girls Complete Results

SCIL All-League Selections Announced

Lions Have Twenty-Four Athletes Named

WALLKILL VALLEY HS (May 26, 2004) - The SCIL Track & Field coaches announced their All-League selections today, and Pope John led the way with thirteen girls and eleven boys named. For the girls, seniors Katie Bieganousky, Christine DeVasto, Jen Kramer, Ashley Moormann, Franny Morro, and Sam Spence received recognition. Junior, Vicky Melroy, was the only representative from her class. Kim Bannat, Rachel Posthumus, and Liz So were the sophomores selected, and freshmen Carolyn Bieganousky, Alex Bush, and Lara Heigis round out the list.

On the boys side, seniors Ryan Bent, Mike Carhart, Steve Kulsar, Kevin O'Brien, Brandon Perez, Justin Scheid, and Chris Seabold were joined by juniors Bryan Downing and Mike Mazur, and sophomores Dan Allen and Anthony LaMastro.

This announcement prefaces the Parochial A State Championships scheduled for this weekend. Congratulations and good luck to all of our track and field athletes.

SCIL All-League Selection Complete List

Lions Run Fast Times at Fast Times Relays

WARWICK VALLEY HS (May 25, 2004) - The Boys 4 x 800m relay team of Anthony LaMastro ('06), Justin Scheid ('04), Albert Taylor ('05), and Kevin O'Brien ('04) broke their own Sussex County record tonight at the Lenox Fast Times Relays. Their time of 8:02.0 broke their previous record of 8:04.0 set last year at the same meet. Not to be outdone, the Boys 4 x 100m team of Chris Fanelli ('05), Dan Allen ('06), Mike Mazur ('05), and Chris Seabold ('04) ran 44.0 seconds to break their own Pope John record from earlier in the season.

This meet sets-up the Boys and Girls for the Parochial A championships scheduled for this coming Friday and Saturday, May 28 and 29, at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, NJ.

Records Fall at NJCTC Championships

NOTRE DAME HS (May 23, 2004) - Brandon Perez ('04) broke Mark Bailey's (Sparta) 1977 Sussex County shot put record of 54' 11" with a throw of 55' 2" on his way to winning the NJ Catholic Track Conference championship today. His winning toss bested the field by over five feet as no other competitor reached the elusive 50 foot mark. Teammate, Mike Carhart ('04), added a second Boys championship when he won the 400m run in 48.7 seconds.

On the Girls side, Kim Bannat ('06) tied a school record when she leaped 5' 4" to win the high jump championship. Bannat has been flirting with this mark since the SCIL Festival when she jumped 5' 3" to place second. Other championship performances included Franny Morro ('04) in the 3200m run, and the Girls 4 x 800m relay team of Kaitlyn Katzgrau ('04), Katherine Hamon ('04), Jackie Cavanaugh ('05), and Brynn Merritt ('06). Morro and Merritt got some more good news when they learned that their 1600m times, combined with the times of Lara Heigis ('07) and Liz So ('06), qualified them to compete in the 4 x 1mile relay at the Adidas Outdoor Championships. The Lions now have five relays and three individuals qualified to compete in the National Championship meet.

On Tuesday night, May 25, the Boys and Girls will travel to Warwick Valley Central HS to participate in the Fast Times Relays. This meet is greatly anticipated by the athletes. Warwick Coach, Tim St. Lawrence, provides a DJ, Bar-B-Q, and most important, a very fast track, that makes this meet a must see.

Boys Complete Results

Girls Complete Results

Young Stars Shine at Wallkill Valley Novice Meet

WALLKILL VALLEY HS (May 19, 2000) - The Freshmen and Sophomore team members had an opportunity to compete at the Wallkill Valley Novice meet today - and perform they did!

The Freshmen Girls won several events: Carolyn Bieganousky won the 400 IH and 800m races; Kelsey Murphy won the 1600m run; and Danielle LeGrande took the shot put title. Sophomore Girl winners were Brynn Merritt in the 1600m run, Alesandra LaMastro in the 3200m run, Kate Lynch in the 400 IH, Kim Bannat in the High Jump, Briana Perez in the shot put, and winning the 4 x 400m relay were Noelle Marra, Jackie DeVasto, Brynn Merritt, and Kate Lynch.

On the Boys side, the lone freshmen winner was Jeremy Scheid in the 3200m run. Sophomore Boys winners included Dan Allen in the 100m and 200m dashes, Matt Carlson in the 1600m run, and winning the Sophomore Boys 4 x 400m relay were Ryan Lavorgna, Devon McCarthy, Patrick Rosendale, and Dan Allen.

The New Jersey Catholic Track Conference (NJCTC) Championships are coming up this Sunday, May 23rd at Notre Dame HS in Lawrenceville, NJ. Notre Dame is on Route 206, just south of Rider University.

Complete Results

Lions Roar at East Coast Relays

MORRISTOWN HS (May 17, 2004) - Both the Boys and Girls 4 x 1600 teams set new Pope John and Sussex County records at the East Coast Relays today. The Boys broke the oldest school relay record left on the books when they eclipsed the 1996 record formerly held by Ed Juarez, Mark Woolley, Jon Bowen, and Mike LaLonde. The team of Anthony LaMastro ('06), Albert Taylor ('05), Justin Scheid ('04), and Will Ehrhardt ('05) shattered the old mark of 18:25.6 by running 17:55.39. This time also qualifies the boys for the 2004 Adidas Outdoor Championships in June.

The Girls 4 x 1600 team of Franny Morro ('04), Liz So ('06), Brynn Merritt ('06), and Lara Heigis ('07) broke their own Sussex County and Pope John records when they ran 21:49.85. These girls will have another opportunity to qualify for the AOC's next week.

In the throwing events, the Girls Discus relay team of Jen Kramer ('04) and Ashley Moormann ('04) won the event with a combined total of 215-6.

The Sophomores and Freshmen will compete on Wednesday, May 19, at the SCIL Novice Meet - 3:45 PM, Wallkill Valley HS.

Dual Meet Season Concludes With Wins Over Kittatinny

KITTATINNY HS (May 13, 2004) - The dual meet season concluded with victories for the Girls and Boys over the Kittatinny Cougars. The final score was Lions 88 - Kittatinny Boys 52 and Lady Lions 98 - Kittatinny 41. Both teams finished the regular season with perfect 8-0 records.

Bryan Downing ('05) led the Boys with wins in the Pole Vault (10-0) and Long Jump (18-7). Charlie Castiglia ('05) and Rick Rogers ('06) both had a good day by attaining personal records in the javelin - Castiglia's throw of 145-9, and Roger's toss of 141-10 were good enough for second and third place, respectively.

On the Girls side, Tara Downing ('07) followed in her brother's footsteps with wins in the Pole Vault (6-0) and 200m dash (27.7). Alessandra LaMastro ('06) was also a double winner with victories in the 1600m (5:51) and 3200m runs (13:31). Kim Bannat ('06) won the High Jump with a leap of 5-0, and finished second in the long jump (15-1).

The most anticipated race of the meet pitted Cathleen "Rebel" Cavanaugh ('04) against Ashley "Snort" Moormann ('04) in the JV 100m dash. While the distance team cheered on "Rebel" and the throwers pulled for "Snort", the sprinters just shook their heads in awe as these two seniors laid it all on the line. To the naked eye it appeared that "Snort" won the race out of the blocks. Try as she might, "Rebel" just couldn't catch up. Times for both runners will not be published. One can only hope for a rematch.

The East Coast Relays are next on tap for some of the Varsity squad - Monday, May 17, at Morristown High School. The sophomores and freshman will have their next opportunity to shine at the SCIL Novice Meet, Wednesday, May 19, at Wallkill Valley High School.

"The Race" - Snort beats Rebel

Complete Results

SCIL Festival Championship Won By PJ Girls and Boys

Girls Score 171 Points, Boys Score 142, to Outdistance SCIL


Senior Girls and Boys Display Their Championship Plaques

LENAPE VALLEY HS (May 11, 2004) � The Pope John Girls and Boys Track teams completed the Sussex County Triple Crown by winning the SCIL Festival today, to go along with victories in the SCIL Relays and regular season championships.�

The Boys won six of the sixteen events contested, and placed in all but two events, scoring 142 points on their way to winning the championship of the SCIL and Sussex County.� Justin Scheid continued his marvelous senior year by defending his titles in the 1600m and 3200m runs, while placing second in the 800m run.� Scheid lost in a very close race with Mike Pachella, a Wallkill Valley sophomore.� On the Girls distance race side, Franny Morro (�04) completed her own double by winning the 1600m run, having already won the 3200m run on Monday.� Her distance teammates of Liz So (�06) and Lara Heigis (�07), like they had in the 3200, finished right behind Morro.

Brandon Perez (�04) set a new Pope John record in winning the Shot Put competition with a throw of 54� 1.5�, besting Bo Lawson of Kittatinny by close to three feet.� This was Brandon�s second SCIL shot put title (he won in 2002) and sets him up as a very serious contender for the Parochial A championship.� He now ranks among the top throwers in the state.� His female throwing counterpart, Jen Kramer (�04), also won her first SCIL title by winning the discus with a new personal record of 122� 6�, extending her own PJ record by close to four feet.� Kramer had to win the competition on her final throw, after leading going into the finals, when Amber Gardocki of Wallkill Valley passed Jen on her last throw.� That set Kramer up for her record setting championship toss.� Like Perez, this makes her a Parochial A contender, and places her throw as one of the tops in the state.� The other PJ Girls throwers did their part as well.� Ashley Moormann (�04) won the javelin throw and Vicky Melroy (�05) took the shot put championship, contributing to a Lion sweep of the Girls throwing events.

Katie Bieganousky (�04) and Mike Carhart (�04) represented the �fast� kids on the teams.� Bieganousky won the 400m run in a time of 58.4, then anchored the winning 4 x 400 relay team.� She also finished second in the 200m dash, losing by a lean at the finish.� Carhart won the 200m dash (22.0), the 400m run (48.3) and anchored the Boys 4 x 400 in their victory.

Overall the Girls scored 171 points, the most points scored by a Pope John team in Festival history.

Both teams compete at Kittatinny HS in the last dual meet of the season on Thursday, May 13, 3:45 PM.

Complete Results

First Day of SCIL Festival Ends With Boys and Girls in the Lead

Moormann, Morro, and Scheid Crowned Champions

LENAPE VALLEY HS (May 10, 2004) � The Girls scored 54 points on the first day of the SCIL Festival to post themselves to a 18.5 point lead over second place Vernon.� The meet was highlighted with individual victories by Ashley Moormann (�04) in the Javelin (116� 11�), and Franny Morro (�04) in the 3200m run (11:54).� Moormann put the contest out of reach with her first throw of 114� 7�.� Second place finisher Alyssa Schmidt of Jefferson could get no closer than her best throw of 110� 0�.� In the 3200m run, the race was over by the second lap with Morro and her teammates running in a three person pack all by themselves.� The Lady Lions ran in tandem until the sixth lap when Morro surged ahead of her teammates, running the last two laps in negative splits to finish in 11:54.

Other placements by the PJ Girls included Liz So (�06) and Lara Heigis (�07) placing 2^nd and 3^rd in the 3200 with identical times of 12:14 and Kim Bannat (�06) who placed second in both the High Jump (5� 2�) and the Triple Jump (33� 3.5�).� Bannat�s jump was the same height as winner Kalyn Falvo of Sparta, but Kim had to settle for second following a jump off.� Sam Spence (�04) also placed fourth in the Triple Jump with a leap of 33� 2�.� Kari Reynolds of Vernon won the event with a jump of 33� 3.75�.

For the Boys, the score after the first day is much closer with the Lions leading second place Wallkill Valley by a mere quarter point, 31 to 30.75.� The Lions� scoring started with Justin Scheid (�04) defending his 3200m title in a time of 9:23, finishing ahead of teammates Anthony LaMastro (�06) and Albert Taylor (�05).� LaMastro placed second in a time of 9:44, while Taylor finished fifth in 10:02.

Other point scorers for the Boys were Ryan Bent (�04), placing third in the High Jump with a leap of 5�10�, and Joe Marra (�04) who placed fourth in the same event with a jump of 5� 8�.� Jon Otto finished sixth in the Javelin with a throw of 143� 9�.

Finally, Melissa Zummo of High Point set a new county record in the Pole Vault with a jump of 10� 1�.

The meet continues tomorrow afternoon at Lenape Valley HS at 4:00 PM.

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Day One Team Scores

SCIL Festival Order of Events

Young Lions Defeat Jefferson

Jumpers and Throwers Lead Boys and Girls to Victory

SUSSEX TECH HS (May 7, 2004) � The Lions traveled across town to compete at Sussex Tech against SCIL rival Jefferson and independent Sussex Tech.� The meet was scored against Jefferson, but was non-scoring against Tech.� The meet provided an opportunity to see how the younger members of the team would perform in competition, and the young lions did not disappoint.� Led by the jumpers and throwers, the boys defeated Jefferson 93 � 47, while the girls put up an almost identical score of 92 � 44.

�� Jumper, James Nolan (�07), registered his first varsity win with a jump of 5� 6� in the high jump, and picked-up another point with his third place finish in the pole vault� jumping 8� 0�.� Bryan Downing (�05) won the long jump (19� 3.5�) and the 200m dash (24.7).� He also placed second in the pole vault (9� 0�).� Throwers, Jason Lieb (�05), Rick Rogers (�06), James Faherty (�05), and Tim Lynott (�06) also had an outstanding meet.� Lieb won the shot put with a chuck of 42� 4�, followed by Rogers (38� 11�) and Lynott with a personal record throw of 37� 8.5�.�� Rogers also won the discus (123� 0�) and placed third in the javelin with a personal best toss of 140� 0�.� Faherty placed second in the discus with a throw of 117� 5�.

�� On the Girls side, Kelsey Murphy (�07) was a double winner in the 1600m and 3200m runs with times of 5:59.2 and 13:09.9 respectively.� Kim Bannat (�06) also was a double winner in the high jump (5� 2�) and the long jump (14� 9�).� Ashley Moormann (�04) was the third double winner for the girls throwing 108� 7� to win the discus, followed by a toss of 115� 9� in the javelin competition.� Multiple placers included Tara Downing (�07) with a third in the 100m (13.7) and a second in the 200m (28.3), and Noelle Marra (�06) with a second in the 400m (1:04.8), a second in the high jump (4� 4�), and a third in the javelin (75� 3�).

�� The SCIL Festival (League Championship) is the next event on the calendar � Monday and Tuesday, May 10 and 11, at Lenape Valley HS, 4:00 PM.� (SCIL Festival Order of Events).

Complete Results

Boys and Girls Win SCIL Relays

Boys Win First Title Since 1999 - Girls Win For the Third Straight Year

LENAPE VALLEY HS (May 5, 2004) � For the third year in a row the Pope John Girls were victorious in the SCIL Relays.� Winning nine of the eleven events contested, the Lady Lions ran away with the title before lighting and rain shortened the meet.� Only the Distance Medley Relay, the 4 x 400m Relay, and the high jump were lost to the weather before the coaches decided to call the meet in the interest of safety.� Relays are supposed to be test a team�s depth, and the Girls plainly demonstrated that they are the deepest team in Sussex County, by dominating on the track, the horizontal jumps, and the throws.� Senior Captain, Katie Bieganousky led the way with a winning anchor leg in the 4 x 100 and a winning lead off leg in the 4 x 200 relays.� Sam Spence (�04) was a double winner, first with Carolyn Bieganousky (�07) in the long jump, and then with Kim Bannat (�06) in the triple jump.

�� The Boys were equally impressive in winning for the first time since 1999. �Consistency was the key for the Boys as they won three events and placed in the remaining events, staking themselves to a substantial lead before the rains came.� Anthony LaMastro (�06) was on two winning relays, anchoring the Sprint Medley Relay and running the second leg of the 4 x 1600.

�� Both teams compete on Friday, May 7 in a double dual meet at Sussex Tech.� The Lions will have a scoring dual meet with Jefferson and a non-scoring dual with Sussex Tech.

Complete Results

Lions Defeat the Rangers and the Rain

POPE JOHN TRACK (May 2, 2004) � Despite a pouring rain, the Lions poured it on in defeating the Wallkill Valley Rangers today.� The Girls came away with a 105 � 26 victory, but the Lady Rangers certainly had a performance to be proud of.� Freshman Aimee Chegwidden broke the Wallkill Valley school record by running the 3200m in 11:49.1 in conditions that certainly were less than favorable.� The Rangers also registered wins in the 400m Intermediate Hurdles (Heather Gregory 1:15.2), and the Discus (Amber Gardocki 110� 9�), but the rest of the meet was all Lady Lions as the Girls swept the 200m dash, 400m dash, long jump and shot put.� Senior Sam Spence led the way with a triple in winning the 100m dash (13.3), the long jump (15� 10�), and the triple jump (30� 10.5�), but the underclassmen certainly did their part.� Freshmen Alex Bush and Kelsey Murphy won the 200m run (30.4) and the 1600m run (5:54.8), respectively.� Not to be outdone, sophomores Brynn Merritt, Rachel Posthumus, and Kim Bannat delivered wins in the 800m run (2:38.3), 400m dash (1:03.5), and High Jump (4� 8�).

�� Meanwhile, the Boys had to work to defeat the Rangers 88 � 43.� Lead by their senior distance trio of Mike Burghoffer, Alex Wright, and Paul Chegwidden, the Wallkill boys demonstrated why they will be a force to reckon with in the SCIL Relays and Festival.� The race of the meet was the 800m run where two sophomores squared off in a preview of great races to come.� Lion Anthony LaMastro (2:00.2) nipped Mike Pachella (2:01.0) of the Rangers in a race that wasn�t decided until the last 10 meters.�� As in previous meets, senior Ryan Bent won three events, the 110m hurdles (16.6), 400m intermediate hurdles (1:00.1), and the high jump (5� 3�).

�� The Championship season begins on Wednesday when the SCIL Relays will be held at Lenape Valley HS starting at 4:00 PM.

Complete Results

Records Fall at Brian Ahearn Classic

Carhart and Scheid Thrill the Crowd � Set New PJ and County Standards

WARWICK VALLEY HS, NY (April 30, 2004) � Justin Scheid and Mike Carhart led the Lions to the Mecca of� NY State HS track when the Boys and Girls teams visited the Tim St. Lawrence Track at Warwick Valley HS today.� In what will become an annual pilgrimage to the home of the Warwick Wildcats, Pope John took on the Cats and the Tigers of White Plains, NY in a non-scoring triangular meet.� The meet was held to benefit the Brian Ahearn Foundation.� Named in the memory of deceased Warwick Valley Middle School track athlete, Brian Ahearn, the foundation aids the disadvantaged and medically needy children of Orange County.

�� Every veteran PJ track athlete looks forward to the trip to Warwick because the track is fast, the throws are long, and the jumps are high.� The excitement was infectious as the young athletes listened to descriptions of Tim St. Lawrence, the legendary Warwick coach. �Coach �Saint� did not disappoint, as he greeted the �Pope� athletes, coaches, and fans on their arrival with his usual enthusiasm and good humor.� The action on the track proved to be even more exciting.

�� Justin Scheid (�04) got the crowd going in the much anticipated 1600m run.� His Warwick counterpart, Jake Larue, a two-time NYS 1600m champion, promised to give Justin a go, and everyone in the stands knew that the times would be fast.� They did not disappoint.�� Larue, with Scheid on his shoulder, went through the 400 split in 61 seconds.� At the 500m mark, Scheid passed Larue and took the pace, going through the 800 at 2:02.� From then on it was Scheid�s race.� He opened a 25m gap over Larue and teammate Anthony LaMastro (�06) by the time he hit the 1200m mark and the gun lap.� Scheid finished the race by himself in a new Pope John and Sussex County record 4:14.2, breaking the previous mark of 4:15.1 set by Jack Hay in 1985.� LaMastro finished second in a personal record 4:21, with Larue finishing third.� Albert Taylor (�05), the third PJ runner in the field, finished fourth in a personal best 4:33.

�� In the rarely contested 3000m steeplechase, Matt Haight (�04) set a new Pope John record running a 10:56 in that grueling event.� When asked how he was feeling after the race, Haight said, �That was great!� When can I do it again?�� His teammates in the event, Clay Smith (�07) 10:58.0, Matt Carlson (�06) 11:22.0, and Kevin Mulcahy (�05) 11:41.0, each established new class records for the steeple.

�� Meanwhile, in the field, the Girls continued their throws dominance.� Vicky Melroy (�05) won the shot put with a throw of 36� 10�, followed by Briana Perez (�06) putting 31� 1�, and Danielle LeGrande (�07), tossing 29� 7.5�.�� In the discus competition, Ashley Moormann (�04) set a new personal record with a chuck of 105� 3�, followed by Jen Kramer (�04) at 104� 2� and Melroy at 81� 11�.� Finally, in the javelin, Moormann led the Lions� sweep with a throw of 119� 9�, followed by Patricia Higgins (�06) at 83� 6� , and Sarah Johannes (�04) at 80� 2�.

�� In the last track event of the night, Mike Carhart (�04) electrified the crowd when he ran a 47.3 anchor in the 4 x 400m relay, making up a 20m deficit in the process, and delivering the win to the Lions.� This was the fastest 400m split in Sussex County history.� The Seton Hall bound Carhart also won the 200m dash in a time of 22.2.

�� The Girls and Boys will face Wallkill Valley at the PJ track on Monday, May 3^rd at 3:45 PM to kick off the first week of championship season.� The SCIL Relay Championships are scheduled for next Wednesday, May 5^th, at 4:00 PM, Lenape Valley HS.

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Girls and Boys Overwhelm Newton

Moormann Breaks 1985 School Record

NEWTON HS (April 29, 2004) � The Boys and Girls continued their run through the SCIL with decisive wins over Newton today.� The Boys had an easy time winning by a count of 108 � 32.� The Girls had a tougher time, but dominated the distance races and throws to register a 90 � 50 victory.� Both squads have 6 � 0 records in their dual meets.

�� The highlight of the meet was Ashley Moormann�s (�04) school record setting javelin throw of 124� 5�, breaking the previous record of 122� 8� set in 1985 by Kathy Frick.� Moormann had been on the verge of a breakthrough for nearly a year when she set her personal record of 119� 7� in the Vernon meet last week.� Her throw today came on her second attempt and brought the PJ faithful to their feet.� Not to be overlooked was the performance of her throws teammate, Jen Kramer (�04), who extended her own school record in the discus to 117� 3�, breaking her previous mark of 117�0�.

�� The Girls distance squad took all the points in the 1600m and 3200m runs.� In the 1600, Liz So (�06), Lara Heigis (�07), and Kelsey Murphy (�07) crossed the finish line together, while in the 3200m run, Franny Morro (�04) crossed the line with Alessandra LaMastro (�06), followed closely by Cathleen Cavanaugh (�04).� The final outstanding performance of the day belonged to Alex Bush (�07) who made up over 30m on the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 relay to register the final Lion victory of the meet.

�� On the Boys side, a balanced and deep Lions squad easily handled the overmatched Braves.� Steven Kulsar (�04) led the way with a third place finish in the open 400m dash, followed by a stunning anchor leg in the 4 x 400 relay, taking the baton nearly 20m behind the Newton runner before carrying the relay team to victory.� Jim Faherty (�05) had a great day with a second place finish in the shot put setting the stage for his winning toss of 122� 6� in the discus � his personal best.

�� Overall, the meet provided an opportunity for the underclassmen to put their considerable talents on display.� Both the girls� and boys� frosh and sophs won earned point after point � a great portent of things to come for PJ Track & Field.

�� Both squads will compete tomorrow night in the Brian Ahearn Classic at Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY.

Complete Results

Four Pope John Boys Teams Compete at Penn Relays

4 x 400 Relay Sets New School Record in Winning Heat

FRANKLIN FIELD, PHILADELPHIA (April 23 � 24, 2004) � Ten Pope John athletes competed in the prestigious Penn Relay Carnival, the oldest track meet in the United States.� Seniors Mike Carhart, Rob DeVasto, Kevin O�Brien, Chris Seabold, and Justin Scheid, along with Juniors Chris Fanelli, Mike Mazur, and Albert Taylor, and Sophomores Dan Allen and Anthony LaMastro made the trip to the University of Pennsylvania immediately following the Vernon dual meet.

�� On Friday, the team of Allen, Mazur, Fanelli and Seabold competed in the 4 x 100m event.� They ran well in the preliminary heat, but did not qualify for the Championship of America race.� The 4 x 800m team of LaMastro, Taylor, O�Brien, and Scheid also competed in the preliminary heat for that event.� In the Distance Medley Relay Championship of America race, the team of LaMastro, Carhart, Taylor, and Scheid finished tenth overall.

�� On Saturday, the 4 x 400m team of Fanelli, Seabold, DeVasto and Carhart won their heat in a time of 3:23.69, shattering the Pope John record, and just missing qualifying for the Championship of America race.� Their time just missed the Sussex County record of 3:23.67 set by the Sparta HS team of Joe Laws, Jesse Collins, Travis Biggs, and Dave LaRocca in 2002.

PJ Defeats Vernon to Remain Undefeated

POPE JOHN TRACK (April 22, 2004) � The PJ Girls and Boys defeated Vernon today to remain undefeated in SCIL Dual Meet action.� The Girls won easily by a score of 99 � 41, while the Boys were involved in a very tight contest before ultimately winning by a margin of 82 � 58.

�� Led by the throwers and distance runners, the Girls picked up points in bunches.� Ashley Moormann (�04) started the onslaught with a javelin throw of 119� 7�, a personal record and the longest throw in the SCIL this year.� The PJ record of 122� 8�, set in 1985 by Kathy Frick (�85), is now in serious jeopardy.� All told, the throwers won every throws point save one.� On the track, the distance team equaled the throwers performance by taking all placements in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m except for dropping a third place point in the 800.� Franny Morro (�04) was a double winner in the 1600 and 3200m runs.� Other double winners were Katie Bieganousky (�04) in the 100m and 200m dashes, and Sam Spence (�04) in the Long Jump and Triple Jump.

�� On the Boys side, the outcome of the meet was left in the hands (and feet) of the young jumpers.� Mike Mazur (�05) won the Triple Jump with a leap of 39� 10�, and then followed that victory with a win in the Long Jump (20� 10�).� Both are the longest jumps in the SCIL this spring.� Mazur wasn�t done.� He finished second to his teammate, Dan Allen (�06), by clearing 11�6� in the Pole Vault, his third number one performance in the SCIL on the day.� Both vaulters cleared 11� 6�, but Allen was declared the winner based on fewer misses.� Mike Carhart (�04) was a double winner in the 100m and 200m dashes, and Brandon Perez (�04) delivered the fourth number one SCIL performance with a toss of 52� 11� in the Shot Put.

�� Both teams return to action on Monday, April 26 at Jefferson.

Complete Results

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Boys and Girls Run Past Lenape Valley

Kramer Sets New Pope John Record

LENAPE VALLEY HS (April 19, 2004) � Mike Mazur (�05) was a three event winner in leading the Lion Boys to their fourth dual meet victory over Lenape Valley, 118.5 - 21.5.� Mazur won the Long Jump, Triple Jump, and 100m dash, and placed second in the Pole Vault.� Steve Kulsar (�04) won both the 400m and 200m dashes, and placed second to Mazur in the 100m.� In the field, Jon Otto (�04) had a big day, throwing a personal best 155� 10� in winning the javelin.� At the time of this writing, this is the number two throw in the SCIL this year.

�� The throwers led the way for the Girls team who prevailed 112 - 27.� With a toss of 117� 0�, Jen Kramer (�04) broke the 1996 discus record of 114� 1�.� Ashley Moormann (�04) continued her stellar spring by winning the javelin with a throw of 109� 10�, while Vicky Melroy (�05) won the Shot Put with a chuck of 38� 5�.� Moormann�s and Melroy�s throws rank number one in the SCIL.

�� The Lions next attack the track on Thursday, April 22, at home versus the Vernon Vikings.

Complete Results

Girls Win Big While Boys Defeat Crosstown Rival Sparta

Carhart Sets New County Record

SPARTA HS (April 15, 2004) � Both the Girls and Boys teams remained undefeated in the spring with victories over the archrival Sparta Spartans.

�� The Lady Lions took an early lead and never looked back while posting a 109 � 30 win over the Spartans.� The Girls won every event on the track with the exception of the 800m run and the 100m hurdles.� Multi-event winners included senior Captain, Katie Bieganousky in the 100m and 200m dashes; senior Ashley Moormann in the Discus and Javelin throws; and senior Sam Spence in the Long Jump and Triple Jump.� Spence also finished second in the 100m dash.

�� Other performances of note included Kim Bannat (�06), who won the High Jump with a personal best leap of 5� 0�.� Bannat also placed second in the Pole Vault and third in the Triple Jump.

Finally, Vicky Melroy (�06) continued her solid season with a win in the Shot Put (36� 1�), along with seconds in the Discus (100� 1�) and Javelin (85� 4�), the latter being a personal record.

�� On the Boys side, the meet was close, until the depth of the Lions� distance and throws squads finally proved too much for the Spartans, resulting in a 77 � 62 victory.

�� Senior Captain, Justin Scheid, led the team with a three win effort.� His first place finishes in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m runs were too much for the Spartans to overcome.�

Senior Mike Carhart also contributed with three placements.� His second place finishes in the 100m and 200m were disappointing to the very competitive Carhart, but he ended all doubts that he is the premier 400m runner in the league with a resounding win in that event.� He blistered the track in 48.6 seconds, setting a new Sussex County record, besting the previous mark of 48.8 seconds set by Ron McBride of Hopatcong in 1993.

�� Meanwhile, the throwers were holding up their end of the bargain.� Senior Brandon Perez easily won the Shot Put with a throw of 50� 3 1/2� - but the throws star of the day was Rick Rogers (�06), who won the Discus with a toss of 127� 7�, placed second in the Javelin (130� 9�), and third in the Shot Put (36� 10 ��).

�� The teams will return to the track on Monday, April 19 at Lenape Valley High School.

Complete Results

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Justin Scheid Runs 9:03.76 at Arcadia Invitational

ARCADIA, CA (April 10, 2004) � Justin Scheid (�04) competed in the two mile run at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California today.� His 9:03.76 time put him in 11^th place in the race, and is the 13^th fastest time in the nation this year.� It is the fastest time by a New Jersey runner this spring.� To see the race go to www.skizzim.com.� Username: bc� Password: abcd.

Girls and Boys Dominate Nanuet Black & Gold Relays

Girls 4 x 1600 m Relay Sets New PJ and Sussex County Record

Mazur Sets New PJ Record in Triple Jump

NANUET, NY (April 10, 2004) � Both the Boys and Girls teams were outstanding in winning the first place trophies and overall team trophy at the Nanuet Black & Gold Relays today.

�� This was the 39^th year for the Black & Gold Relays, but only the first time that Pope John has entered the event.� Many of the top high school track teams from New York State, Long Island, New York City, and Northern New Jersey participated.

�� There were many outstanding individual and relay team performances by PJ athletes, highlighted by the Girls 4 x 1600 m relay team of Liz So (�06), Lara Heigis (�07), Kelsey Murphy (�07), and Franny Morro (�04), whose winning time of 22:33.6 set a new school and Sussex County record for the event.� Mike Mazur (�05) also set a new junior class and school record in the triple jump with his leap of 39� 5�.

�� On the track, in addition to the winning Varsity 6400M Relay,� the Girls placed in the� Varsity 1200m IH relay (5^th), the Varsity 300m Shuttle Hurdles Relay (5^th), the Varsity 3200m Relay (5^th), the Varsity 800m Relay (4^th), the Freshman 1600m Relay (2^nd), the Frosh-Soph 1600m Relay (6^th), and the Varsity 1600m Relay (3^rd).� In the field, the Girls won the Varsity Shot Put (Vicky Melroy (�05) and Brianna Perez (�06)), the Varsity Discus (Ashley Moorman (�04) and Melroy), and the Frosh/Soph Shot Put (Patricia Higgins (�06) and Danielle LeGrande (�07)).� Teams that placed on the field were the Varsity High Jump (3^rd), Frosh/Soph Shot Put (3^rd), Varsity Long Jump (4th), Varsity Triple Jump (4^th), Frosh/Soph Discus (4^th), and the Varsity Pole Vault (2^nd).

�� The Girls overall score of 68 points topped second place Pearl River by 12 points.

�� The Boys performances were equally impressive.� On the track, the Boys won the JV Distance Medley Relay (Tim Burns (�07), Kevin Mulcahy (�05), Mark Trainor (�04), Jeremy Scheid (�07)), the Varsity 1200m IH Relay (Ryan Bent (�04), Bryan Downing (�05), Joe Marra �04)), the Varsity 6400m Relay (Will Ehrhardt (�05), Albert Taylor (�05), Kevin O�Brien (�05), Anthony LaMastro (�06)),� and the Varsity 800m Relay (Chris Fanelli (�05), Chris Seabold (�04), Rob DeVasto (�04), Mike Carhart (�04)).� Placing teams included the Varsity 330m Shuttle Hurdles (3^rd), the Varsity 3200m Relay (3^rd), the Frosh/Soph 3200m Relay (2^nd), the Varsity DMR (2^nd), the Frosh 1600m Relay (4^th), and the Varsity 1600m Relay (2^nd).

�� Not to be outdone, the Boys in the field placed in every event except the Frosh/Soph Discus and the Varsity Long Jump.� The Varsity Shot Put team of Brandon Perez (�04) and Jason Lieb (�05), finished second behind Don Bosco Prep, losing by an even two feet.� Perez and Lieb had the third and fourth longest throws of the day.� The Varsity High Jump team of Ryan Bent and Joe Marra lost by a mere two inches to Irvington, NY.

�� The Boys overall total of 84 points outstripped Uniondale, NY by 37 points.

Complete Results

Ryan Bent and Bieganousky Sisters Lead Lions to Wins Over Wildcats

POPE JOHN TRACK (April 8, 2004) � Senior Ryan Bent tripled for the second time this season in leading the Pope John Boys to a lopsided 128 � 12 victory over High Point.� Bent won the 400 IM hurdles (61.7), the 110 high hurdles (15.7), and the high jump (5� 6�).

The Lions won every event except the 400m dash, where High Point�s Steve Blasi took the points with a time of 51.9 seconds.

Other performances of note included Jason Lieb (�05), besting his personal record in the shot put by over four feet.� His throw of 44� 9.5� now places him among the top putters in the SCIL.� Teammate Brandon Perez (�04) won the event with a chuck of 50� 1.5� � the longest toss in the SCIL after two league meets.� Fellow senior, Jon Otto, also set a new personal record, throwing 146� 9� to win the javelin.

On the girls side, senior Katie Bieganousky led the team to a decisive 85 � 55 victory over the Lady Wildcats.� She doubled with victories in the 200 m dash (27.0), and the 400 m dash (60.7).� Her freshman sister, Carolyn, did her part as well, winning the 800 m run in a time of 2:29.6, having to out lean High Point�s Sarah Abbott, who finished second in a time of 2:29.7.� �Little B� also placed second in the 400 IM hurdles in a time of 71.3 seconds.

Sam Spence (�04) was a double winner in the long jump (15� 11.25�), and the triple jump (31� 5.25�).� This follows-up her triple in last week�s meet against Hopatcong.

Finally, senior distance runner, Franny Morro, in her first meet of the season, won the 3200 m run in a time of 12:29.7.� Her distance teammates, Liz So (�06) (2^nd 12:29.7), and Lara Heigis (�07) (3^rd 12:30.3), ran in a pack and encouraged their distance teammate, Kelsey Murphy (�07) to a 4^th place finish in a personal record time of 12:40.0.

Both teams will compete next in the Nanuet Invitational, Nanuet HS, Nanuet, NY, on Saturday, April 10.

Complete Results

Directions to Nanuet HS

Boys and Girls Open Season With Big Wins

HOPATCONG HIGH SCHOOL (April 2, 2004) � Both the Girls and Boys opened their spring season with big wins over the Hopatcong Chiefs.

Leading the girls to a 118 - 22 victory was Samantha Spence (�04) who brought home three victories in the 100m sprint, Long Jump and Triple Jump.� After sitting out the indoor season with assorted injuries, it was a welcome sight to see Spence back on the track and getting right into winning form.

�� Carolyn Bieganousky (�07), sister of senior Katie Bieganousky (�04), began her Pope John career in fine style by winning the 400m intermediate hurdles in 1:11.7, placing second to Spence in the long jump (14� 6�), and anchoring the winning 1600 m relay team of Katie Lynch (�06), Katherine Hamon (�04), and Amy Sapol (�07), in a time of 4:34.9.� Kim Bannat (�06) was a double winner, taking the high jump at 4� 6�, and the pole vault at 6� 6�.

�� Not to go unnoticed, Ashley Moormann (�04), Jen Kramer (�04), Vicky Melroy (�05), and Briana Perez (�06) dominated the throwing events.� Melroy won the shot put with a throw of 37� 6 ��, followed by Kramer in second and Perez in third.� Moormann won the javelin with a toss of 96� 7�, and Kramer won the discus with a 101� 1� chuck, followed by Moormann in second and Melroy in third.

�� The boys won by a score of 112 � 28.� Led by the jumpers and hurdlers, the boys took early control of the meet.

Ryan Bent (�04) started the victories on the track with a winning time of 60.4 in the 400 m intermediate hurdles.� He followed that with a win in the 110 m hurdles in a time of 15.9 seconds.� Bent then took his third victory of the day by winning the high jump with a leap of 5� 2�.� Bryan Downing (�05) placed second in the 400m hurdles in a time of 61.8, while also taking a second in the pole vault.� Joe Marra (�04) finished second in the 110 m hurdles, won the triple jump with a leap of 38� 9�, and took a third in the high jump.

Mike Carhart (�04) was a double victor with wins in the 100 m and 200 m sprints.

Finally, not to be outdone by the girl throwers, the boys likewise dominated the throwing events.� Brandon Perez (�04), Jon Otto (�04), Jason Lieb (�05), Rick Rogers (�06), and Charlie Castiglia (�05) all scored big points.� Perez won the shot put with a heave of 48� 11�, followed by Lieb in second and Rogers in third.� Rogers won the javelin with a throw of 136� 6�, followed by Castiglia in second and Otto in third.� In the discus, Rogers scored in his third event by placing second (108� 6�), followed by Perez in third.� Phil Smith of Hopatcong electrified the home town Hopatcong crowd by winning the discus with a toss of 153� 11�, a personal best and Hopatcong school record.

Both teams will be back on the track on Thursday, April 8 at home versus High Point.

Complete Results

Pope John Boys Selected Daily Record Team of the Year

PARSIPPANY, NJ (April 4, 2004) - According to Maurice Brooks, the Daily Record Sports Track & Field Reporter, our boys were selected as the 2004 Indoor Track Team of the Year simply because "Pope John ran circles around the opposition". Read his article here.