2006 Spring Track News

MONSIGNOR FARRELL HS, STATEN ISLAND, NY (April 1, 2006) - In all the years of the Pope John Track & Field program, the Lions had never ventured to the land first settled by the Dutch in the early 17th century. But following the performance put on by the team at the Sixth Annual Monsignor Farrell Invitational, it is certain that the next trip to Staten Island will not wait another 400 years. Led by the dominating performances of the Girl throwers, high jumpers, and steeple chasers, the ladies successfully opened their 2006 Spring season. Equally impressive was the performance of the Boys' team as they demonstrated overall team balance, copping numerous placements on the track and on the field. The young athletes too, in their first interscholastic competition of the year (and in their careers for many), also contributed to the medals count by winning or placing in several freshman and sophomore events.

Led by seniors Briana Perez, Patricia Higgins, Erin Conway, and Hayley Lencsak, the girl throwers took first place in all three throwing relays. Perez and Conway teamed to win the shot put relay with a total of 70-2.5. Lencsak and teammate, Deanna Jimenez placed fifth in the relay event. In a unique format twist, the top six throwers in the relays were called back to take three additional throws to determine an individual champion. Perez (38-7.5), Conway (34-1.5), and Lencsak (30-10) qualified and placed first, second, and sixth respectively. Perez's and Conway's throws were PRs. In the javelin event, Higgins (103-5) and freshman Melissa Romero (98-11) combined to win their relay. For Higgins, javelin success is old hat, but for Romero, who just picked-up the spear for the first time three weeks ago, her throws were nothing short of spectacular - especially in light of the fact that the event was conducted in gusting and swirling winds. Certainly, Romero's results are a portent of good things to come. In the discus, Lencsak (82-0) and Higgins (84-6.5) combined to win the relay, while Higgins, Perez (83-0), and Lencsak all qualified to compete in the individual championship, where they finished second, fourth, and fifth respectively. Perez and Jimenez finished fifth in the discus relay. Finally, freshmen Sylvia Okoye (23-9) and April Conway (23-1.5 PR) combined to win the Frosh Girls Shot Put relay.

On the Boys side, the javelin relay team of senior Rick Rogers (143-9) and junior Kevin Flannery (127-10) combined to place fourth in that event. Rogers also had a throw of 136-0 in the discus event.

Meanwhile, on the track the PJ girls registered wins in the 2000m Steeplechase; the varsity Distance Medley Relay; and the 3 x 400m Intermediate Hurdles. Junior Kelsey Murphy (8:16) and Senior Liz So (8:20) placed first and second in the steeplechase, an event not run in NJ, which requires the runners to clear four barriers and a water jump on each lap of this five lap race. Both So and Murphy are on a quest to run a qualifying time for the Nike Outdoor Nationals in the event. They will have two more opportunities to do so, and their times today certainly put them in situations to achieve the goal. Seniors Brynn Merritt and Rachel Posthumus combined with freshman Jenny Heigis and sophomore Casey Keller to win the DMR in 13:14. Demonstrating their leadership, Merritt and Posthumus came back later and each ran a leg of the 4 x 400m relay. Finally, freshman Sarah Bieganousky, and sophomores Laura Loechner and Courtney Lynch, joined to win the 3 x 400m intermediate hurdles in a time of 3:44.5.

In the Boys 3000m Steeplechase, Clay Smith finished second in a PR time of 10:46.0. Smith is also chasing the dream of qualifying for the nationals in this event. Like Murphy and So, he'll have two more chances to reach the required time. Senior All-American Anthony LaMastro, teamed with classmate Mike Lamm, junior Matt Pezzulo, and sophomore Jeff Weiler to place third in the varsity DMR. LaMastro's 3:11.0 1200 meter split and Weiler's 55 second 400 meter split were the highlights of this race. Both boys battled their counterparts from the always tough Warwick Valley team.

In the sophomore version of the DMR, the team of Jon Juleus, Rob Henry, Tom Wilson, and Nick Beese (4:46.2 1600m split), placed fifth in a time of 12:02.9. However the frosh DMR was one race to behold. Battling stride by stride with the home Farrell team, Ryan Ehrhardt, Joe Benedetto, Padraic O'Reilly, and Tim Paziora ran 8:34.4 to just nip Farrell for the gold. Finally, in the first 2000m steeplechase of his career, freshman Paziora placed fifth in a time of 7:31.0.

Returning to the girls side, the high jump duo of seniors Kim Bannat and Liz LeMasters won that event in miserable conditions. Each girl cleared their opening height, then called it a day. In the triple jump, Bannat combined with junior Rachel Koch to take fifth place with a total distance of 52-0. In the pole vault, junior Amy Sapol tied for fifth place with a vault of 6-6. Sophomore Anne Lockwood also vaulted 6-6, but did not place based on number of misses. Her attempt was a PR, however, as was the 6-0 vault of classmate, Caitlyn Lees.

Finally, the freshmen and sophomore girls completed the medal totals with placements in the DMR. Freshmen Sarah Bieganousky, Melissa Romero, Kasey Homa, and Jenny Heigis combined to door the rest of the teams in this field, running a very impressive time of 9:35.5, almost a half minute faster than runner-up Curtis HS. Sophomores Grace Lederer, Katie Janela, Zaharo Tsekouras, and Kerry Toumey ran fifth in their race to take the last placement in their event.

PERONA FARMS, ANDOVER, NJ (April 1, 2006) - Just a few hours after running the 2000m steeplechase at the Farrell Invitational in Staten Island, NY senior Liz So was involved in another competition, of sorts. Having been selected as the 2005 - 2006 Pope John Scholar-Athlete, Liz had to change from her track clothes into formal wear to represent PJ at the annual Sussex County United Way Scholar-Athlete banquet. The annual scholar-athlete affair raises money for the Sussex County United Way and rewards a scholar-athlete from each of the area high schools with cash scholarships for use in pursuing their higher education.

This year Liz was named the second runner-up to Alex Rubino of Sparta HS. During her acceptance speech, Liz mentioned that her approach to education success was the same as her approach to distance running - you go out every day, put in your miles, and prepare yourself as best you can for every eventuality, and in the event that you don't succeed immediately, you get up the next day and repeat the effort.

All of Liz's coaches and teammates are very proud of her and know that she is more than deserving of recognition for her efforts in the classroom and on the track.

VERNON HS, VERNON, NJ (April 4, 2006) - The PJ Boys extended their SCIL dual meet win streak to twenty-one straight with a closely contested 81 - 59 victory over the Vernon Vikings, while the Girls dominated their counterparts 104.5 - 35.5. Several school records and personal records were broken, tied, or established in weather conditions that were less than favorable. Temperatures were in the low forties, with wind gusts that hampered all of the athletes from both schools.

Coming into the meet, Coach Corcoran knew that the boys would be in for a battle. The Vikings are always well-coached and talented - and they are extremely competitive. The day didn't start off well for the Lions on the track, with Vernon victories in three of the first four events - the 400 IH, 100m sprint, and 400m run. A sweep in the third event of the day, the 1600m, did help get the boys going. Juniors Tom Roy and Jeremy Scheid finished first and third in that event, with sophomore Jon Juleus coming in second. Meanwhile, in the throws areas, the Lions were doing a great job. Starting with the shot put, seniors Rick Rogers (43-1.5) and Tim Lynott (39-7.5) took first and third. Rogers then followed-up with his second victory of the day in the discus, throwing 135-7. Junior Kevin Flannery saved his PR throw of 114-11 for his last throw, securing a second place finish for the Lions.

Back on the track, the depth of the PJ boys distance corps asserted itself. Senior Anthony LaMastro placed first in the 800m run, followed by juniors Tom Roy and Matt Pezzulo in second and third respectively. Then sophomore Nick Beese and Jeremy Scheid crossed the finish line together to take the first two places in the 3200m run. Other Lions' victories came in the field with senior Dan Allen winning the long jump and pole vault competitions, along with sophomore Chris Thomas' win in the high jump. Noteworthy is the fact that Allen garnered a total of 16 points on the day with wins in the long jump and pole vault and second place finishes in the 100m and 200m sprints. Another notable is that Rick Rogers added a second place finish in the javelin throw to go along with his wins in the shot put and discus.

As the score indicates, the girls had an easier time when compared with the boys. From top to bottom, in all disciplines, the girls demonstrated their overall balance and strength. Leading the Lady Lions was senior Brynn Merritt who had three wins on the day in the 1600m and 800m runs, and as the anchor on the 4 x 400m relay. Junior Amy Sapol tied her own junior class record in the pole vault, winning the competition with a vault of 7-6. Her teammate, sophomore Anne Lockwood took second by vaulting 7-0. Junior Tara Downing was a double winner, taking both the 100m and 200m sprints. Finally, freshman Emily Carollo set a new class record in the 400m run with a time of 59.0 seconds.

The Lions next SCIL opponent will be the Hopatcong Chiefs on Monday, April 10, 3:45 PM at Hopatcong HS.

NEWTON, NJ (April 7, 2006) - Senior All-American Brynn Merritt was featured in the NJ Herald today and was described as "hav[ing] a high tolerance for pain" and was quoted as saying that "I guess I was born with competitiveness" and that she "couldn't let my friends and teammates down ...". These descriptions and quotes sum up Merritt very nicely, and accurately reflect her track and field career at Pope John. Despite suffering numerous injuries throughout her four years, Brynn never quit, worked twice as hard to rehab, and then went back out to the track and achieved greater successe than achieved before the injuries.

POPE JOHN HS (April 8, 2006) - Ten members of the Track & Field team were inducted into the National Honor Society today, joining six senior members of the team who were inducted into NHS last year. All of these athletes represent the ideal role model of what the Pope John student-athlete is supposed to be. The motto of the National Honor Society is "Noblesse Oblige", meaning honorable service to the community and to each other, and these attributes are readily apparent in all of these young men and women.

HILLSIDE PARK, ANDOVER, NJ (April 7, 2006) - The 2005-06 Winter Track season formally came to a close at the 5th Annual Winter Track BBQ at Hillside Park this evening. In addition to the potluck fare, there were many laughs and delightful recollections of the past season. Of course, the highlights of the evening were the announcement of awards and the gifts given by the juniors to the departing seniors.

The Winter Track Seniors pose with just one of the many awards earned by the team this past season.

Bottom Row (L - R): Alessandra LaMastro, Brynn Merritt, Terence Quinn, Anthony LaMastro, and Liz So.

Standing (L - R): Noelle Marra, Rachel (Giggles) Posthumus, Dan Allen, Tim Lynott, Pat Rosendale, Erin Conway, Mike Lamm, Briana Perez, Courtney Morris, and Hayley Lencsak.

Award	Recipient	Class

Spirit of Pope John (Male)	Terence Quinn	Senior
Spirit of Pope John (Female)	Rachel Posthumus	Senior
Most Improved (Male)	Robert Lennon	Junior
Most Improved (Female)	Carolyn Bieganousky	Junior
Coach's Award (Male)	Tom Gallagher	Junior
Coach's Award (Female)	Alexandra Bush	Junior
Coach's Award (Female)	Katherine Ozmeral	Junior
Most Valuable (Male)	Anthony LaMastro	Senior
Most Valuable (Female)	Lauren Bariexca	Junior
Most Valuable (Female)	Emily Carollo	Freshman

HOPATCONG HS, HOPATCONG, NJ (April 10, 2006) - Despite having a depleted roster due to Spring Break vacations, the Lions' Boys and Girls put together impressive showings to continue their SCIL dual meet win streaks. The boys especially did a fantastic job, holding off a very good Hopatcong team.

Leading the boys were senior captains, Dan Allen and Anthony LaMastro. Allen had three victories in the 100m and 200m sprints, and in the pole vault. LaMastro had two wins in the 1600m and 800m runs. He also ran the second leg on the winning 4 x 400m relay. Notable also was sophomore Chris Thomas' second place finish in the high jump, where he leaped a PR 5-10. Other second place finishes of importance were junior Kevin Flannery's javelin toss of 128-4, another PR, and senior Tim Lynott's throw of 40-9 in the shot put.

On the girls side, three freshman and a senior were the stories of the day. Frosh Emily Carollo and Sarah Bieganousky continued the outstanding performances that they debuted in the winter - now starting to re-write the outdoor record books. Today Carollo set a new freshman class record in the 100m dash with a time of 12.8, this to go along with her class record in the 400m (59.0) which she set last week. Bieganousky, meanwhile, becomes the third Bieganousky sister to hold a frosh class record, hers in the 400 IH (66.5), a mere four tenths of a second off of the school record set by Kathy Costello in 1986 (the oldest school record in the books). The other Bieganousky sisters holding frosh class records are Katie ('04) in the 200m (now running for the University of Connecticut), and junior Carolyn Bieganousky, who holds the record in the 800m (2:21.4).

Finally, three girls registered their first dual meet wins. Senior Hayley Lencsak took the win in the discus with a toss of 80-9. One of the hardest working members on the girls' throws team, Hayley is now reaping dividends for all of that hard work. She will get longer as the year progresses. The second girl taking her first win was freshman Kelly Walsh in the 3200m run. Running in lockstep with classmate Jenny Heigis and sophomore Casey Keller, Walsh crossed the line first to get her win. Lastly, sophomore Anne Lockwood registered her win in the pole vault, going a PR 7-6. The school record of 8-0 now awaits.

The Lions return to action on Thursday, 4/13 when they take on the Newton Braves at home. Start time is 3:45 PM.

POPE JOHN HS, SPARTA, NJ (April 13, 2006) - The Newton Braves boys arrived at the Lions' track with upset on their minds, but those dreams were dashed when senior captain Dan Allen led a cadre of young Lions to a very tight 76 - 64 victory. Allen's four wins represented the largest individual win total for any PJ athlete this spring, and obviously served to inspire many of his teammates to PR and record setting performances. Dan won the 100m and 200m dashes (11.2 and 22.8 respectively), the long jump (20-4), and the pole vault (12-6) - the latter mark tying his own outdoor school record in that event. Sophomore Chris Thomas continued his breakout season by leaping 6-0 in the high jump, then came up big again by flying 40-0 in the triple jump. Both marks are PRs and sophomore class records.

Other boys who stepped up to the challenge today were juniors Ryan Norris, Rob Prignano, and Andrew Bader who finished 2, 3 and 4 in the 110 HH. All three boys established new PRs - Norris going 16.9, Prignano 17.0, and Bader 17.9. For Bader it was his first sub-20 second time. Bader started off the meet well by earning his first varsity point, finishing third in the 400 IH. In the 400m run, sophomore Jeff Weiler ran a personal record 52.3 and senior Pat Rosendale was a breath behind in 52.4, also a PR. Junior Clay Smith ran his fastest time in the 1600m in 4:32.3, finishing third behind teammates Anthony LaMastro (4:32.1) and Tom Roy (4:32.2), while freshman Ryan Ehrhardt ran a PR 2:10.3 in the 800m run. Also, the boys 4 x 400 team of Weiler, LaMastro, Rosendale, and Roy ran sub 3:30 for the first time this season, finishing in 3:29.2. The team ran virtually by itself for the last two legs of the relay. Finally, sophomore Brian Grealy in the triple jump and freshman Ricky Lencsak in the high jump, scored their first varsity points today.

The girls, meanwhile, continue to dominate the SCIL - today with a 112 - 28 win over the Lady Braves. Highlights include sophomore Laura Loechner's two victories in the 400 IH (70.2) and the 800m run (2:32.5); senior Kim Bannat's double win in the high jump (4-10) and triple jump (32-9.5); and the record setting performances of frosh Emily Carollo and Sarah Bieganousky. Carollo set a new freshman class record in the 400m (58.3), missing the school record of Katie Bieganousky '04 by a mere one-tenth of a second. Sarah Bieganousky, sister of Katie and junior Carolyn, also broke the old freshman class record by running a time of 59.6.

For the throwers, senior Briana Perez won the shot put with a toss of 36-1.5, then came back to take second in the discus with a heave of 82-9. Overall, the girls only dropped one throws point to the opposition. Junior Caitlin Meehan registered a new PR in the javelin throw with a toss of 82-1, while frosh Mackenzie Miller and Sylvia Okoye PRed in the discus with throws of 57-10 and 69-2, respectively. The final highlight belongs to junior Jennifer Dean who earned her first varsity point by running the second leg of the winning 4 x 400 relay (4:35.5).

WALLKILL VALLEY HS, HAMBURG, NJ (April 20, 2006) - Freshman Emily Carollo, and senior throwers Briana Perez and Hayley Lencsak led the Lions girls to another lopsided SCIL dual meet win, this time by a count of 102.5 - 37.5 over the Rangers. Carollo continued her outstanding freshman campaign by setting school records in the 100m (12.6) and the 400m (57.4). The latter mark also ties the Sussex County record. Though Emily's times are the most notable, several girls came through with outstanding performances and big wins in their events. For example, Briana Perez continued her dominance of the SCIL shot put circle by throwing a PR distance of 38-8.75 - a full four feet longer than the next closest SCIL thrower, senior teammate Erin Conway, who has a PR of 34-3.5. Completing the sweep of the Rangers in the shot circle was fellow senior Hayley Lencsak with another PR toss of 31-6.5. With that throw, Hayley moved up to number five on the SCIL Top Ten List in the shot. Earlier in the day, in a more dramatic moment, Hayley won the discus event on her last throw.

Other girls turned in record-setting performances as well. Senior captain Rachel Posthumus set PRs in the 100m (12.8) and 200m (25.6) sprints. Junior Caitlin Meehan, for the second meet in a row, set another PR in the javelin (91.3). In the 800m run, junior Kelsey Murphy (2:30.7) and freshman Jenny Heigis (2:29.6) turned in PR times. Coming back from injury, junior Carolyn Bieganousky PRed in the 100m high hurdles (16.3). Senior captain Noelle Marra (16.9) also set a new PR in the same race. Finally, new PRs were set in the pole vault by juniors Emily Smith (7-0) and Katherine Ozmeral (6-6), and by sophomore Caitlyn Lees (6-6).

On the boys side, the Lions came away with another close win, 74.5 - 65.5. Like in the Newton meet earlier in the week, senior captain, Dan Allen, led the way to the victory with three wins and a second place. Dan's wins came in the 100m (11.0 and PR) and 200m (22.6) sprints, and in the pole vault (12-0). His second came in the long jump (19-4.75). Other boys contributed in great measure. Senior captain Anthony LaMastro had two wins in the 800m (1:59.2) and 1600m (4:55.7) runs. Senior thrower Rick Rogers was victorious in the discus with a toss of 134-8 to go along with two second place finishes in the javelin (149-4) and in the shot put (45-7.75). The latter mark is a new PR and moves Rick to number four in the SCIL Top Ten. Rick also stands as number two in the discus and number five in the javelin, and is the only SCIL thrower who is in the top ten in all three throws.

What few spectators realized during the meet was that the outcome was in doubt going into the relay - and it took sweeps by the Lions in the 200m sprint and 3200m run to get the score to that point. To put it simply, the 200m was huge. All three Lions' runners set PRs - the 11.0 mark set by Dan Allen referred to previously, along with great times set by senior Pat Rosendale (23.5) and sophomore Jeff Weiler (23.6). Following the meet Coach Corcoran reminded the boys that they can't take wins for granted, and that they would be better served by paying attention to the team score and staying focused on the meet even if they have completed their individual events. From my perspective this is good advice for the spectators as well. What makes track and field a great spectator sport are the number of different events that are going on at the same time, and the drama of the competition in each of those events. Overlay that with a team competition and you have team drama as well. With points going to the first three places in each event, the battle for third place is often more exciting than the battle for first. For novice spectators, don't be afraid to ask your student-athletes about how a meet is run and how the scores are computed. Be the most popular parent by keeping track of the team score along with the performance of your own favorite athlete.

PR performances were turned in by other boys. Freshman Tim Paziora ran 10:36.3 in the 3200, but not without the help of sophomore Nick Beese who yelled at Tim a number of times during the race to encourage him to keep up with the pace. It was one of those dramatic moments discussed earlier that could be missed if you're not paying attention to the meet. It also demonstrates that the athletes understand that this sport is about camaraderie and esprit de corps. Junior Dave Seabold, who has been killing himself in the weight room since October, finally got some real rewards with PR times in both the 100m (12.1) and 200m (24.9) sprints. Dave has also been working to learn the throws in an effort to help the team. Finally, sophomore Jim Fiorello broke into the SCIL top ten in the 100m with a time of 11.4. He stands at the number eight position.

The Lions travel to Hillsborough HS for the Raider Relays on Saturday April 22. The next SCIL meet is on Monday, April 24 against the Jefferson Falcons at home at 3:45 PM.

HILLSBOROUGH HS, HILLSBOROUGH, NJ (April 22, 2006) - The weatherman did not smile on the 3rd Annual Raider Relays held at Hillsborough HS today. Nonetheless the meet went on and the Lions answered the bell in cold temperatures, driving rain, and bitter wind. To put it simply, this was not a day when records would be set, but it was a day to determine who was tough and who was not. Almost across the board the Lions showed that they are tough.

On the track the day opened with the girls 4 x 1600 relay, which for PJ was an all-class event. Sophomore Casey Keller, freshman Jenny Heigis, junior Kelsey Murphy, and senior Alessandra LaMastro combined to run 22:10.0, good enough for second place, and a portent of good things to come for the girls. Before the day would drip to a close, the girls would register placements in eleven out of the sixteen varsity events. The highlights were first place finishes in the 4 x 200 and 4 x 800 relays. In the 4 x 800, junior Lara Heigis led off in a PR 2:20.5, giving the Lions a lead going into the second leg which senior Brynn Merritt extended for junior Alex Bush. Bush, in turn, ran comfortably and gave freshman Jenny Heigis a nice lead to work with. Jenny, running her second race of the day, brought home the win in a total time of 9:45.9.

In the 4 x 200, junior Tara Downing led off in a respectable 27.3 considering the wind, and made a nice hand-off to "Giggles", senior Rachel Posthumus, who fought hard to pass the stick to junior Carolyn Bieganousky, giving her a slight lead. Carolyn, in turn, ran a great turn and handed off to freshman, Emily Carollo who blew out the competition with a sizzling 25.9 anchor leg. Earlier in the day, Downing, Giggles, and Carollo combined with senior Noelle Marra to earn a third place in the 4 x 100, finishing behind perennial national powerhouse Camden Wilson. Another placement for the girls on the track came in the Distance Medley Relay where three frosh were led by their sophomore "Mom" to a fifth place finish. Freshman Kelly Walsh led off with a time of 4:32.2 on the 1200m leg before giving the baton to sophomore "Mom" Laura Loechner who ran her 400m leg in 62.9. Laura handed-off to frosh Kasey Homa for the 800m leg. Kasey did a nice job before passing the stick to fellow freshman Ciara Van Ness for the anchor 1600m leg. Ciara did a great job bringing home the placement in a split of 5:47.5 and total time of 13:56.5. The last placement for the girls came in the last race of the day where the 4 x 400 relay of Lara Heigis, Brynn Merritt, Alex Bush, and Loechner, running in her third event of the day, took second in a time of 4:18.9.

The girls did a good job in the field as well, taking placements in the shot put, javelin, triple-jump, and pole vault relays. Because of the prediction that the weather would get worse as the day progressed, the officials were anxious to complete the pole vault early. Despite this change in schedule and winds that were beginning to swirl, junior Amy Sapol and sophomore Anne Lockwood both vaulted 7-6 to earn a second place finish. Meanwhile at the throws venues, freshman Melissa Romero (88-2) and junior Caitlin Meehan (73-1) threw into a fierce head wind but still managed to pick-up a sixth place finish in the javelin. Later, during the worst rain, cold, and wind of the day, the shot put and discus were being held simultaneously. Seniors Erin Conway (31-2.5) and Briana Perez (31-7) had one of their worst performances of the season in terms of distance, but the conditions hampered every other pair as well, resulting in a fourth place finish for the girls. Last, but not least, junior triple jumpers Katherine Ozmeral and Rachel Koch teamed to take sixth in their event with a total of 62-2.25.

The boys suffered through the same conditions as did the girls, and though their results don't appear to be as impressive at first, when considered with a watchful eye the guys did a fine job. First, the relay of senior captains Anthony LaMastro and Dan Allen, joined by juniors Clay Smith and Tom Roy won the DMR in a time of 10:51.4. LaMastro ran the 1200 leg in 3:12.6, followed by Allen's 400m leg in 52.8. Smith then showed his toughness in the 800m leg by fighting off several challenges to maintain the lead for Roy who split 4:36.5 on the 1600m anchor leg. The other placements for the boys came in the 4 x 100 where sophomores Jeff Weiler and Jimmy Fiorello teamed with seniors Pat Rosendale and Allen to take fourth place in 45.4, and in the 4 x 400 where LaMastro, junior Matt Pezzulo, Smith, and Roy finished fifth in 3:42.6. One other point of note, junior Kevin Flannery tied his PR in the javelin with a throw of 128-3, which is remarkable considering the wind conditions.

The Lions return home on Monday, April 24 when the Jefferson Falcons come to visit at 3:45 PM.

Multiple Winners, Multiple Records, Multiple First Time Point Scorers are the Stories of the Day

POPE JOHN HS, SPARTA, NJ (April 24, 2006) - Dan Allen broke the outdoor Pope John record in the pole vault, and Carolyn Bieganousky set a new junior class record in the 400 IH to highlight the day for the Lions as they flew over and past the Jefferson Falcons. Final scores were 112 - 28 for the boys and 121 - 19 for the girls. By the time the meet was concluded the boys and girls combined had two triple winners, five double winners, and eight first time point scorers to go along with many, many new personal records.

The aforementioned Allen was one of the triple winners, taking the pole vault (13-0), 400m (51.9), and the long jump (20-4.5). The other triple winner was jumping queen, Kim Bannat, who won the high jump (4-8), long jump (15-11), and triple jump (32-7.5). Double winners included C. Bieganousky in the 400 IH (67.8) and the 100 HH (17.0); sophomore Chris Thomas in the high jump (5-10) and the triple jump (38-7.25) to go along with a second place long jump of 18-2.5; junior Tara Downing in the 100m (13.2) and 200m (27.2) sprints; senior Rick Rogers in the discus (136-3) and the shot put (46-1.5), that mark being a PR. Rogers also placed second in the javelin with a throw of 143-5. The final double winner of the day was junior Ryan Norris who turned in a PR performance in the 400 IH (61.5) to go along with a win in the 110 HH (17.0).

Obviously the veteran varsity athletes did their part, but this meet featured many JV athletes who competed at the varsity level. Eight of them scored their first varsity points. Freshman Chris Gaus placed first in the 3200m (10:50.2), followed closely by fellow frosh Tim Paziora who crossed the line in second (10:50.6). Two other freshman scored. Greg Masters finished third in the pole vault with a vault of 7-0, while Ryan Ehrhardt also took a third in the 800m run (2:07.7). Sophomore Graham Medak placed third in the 1600m run (5:09.9), and junior Dave Seabold earned a third place point in the 100m (12.1). Two girls also got into the act. Freshman Sarah Cariati, holder of the frosh indoor 1000m record, came back from injury to take third in the 800m run (2:32.3), and sophomore Deanna Jimenez placed third in the shot put with a toss of 28-8.5.

Many, many PRs were set today, but there were some that were outstanding. Rick Rogers (46-1.5) and fellow senior Tim Lynott (43-1.5) had big PRs in the shot put. So did sophomore Chris Mugavero who had a five foot PR in the same event (29-4). Staying with the throwers, junior Amy Spekhardt had PRs in both the shot (25-7.5) and the discus (80-8). Sophomore Steve Whitehouse also had two PRs in the shot (32-6) and discus (108-2). In the javelin, sophomore Brian Grealy PRed with a toss of 104-0, while freshman Clay Trainor set a new PR of 86-3. Fellow frosh thrower Peter Pensec set two PRs, 26-4 in the shot and 65-11 in the discus.

The Lions return to action on Wednesday, April 26 at home against High Point, 3:45 PM.

POPE JOHN HS, SPARTA, NJ (April 26, 2006) - Tough performances by veterans and the emergence of young talent combined to beat the High Point Wildcats today. Going into the competition the boys knew that they would have the depth necessary to handle the relatively undermanned High Point squad, but for the girls it was a different matter. Coach Corcoran made a tactical decision to rest all of the girls that would be competing in the Penn Relays tomorrow. With realistic hopes of winning a coveted Championship of America plaque in either the 4 x 800, 4 x 400, or distance medley relays it was a decision that had to be made. Consequently, the team's top performers in the mid-distance and distance events would be absent from today's dual meet, placing a great deal of pressure on the younger athletes who would compete in their place.

As evidenced by the final score, sophomore Casey Keller, junior Kelsey Murphy, and freshmen Ciara Van Ness, Sarah Cariati, and Kelly Walsh answered the bell, allowing the lady Wildcats to score only one point total in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m events. Couple those dominant performances with the dependable performances of senior throwers Briana Perez, Erin Conway, Hayley Lencsak, and Patricia Higgins, and the skills of senior jumpers Kim Bannat and Liz Lemasters, and the result was a lopsided 93 - 47 win for the girls. But for the first half of the meet the outcome was far from determined. Brilliant efforts by the Wildcats' Shannon McEvoy in the 400 IH, 100 HH, and triple jump, all events that she won, kept the score was as close as 41 - 31 at one point. In fact, McEvoy's leap of 34-3.5 in the TJ not only beat Bannat's effort of 33-10.75 (a new senior class record), but broke Bannat's county record of 34-2 set last year.

Aside from Keller's double-win in the 1600m (5:23.5) and 3200m (12:15.0) runs, freshman Emily Carrollo also was a double winner, taking the 100m (12.7) and 200m (26.4) dashes. Other notable performances included the sophomore class and Pope John school record 8-0 pole vault by Anne Lockwood, and the double PR efforts of sophomore Laura Loechner in the 400IH (67.0) and in the open 400 (61.2).

Meanwhile, on the boys side, in the first race of the day, junior Andrew Bader set the stage for the meet when he came from behind to nip High Point's Josh Brand in the 400 IH. Bader's time of 63.4 was a PR and marks the first time that he has won an event at the varsity level. The rest of the meet featured multiple winners galore. Senior Rick Rogers won all three throwing events, taking the discus with a toss of 138-0, the shot put (44-1.5), and the javelin (147-7). Fellow senior Dan Allen won both the long jump (20-2) and the pole vault (12-6), and sophomore jumper Chris Thomas placed first in both the high jump (5-6) and the triple jump (38-3). Finally, sophomore sprinter Jeff Weiler won both the 200m (24.5) and the 400m (53.3) to complete the list of multiple winners.

One last note, freshman Clayton Trainor had a monumental 27 foot PR in the javelin, establishing his new mark at 109-6.

Some of the varsity athletes are competing in the Penn Relays on Thursday and Friday, 4/27-28. You can check on their progress at the Penn Relays site. Results are updated following each flight in each race. The full squads return to action on Monday, May 1, at Lenape Valley High School, 3:45 PM.

FRANKLIN FIELD, U. OF PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 27 - 28, 2006) - Senior Anthony LaMastro rewrote the Sussex County and Pope John records with his fifth place performance in the Penn Relays High School Boys Mile run on Friday. But for lack of a lean at the finish, Anthony could have finished third. His time of 4:15.35 (FAT) for the full mile converts to 4:13.87 for the 1600m distance, breaking the previous record of Justin Scheid '04 set in 2004 of 4:13.7 (hand time). LaMastro was in the race the entire way, but fell short to the kick of Dominic DellaPelle of the Salesianum School of Wilmington, DE., who finished first in 4:13.82. LaMastro was the top New Jersey finisher in the race. He joins fellow Lions George Peterson '01 (100m and 200m), Mike Carhart '04 (400m), Scheid (3200m), and Brandon Perez '04 (shot put) as Sussex County record holders. In other action on Friday, the boys 4 x 800m relay team of juniors Tom Roy, Clay Smith, Tim Burns, and Jeremy Scheid finished twelfth in their heat in a time of 8:19.34. The highlight of this race was Roy's opening leg split of 1:58.5, almost a full two seconds faster than his previous PR.

The girls competed on Thursday and provided some thrills and fast times. Running early was the 4 x 800 team of junior Lara Heigis, senior Brynn Merritt, freshman, Jenny Heigis, and junior Alex Bush. Lara and Brynn both opened up in very good personal times, running splits of 2:20.5 and 2:20.0 respectively. Jenny and Alex also ran well, but they carried the baton behind heat winner Gwynedd Mercy Academy of Gwynedd Valley, PA. The Lions' time of 9:30.98 took second in the heat, but was three seconds short of qualifying for the Championship of America race. In the 4 x 100 relay, junior Tara Downing and freshman Emily Carrollo, joined seniors Noelle Marra and Rachel Posthumus to complete the one lap circuit in 51.26 behind winner Hopewell Valley and second place finisher William Penn. Finally, Carrollo, Bush, and Posthumus ran with junior Carolyn Bieganousky in the 4 x 400m relay. A mishap with the first baton exchange put the girls in a position where they could not win, but that didn't prevent Bush and Posthumus from trying. Both turned in excellent splits - Bush carrying the third leg in 61.4, and Posthumus anchoring in a blazing 59.6.

The full team returns to action on Monday, May 1, 3:45 PM at Lenape Valley High School.

LENAPE VALLEY HS, STANHOPE, NJ (May 1, 2006) - In a dominating performance, the lady Lions made short work of the Lenape Valley Patriots girls 114 - 26. The highlight of this meet was the first outdoor appearance of junior Lauren Bariexca who was sidelined by the NJSIAA thirty day transfer rule. Bariexca wasted no time getting back into the swing of things following a great indoor season that featured a Group 2 1600m championship. She was a double winner today, taking the 800m run in 2:24.6 and the 1600m in 5:30.6. The race also featured the 800m debut of freshman sensation Emily Carrollo, who has now extended her range from the 100 through the 800m distance. Carrollo ran stride for stride with Bariexca and crossed the finish line in the same time as the winner.

The meet also featured several first time point scorers and some nice PRs. Freshmen Christina Careaga and Courtney Higgins scored their first varsity points in the triple jump and 4 x 400 relay, respectively. Careaga's jump of 30-9.75 was a PR. Fellow frosh Sarah Cariati also set a PR in the 1600m run (5:38.0).

The Boys were equally impressive, defeating the Pats by the count of 104 - 31. Senior Dan Allen was a triple winner for the fifth time this season, taking the 100m (11.3), the long jump (19-9.75), and the pole vault (12-0). Sophomore Jeff Weiler continued his development as a top-notch sprinter by winning the 200m (24.0) and the 400m (52.6). Fellow soph Steve Whitehouse scored his first varsity points with a second place PR performance in the discus (116-7), and backed it up with a PR throw in the shot put (33-8). This is the third meet in a row where Whitehouse has PRed in the shot and discus.

Staying with the throws, senior Rick Rogers won both the javelin (147-9) and the shot put (44-5); junior Sean Kramer won the discus competition with a PR throw of 123-3 for his first varsity win; and fellow junior Kevin Flannery PRed in the javelin (128-6) and took third in the discus (113-8). Finally, senior thrower Tim Lynott took second in the shot (41-7) and had a PR throw in the discus (115-10).

The Lions take on the Kittatinny Cougars next - Thursday, May 4, 3:45 PM at home.

POPE JOHN HS, SPARTA, NJ (May 4, 2006) - Lion Senior Rachel Posthumus won two events for the girls, while classmate Dan Allen and sophomore Chris Thomas won three events apiece for the boys, leading their teams to lopsided wins of 124 - 14 and 117 - 22, respectively, over the visiting Kittatinny Cougars. The girls won every event on the track and in the field, including a sweep of the shot put competition where seniors Briana Perez and Erin Conway joined with sophomore Deanna Jimenez to take all nine points in that event.

The girls also featured several first point winners and PRs, most notable being freshman Christina "Baby" Careaga's third place in the triple jump (30-3) - the mark setting a new freshman class record. Junior Caitlin Meehan also registered a first, winning the javelin with a toss of 90-5, while sophomore Katie Potter won her first varsity point by taking third place in the 1600m run, her debut in that event. Many other girls set PRs including senior Noelle Marra in the 100m HH (16.7), freshman Kasey Homa in the 800m run (2:34.7), junior Bianca Perez, also in the 800m (2:46.2), freshman Pam Hitcherich in the HH (19.6), junior Emily Smith in both the HH (17.4) and pole vault (7-6), freshmen Sylvia Okoye in the discus (67-9), and fellow frosh Mackenzie Miller in the shot put (23-4).

On the boys side, Allen won the 100m and 200m sprints along with the pole vault, while Thomas took firsts in the high, triple, and long jumps. Senior Rick Rogers won both the shot put (45-5.25) and the discus (125-3).

Like the girls, the boys had many first point scorers and PRs. Junior Tom Gallagher recorded his first varsity win in the 400 IH (65.0). Sophomore Scott Varanelli recorded a 27 foot PR in the javelin (139-10) to register his first varsity win as well. Junior Kevin Flannery took second in the event with a PR throw of 135-6, while Junior Varsity throwers, sophomore Leo Bond, and freshman Mike DeStefano also PRed in the event. Senior Ryan Lavorgna and freshman Ricky Lencsak both PRed in the 110 HH with identical times of 19.3. Freshmen dominated the 1600m run. Tim Paziora recorded his first varsity win in the 1600 (5:08.5), while Matt Bourlier and Ben Woods PRed in times of 5:20.3 and 5:34.0 respectively. Meanwhile, senior Paul Wilson ran 11:23.5 in the 3200m run to earn his first varsity points and PR in the process. Paul's brother, sophomore Tom Wilson, also PRed in the same race, running a time of 12:49.0. Finally, freshman Jim Morrissey ran 2:42.7 to PR in to 800m run, while his classmate Greg Masters vaulted 7-6 to establish a new personal standard in the pole vault.

Both teams travel to New York State, and national powerhouse, Warwick Valley High School for the Brian Ahearn Classic tomorrow. This tri-meet will also feature Long Island's Syosset High School. Expect fast times, long or high jumps and throws, and many records to fall. The meet begins at 6:15 PM with the throwing events and girls pole vault.

WARWICK VALLEY HS, WARWICK, NY (May 5, 2006) - Freshman Emily Carrollo had quite a night on the track of the nationally ranked Warwick Valley Purple Wave last night. First she joined with teammates junior Tara Downing, and seniors Noelle Marra and Rachel Posthumus to break the 2003 Sussex County 4 x 100m relay record set by fellow Lions Sam Spence '04, Christine DeVasto '04, Kelly McWilliams '03, and Katie Bieganousky '04. Their time of 50.5 was lowered by two-tenths of a second to 50.3, and puts the current team on track to run sub-50 seconds this year - a time that would put the girls on a level with some of the best teams in the country. Carrollo then stepped on the track to run only the second 800m race of her young career - and what a run it was! By turning in a sizzling 2:14.0, Emily erased the 800m county record of Vernon's Tracy Pombo (2:14.89) that had stood since 1994. She did it in an unconventional manner too, at once proving that she is a freshman and also proving that she has unlimited untapped potential. She split 68.8 for the 400m, then came back to run an incredible negative split of 65.2. To put her 800m performance in perspective, Emily's time of 2:14.0 qualifies her to run in the Nike Outdoor National meet, and approaches the NCAA national qualifying time of 2:09.80. When Carrollo's performances last night are put together with her county record-tying 400m run earlier in the year, she accomplished a feat never achieved by any freshman in Sussex County history - holding or being a part of three county records � and she still had one more race!

In all of the years of Coach Corcoran's tenure he never produced a girls 4 x 400 team that ran sub-4:00. Well after last night the wait is over. Putting together a team representing all four classes, Lions sophomore Laura Loechner (60.5), freshman Carrollo (57.0), junior Alex Bush (62.3), and senior anchor Rachel Posthumus (60.0) combined to deliver a school record setting performance of 3:59.8. Their time just missed breaking the Sussex County record time of 3:59.56 set by the Vernon girls in 1992. Finally, junior Lara Heigis lowered her own school and junior class record in the 1600m run with a time of 5:01.9 c.

Phew! This writer has to take a deep breath because on top of the county and school records already discussed, I haven't even begun to address the school, class, and personal records set by the other girls and boys. All told, two county, six school, eight class, and a phenomenal sixty-two personal records, plus countless PRs on the 4 x 400 relay splits happened last night. It is easily safe to say that this could be the most successful team meet in PJ history.

The boys also established some new school records. In the 800m run, senior Anthony LaMastro lowered his own record to 1:53.4, a mere two-tenths of a second off of the County record. Junior Tom Roy also broke the former record by running 1:56.7 in the same race. In the grueling 3000m steeplechase, junior Clay Smith lowered his own school record by a remarkable 26 seconds, setting the new standard at 10:20.7. Classmate Tim Burns also shattered the former record when he came in at 10:40.9.

New class records now belong to freshman Ciara Van Ness in the 2000m steeplechase, where her time of 7:41.3 now becomes the third fastest steeple time in PJ history, behind only school record holder Sam Beese '03 and Franny Morro '04. Ciara's time is also just 11 seconds short of the national qualifying standard. Fellow frosh Kelly Walsh also shattered the former class record with her time of 8:07.5. Seniors Brynn Merritt and Kim Bannat got into the class record setting act as well. Merritt's 5:10.8 c time for the 1600m and Bannat's 5-4 high jump are the new senior class standards. Among the juniors, Tara Downing lowered her own class record in the 200m dash to 26.3, while Amy Sapol pole vaulted 8-0 to set the new junior standard and tying the school record now shared by Amy, sophomore Anne Lockwood, Kaley Guthrie '04, and Janine Ponnwitz '02.

It may seem like all of the action was happening on the track, but all you have to do is look at the results to see that the Lions' throwers simply dominated this meet. The PJ boys and girls won every throwing event, and placed first through third in the girls shot and javelin and boys discus. Obviously, there were numerous throwers who set PRs. Leading the way was senior Tim Lynott whose toss of 43-8 in the shot, at a notoriously short pit, could translate into a 45+ foot through at another venue. Fellow senior Rick Rogers ended the night with a massive javelin toss of 161-3, the first time he has broken the 160 foot barrier. Other throwers establishing PRs were freshmen Tom Golsch in the shot (25-8), Peter Pensec (66-7) in the discus, and Mike DeStefano (86-7) in the javelin. Sophomore Leo Bond (98-6) and junior Jeff Russo (103-1) also PRed in the javelin. Finally, junior Caitlin Meehan, who has been on a straight-line improvement at the moment, extended her PR to 92-6 in the girls javelin.

In an effort not to omit any of the PR athletes, junior Lauren Bariexca, sophomores Casey Keller and Grace Lederer, and freshmen Jenny Heigis, Sarah Cariati, and Ciara Van Ness all PRed in the 1600m. Heigis also PRed in the 3200m. Sophomore Laura Loechner PRed in both the 400m and 800m runs, while junior Tara Downing PRed in the 200 and 400. Fellow junior Jennifer Dean PRed in three events, the 200, 400 IH, and 400m. Sophomore Caitlyn Lees and freshmen Christina Careaga, and Courtney Higgins PRed in the 100m. Juniors Bianca Perez and Emily Smith set records in the open 400 and 100 HH and 400 respectively. Sophomore Kim Brinkerhoff PRed in the 400 IH, while classmate Casey Keller and freshman Kasey Homa PRed in the 400.

For the boys, freshman Greg Masters pole vaulted 8-0, while sophomore Jeff Weiler and junior Dave Seabold PRed in the 200. Junior Mike Gaus, freshman Ricky Lencsak, and senior Ryan Lavorgna all set new marks in the 110 high hurdles. Freshman Jim Morrissey did the same in the 800, while juniors Clay Smith, Tim Burns, Dan Flinn, and Matt Pezzulo along with frosh Ryan Ehrhardt, Tim Paziora, Pariac O'Reilly, Ben Woods, and the brothers Paul Wilson and Tom Wilson all PRed in the 1600. Junior Rob Prignano finished the 400 IH in 63.2, a new personal standard.

Finally, sophomores Nick Beese and Jon Juleus both finished their 3200m runs in under 10 minutes to PR, a huge accomplishment.

Both teams return to action at home on Monday, May 8, 3:45 PM, to take on archrivals, the Sparta Spartans, in the last dual meet of the year.

POPE JOHN HS, SPARTA, NJ (May 8, 2006) - Both the Girls and Boys teams finished their SCIL Dual Meet seasons undefeated by beating the Sparta Spartans. The Girls' score of 119 - 21 ended the greatest dual meet season in the history of the team when measured by their point total of 1014. It also secures the regular season championship. Winning the SCIL Relays Championship and the SCIL Festival would complete the SCIL "triple crown", a goal that both teams set at the beginning of every year. The Girls are the first team in PJ history to score over 1000 points in a regular season, and is indicative that they are prepared for the championship season.

Leading the girls was senior Kim Bannat who won three events on the day, the high jump (4-8), long jump (15-10.75), and the triple jump (32-1). The other multiple winner was freshman Emily Carrollo who won both the 400m (60.0) and the 200m. Her time of 25.0 in the latter race not only set a new freshman class and PJ record, but it also established a new Sussex County record. This is the second county record set by Carrollo in the last four days, having previously set the 800m mark (2:14.0) last Friday at the Brian Ahearn Classic. Emily also shares the county record in the 400m, and is part of the county record holding 4 x 100m relay team of seniors Noelle Marra and Rachel Posthumus, and junior Tara Downing. In today's meet Posthumus had two outstanding performances, tying the school record in the 100m (12.6) with current teammates Carrollo and Downing, and with alumna Katie Bieganousky '04, and setting a new PR in the 200m dash (26.3). Also tying a school record for the second meet in a row was junior Amy Sapol, who cleared 8-0 in the pole vault.

Two class records were also set by the girls. Junior Lauren Bariexca ran the 800m in 2:18.8 to establish a new junior record, while sophomore Laura Loechner set her class standard in the 400 IH with a time of 66.8. Many other girls set new personal records: senior Brynn Merritt in the 800m (2:19.4); sophomore Caitlyn Lees in the 100m (13.4); junior Emily Smith in the pole vault (7-6); junior Carolyn Bieganousky in the 100 HH (15.9), which is also the fastest time in the SCIL this season. Senior Noelle Marra also PRed in the same race, running a time of 16.5, while junior Rachel Koch ran 18.2 for her own PR. In the 3200m run, freshmen Ciara Van Ness (11:54.3) and Kelly Walsh (12:10.8) ran great races to PR in that event. Finally in the throwing events, junior Caitlin Meehan tossed the javelin 95-4 to set her second PR in the last three meets, while senior Patricia Higgins PRed in the discus with a heave of 91-1.

On the Boys side seniors Dan Allen and Rick Rogers were big multiple winners, leading the team to a 98 - 42 victory. Allen was a quadruple winner, taking the 100m (10.9) and 200m (22.3) sprints, the long jump (20-5.5), and the pole vault (12-0), while Rogers won all three throwing events, taking the shot put with a PR toss of 46-5, the discus with his longest throw of the season, 139-10, to continue leading the SCIL, and a heave of 145-10 to win the javelin. Allen's marks in the sprints and LJ were all PR efforts. The other multiple winner for the boys was sophomore Chris Thomas who won the high jump with a height of 5-6, and the triple jump with a leap of 36-5.

Several other boys set new personal records. Sophomore Chris Mugavero had PRs in both the shot (30-2.5) and the discus (75-11). Junior Andrew Bader set new personal standards in both hurdle events, running 17.00 in the HH and 62.5 in the IH. Fellow junior hurdler Mike Gaus also ran his best time in the IH (65.0), while classmates Clay Smith and Tim Burns PRed in the 800m with times of 2:00.0 and 2:04.6 respectively. Last, but not least, freshman Jim Morrissey ran the 1600m in 5:58.8, and new personal standard and Jim's first sub-6:00 run.

LENAPE VALLEY HS, STANHOPE, NJ (May 10, 2006) - When sophomore Laura Loechner, along with teammates and sisters junior Carolyn Bieganousky and freshman Sarah Bieganousky, prepared for the 3 x 400 IH relay, they knew that they had a shot to beat the county record of 3:22.7 set by High Point last year. What they didn't anticipate was that in the process of setting the new county standard (3:22.06) Loechner would shatter the oldest school record on the books, the 1986 400 IH record of Kathy Costello '86. Laura's time of 65.47 surpassed Costello's time of 66.1 by more than half a second, and also elevated her to number one on the SCIL Top Ten list, making her the favorite to win that event next week at the SCIL Festival. More important, however, this race sealed the meet victory for the girls, and contributed to their point total of 134, the highest score ever attained by any Pope John team. It was the fifth straight SCIL Relays crown for the girls.


Senior Girls: Front (L to R) - Alessandra LaMastro, Liz So, Brynn Merritt. Back (L to R) - Kim Bannat, Rachel Posthumus, Noelle Marra, Liz LeMasters, Briana Perez, Tricia Higgins, Hayley Lencsak	Senior Boys: (L to R) - Pat Rosendale, Anthony LaMastro, Dan Allen, Mike Lamm, Tim Lynott

Unlike Loechner, senior Rick Rogers has been gunning to set a new school record in the discus since his freshman year. Rogers broke and currently holds the freshman and junior class records, and his junior mark of 140-8.5 was his PR coming into today's meet. Rogers has been approaching his PR this season with consistent throws in the 138 - 139 foot range, but the 1997 school record of 145-1 held by Greg Pysczymuka '97 seemed to be out of his reach. Not! Saving it for his final attempt of the day, Rick uncorked a monster throw of 151-11 to crush the senior class and school records, and to help his partner, junior Sean Kramer (124-7), to the discus relay title. Kramer's throw was also a PR and sets both boys up for nicely for the SCIL Festival. Again, most important the ten points earned were key to the boys winning the meet, enabling them to edge a tough Vernon team 105 - 103. The boys have now won this meet for the third consecutive year.

Boys	Girls

Pope John 105	Pope John 134
Vernon 103	High Point 102
Hopatcong 76	Vernon 65
Newton 46	Sparta 59
Wallkill Valley 45.5	Wallkill Valley 36
Sparta 38	Newton 35
Jefferson 36	Jefferson 23
High Point 24.5	Kittatinny 17
Kittatinny 10	Lenape Valley 12
Lenape Valley 8	Hopatcong 11

In addition to breaking the county record in the 3 x 400 IH, the girls set new county standards in the 4 x 200 (Tara Downing, Rachel Posthumus, Alex Bush, and Emily Carrollo) 1:45.01, former record 1:47.3, PJ 2005; and in the sprint medley relay (Tara Downing, Rachel Posthumus, Emily Carrollo, and Lauren Bariexca) 4:10.50, former record 4:13.3, PJ 2002. The SMR time also qualifies the girls for the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June. The girls shuttle hurdles team of senior Noelle Marra (16.2), and juniors Rachel Koch (18.0), Emily Smith (17.1), and Carolyn Bieganousky (15.9) finished second to High Point but in a new school record time of 1:07.2.

Having secured the second jewel in the SCIL triple crown, the Lions return with hopes of finishing the SCIL sweep next Wednesday and Thursday, May 17 & 18 at the SCIL Festival, at Lenape Valley HS starting at 4:00 PM.

LENAPE VALLEY HS, STANHOPE, NJ (May 17, 2006) - After Day One of the SCIL Festival the Lion Girls have a commanding lead over second place High Point. With seven events scored, the girls have amassed 81 points, with High Point has scoring 46.50. Leading the way for the Lions were event winners Laura Loechner '08 in the 400m IH (1:06.66); Lara Heigis '07 in the 1600m run (5:08.67); Kim Bannat '06 in the long jump (15-6.25); and Liz LeMasters '06 in the high jump (5-02). LeMasters, in particular, literally rose to the occasion when she won the event in a jump-off with teammate Bannat. Her 5-02 jump was a four inch PR..

Name	Event/Time or Distance/Placement
Tara Downing '07	100m (12.98) 4th
Rachel Posthumus '06	100m (13.00) 5th, 400m (59.59) 3rd
Laura Loechner '08	400m (1:01.00) 6th
Lauren Bariexca '07	1600m (5:11.63) 2nd
Brynn Merritt '06	1600m (5:15.31) 4th
Carolyn Bieganousky '07	400m IH (1:09.41) 3rd
Kim Bannat '06	High Jump (5-02)J 2nd
Patricia Higgins '06	Javelin (95-08) 5th

The boys will have a more difficult task ahead of them tomorrow as they try to defend their Festival title. With a total of 39 points, the Lions are fourteen points behind the first day leader Vernon Vikings (53 points), and two points behind the second place Hopatcong Chiefs. The only event winner for the boys was senior Anthony LaMastro, who captured the 1600m title in a time of 4:25.52. Juniors Tom Roy (4:26.03) and Clay Smith (4:27.12) finished second and third to complete the sweep. Aside from Roy and Smith, several other Lions placed:

LENAPE VALLEY HS, STANHOPE, NJ (May 18, 2006) - Overall team depth for the girls and distance dominance for the boys were the lead stories in the 2006 SCIL Festival. The girls won nine of the fifteen events contested to enable them to score 175.66 points - the highest Festival point total in the history of the Lions Track and Field program. This marks the third year in a row, and the fourth time in five years, that the girls have won all three jewels in SCIL Track & Field competition - the regular season title, the SCIL Relays Championship, and the SCIL Festival Championship.

Seniors (Bottom Row L - R): Hayley Lencsak, Briana Perez, Rachel Posthumus, Noelle Marra, Alessandra LeMastro, Liz So. Top Row (L - R): Anne Lockwood, Laura Loechner, Emily Smith, Alex Bush, Deanna Jimenez, Tara Downing, Caitlin Meehan, Amy Sapol, Lara Heigis, Carolyn Bieganousky, Lauren Bariexca, Sarah Bieganousky, Rachel Koch, and Amy Spekhardt.

The wins came in every discipline on the track and in the field. Junior Lara Heigis took the gold medal in both the 1600m (5:08.67) and 3200m (11:17.36) runs to represent the distance crew. She was the only individual multiple winner for the girls during this two day meet. Her distance partner and classmate, Lauren Bariexca, delivered the other mid-distance title with a win in the 800m run (2:21.64). Freshman Emily Carrollo did the sprinters proud by taking the 200m title (25.42), before joining with Bariexca, sophomore Laura Loechner and junior Alex Bush to win the 4 x 400m relay in commanding fashion (4:01.35). The win in the relay made Loechner, Carrollo, and Bariexca gold medal winners in two events, Loechner having started the two day competition with a victory in the 400m IH.

The jumpers and throwers delivered key wins as well. Senior Liz LeMasters won the high jump on Thursday by defeating teammate and fellow senior Kim Bannat in a jump off. LeMasters winning jump of 5-2 was a four inch PR, and assured her immortality in the PJ champions list. Bannat was not going away without gold however. Kim's win came in the long jump, where her leap of 15-6.25 was enough to hold off a challenge from Shannon McEvoy of High Point - and Bannat was still not done - taking second in the triple jump (32-8) to McEvoy's 33-6.5. For the throwers, senior Briana Perez continued her domination of the SCIL by putting the shot 35-9.25 to win the SCIL title. By winning the gold, Briana joined her brother, Brandon Perez '04, as SCIL shot put champions. Brandon won his titles in 2003 and 2004, and his toss of 55-2 is still the Sussex County record.

Obviously, to garner over 175 points the team had to have many other point scorers, and here they are:

Name	Event (Time/Distance) Placement
Tara Downing '07	100m (12.98) 4th; 200m (26.95) 4th
Rachel Posthumus '06	100m (13.00) 5th; 200m (27.02) 5th; 400m (59.59) 3rd
Laura Loechner '08	400m (1:01.00) 6th
Brynn Merritt '06	800m (2:24.06) 3rd; 1600m (5:15.31) 4th
Alex Bush '07	800m (2:27.32) 6th
Lauren Bariexca '07	1600m (5:11.93) 2nd
Alessandra LaMastro '07	3200m (12:07.59) 5th
Carolyn Bieganousky '07	100m HH (16.80) 2nd; 400m IH (1:09.41) 3rd
Noelle Marra '06	100m HH (16.89) 6th
Kim Bannat '06	High Jump (5-2j) 2nd; Triple Jump (32-8) 2nd
Anne Lockwood '08	Pole Vault (7-6) T-4th
Amy Sapol '07	Pole Vault (7-6) T-4th
Rachel Koch '07	Triple Jump (32-7.25) 4th
Erin Conway '06	Shot Put (31-9.25) 4th
Patricia Higgins '06	Javelin (95-8) 5th

Unlike the girls, a team championship for the boys was anything but a certainty going into day two. Trailing Vernon by fourteen points and Hopatcong by two after Wednesday's events, the boys would need a tremendous effort to capture their fourth straight Festival victory. Led by the distance corps and great performances by seniors Rick Rogers and Dan Allen, not only did the boys win, but they won big. By the end of the day, the guys had amassed a total of 129 points to best second place Vernon's 107.33 points and the 79 scored by third place Hopatcong.

Seniors (Bottom Row L - R): Mike LoVasco, Anthony LaMastro, Mike Lamm, Tim Lynott, Dan Allen. Second Row (L - R): Jon Juleus, Matt Pezzulo, Jeremy Scheid, Kevin Flannery, Jeff Weiler. Back Row (L - R): Brian Grealy, Scott Varanelli, Sean Kramer, Nick Beese, Andrew Bader, Ryan Norris, Rob Prignano, Clay Smith, Tom Roy, Chris Smith, Jimmy Fiorello

In the distance races, the boys grabbed a total of 70 of 72 points available. The trio of senior Anthony LaMastro and juniors Tom Roy and Clay Smith, placed in first through third place to sweep the 800m and 1600m runs, while in the 3200m race junior Jeremy Scheid took the victory with sophomores Jon Juleus and Nick Beese finishing in second and fourth place respectively. Meanwhile on the track and in the field, Allen placed second in three events and fourth in one to score 28 team points. His seconds came in the 100m and 200m dashes and the pole vault, while his fourth place finish came in the long jump. In the throws, Rogers won the discus on his last attempt with a toss of 146-4, to go with a third place finish in the shot put where his first heave of the day (45-11.5) was good enough to get the placement. The last Lions' event win came in the 4 x 400 relay where LaMastro and Roy teamed with sophomore Jeff Weiler and senior Pat Rosendale to take the race in a time of 3:27.28, giving LaMastro his third gold medal of the meet.

Name	Event (Time/Distance) Placement
Dan Allen '06	100m (11.38) 2nd; 200m (22.66) 2nd; Pole Vault (11-6) 2nd; Long Jump (20-4.25) 4th
Jeff Weiler '08	4 x 400 (52.4 split) 1st; 400m (52.25) 6th
Anthony LaMastro '06	800m (1:57.69) 1st; 1600m (4:25.52) 1st; 4 x 400 (50.5 split) 1st
Tom Roy '07	800m (1:58.52) 2nd; 1600m (4:26.03) 2nd; 4 x 400 (51.5 split) 1st
Clay Smith '07	800m (2:00.55) 3rd; 1600m (4:27.12) 3rd
Jeremy Scheid '07	3200m (10:00.90) 1st
Jon Juleus '08	3200m (10:01.06) 2nd
Nick Beese '08	3200m (10:10.04) 4th
Pat Rosendale '06	4 x 400 (52.7 split) 1st
Rick Rogers '06	Shot Put (45-11.50) 3rd; Discus (146-4) 1st

The Freshmen and Sophomores will return to action on Sunday, May 21, 11:00 AM at St. John Vianney HS, Holmdel, NJ for the NJCTC Frosh/Soph Championships.

ST. JOHN VIANNEY HS, HOLMDEL, NJ (May 21, 2006) - Freshmen Sarah Cariati, Melissa Romero and Christina Careaga had three placements, while Kasey Homa, Jenny Heigis, , Ciara Van Ness, and April Conway had two placements each to lead the youngest Lady Lions to a team victory in the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference Frosh-Soph meet. The girls scored 112 points to Mater Dei's 81 points to handily secure the win. Sylvia Okoye also contributed with a victory in the shot put. Her throw of 29-9 is a personal best by over one and one-half feet.

Name	Event (Time, Height, or Distance) Placement
Freshman Girls
Kasey Homa	400m (64.2) 1st; 4 x 400 (66.2 split) 1st
Sarah Cariati	800m (2:25.9) 1st; 1600m (5:31.3) 3rd; 4 x 400 (66.5 split) 1st
Jenny Heigis	1600m (5:23.4) 2nd; 3200m (12:31.3) 1st
Ciara Van Ness	1600m (5:46.1) 6th; 3200m (12:45.0) 2nd
Christina Careaga	Long Jump (13-6) 2nd; Triple Jump (29-3) 1st; 4 x 400 (66.5) 1st
Melissa Romero	Triple Jump (28-5) 2nd; Javelin (89-3) 1st; 4 x 400 (68.4) 1st
Sylvia Okoye	Shot Put (29-9) 1st
April Conway	Shot Put (25-8.5) 5th; Discus (61-6) 6th
Sophomore Girls
Caitlyn Lees	100m (13.6) 4th; Pole Vault (6-6) T 3rd
Laura Loechner	400m (61.1) 1st; 400 IH (66.1) 1st
Anne Lockwood	Pole Vault (7-6) 1st
Freshman Boys
Ryan Ehrhardt	1600m (4:50.9) 2nd
Chris Gaus	3200m (10:59.3) 6th
Rick Lencsak	110m HH (18.9) 5th; Triple Jump (33-8) 3rd
Joe Benedetto	Triple Jump (32-5) 4th
Clay Trainor	Javelin (104-6) 3rd
Sophomore Boys
Chris Thomas	HJ (5-10) 1st; TJ (38-1) 2nd; LJ (16-11.5) 5th
Jeff Weiler	400m (52.2) 1st; 200m (23.7) 2nd; PV (8-0) T 6th
Scott Varanelli	Javelin (133-02) 4th
Steve Whitehouse	Discus (112-5) 5th

Meanwhile, the sophomore girls and boys both finished in third place. Laura Loechner led the way for the soph girls with victories in the 400 IH, running a meet record time of 66.1, and the open 400m (61.1). Caitlyn Lees had two placements and Anne Lockwood added a win in the pole vault (7-6) to finish the scoring for the soph girls who ended with 38 points. The sophomore boys were led by Jeff Weiler and Chris Thomas, each with three placements. Weiler took the 400m (52.2), placed second in the 200m (23.7), and tied for sixth in the pole vault (8-0). Thomas won the high jump (5-10), placed second in the triple jump (38-1), and placed fifth in the long jump (16-11.5). In the throws, Steve Whitehouse placed fifth in the discus (112-5), while Scott Varanelli placed fourth in the javelin with a toss of 133-02 - all leading to a third place team score of 57.5

Unfortunately, the freshmen boys did not have a great day. Nevertheless, they did manage to score 27 points - good enough for a seventh place finish. Ryan Ehrhardt had a second place finish in the 1600m run (4:50.90), and Clayton Trainor along with Rick Lencsak had third place finishes in the javelin (104-06) and the triple jump (33-08), respectively.

MORRISTOWN HS, MORRISTOWN, NJ (May 22, 2006) - Coach Corcoran entered only the girls 4 x 1600m team at the East Coast Relays this year. He had a plan. The girls would go to run fast with the goals of qualifying for the Nike Outdoor National meet and breaking records. Mission accomplished! Not only did the girls' time of 21:08.34 win the race and qualify them for nationals, but their time shattered the previous meet record of 21:20.08 set in 2004 by Morris Knolls, and set a new Sussex County record, besting the Lions' own mark established one year ago of 21:17.11.

Junior Lauren Bariexca ran the opening leg in 5:17.8, handing off to senior Brynn Merritt a step behind Hopewell Valley. It took Merritt 800 meters to pass the Hopewell runner and to open up a lead of 10 - 15 meters. Merritt's split of 5:18.1 was run through a fierce wind that hit every runner as they hit the top of the home stretch. Running the third leg was sophomore Casey Keller. Keller has had a breakout year this season, but was not run in the SCIL Festival so that she would be fresh for this race. Casey didn't disappoint. Taking the stick in first place, Keller raced with the Hopewell runner as they switched the lead back and forth on four separate occasions. It wasn't until the last 100 meters that Keller made her last surge, sprinting to the front and giving anchor leg, junior Lara Heigis a five meter lead. From there it was all over. Heigis just smashed the rest of the field, running her anchor leg in a very fast 5:07.0.

Unfortunately, the boys 4 x 1600 team of Tom Roy, Clay Smith, Jeremy Scheid, and Anthony LaMastro did not have as good a result. Roy led off in a PR split of 4:23.9, but the remaining three legs had sub-par performances resulting in a 6th place finish.

NOTRE DAME HS, LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ (May 28, 2006) - In what could be the prelude to a Non-Public A state championship, the girls scored 179 points today, more than the next four teams combined, to repeat as New Jersey Catholic Track Conference Champions. The Lions demonstrated their team depth by taking multiple placements in all disciplines - sprints, distance, hurdles, jumps, and throws. From the first event, the 400 IH won by sophomore Laura Loechner (65.47), the girls asserted their dominance and never looked back. When all was said and done, the girls won six events and placed second in eleven others. Freshman Emily Carrollo was a multiple winner, taking the 100m, 800m and running a leg on the winning 4 x 400 relay. Carrollo's time of 12.74 gives her the outright school record in the event, breaking the tie of the record that she and Katie Bieganousky '04 shared. The other members of the winning 4 x 400 team were Loechner, junior Carolyn Bieganousky, and senior Rachel Posthumus. Senior Kim Bannat had a huge day as well, placing second in both the high jump (5-2) and the triple jump (33-3.75).

2006 NJCTC Champions

Bottom Row (L-R) Alex Bush, Lara Heigis, Lauren Bariexca, Amy Sapol, Liz So, Brynn Merritt, Alessandra LaMastro, Jenny Heigis, Sarah Bieganousky, Kelsey Murphy

Top Row (L-R) Emily Carrollo, Caitlyn Lees, Caitlin Meehan, Sarah Cariati, Casey Keller, Emily Smith, Kim Bannat, Rachel Posthumus, Liz LeMasters, Noelle Marra, Carolyn Bieganousky, Tara Downing, Ciera VanNess, Rachel Koch, Melissa Romero, Laura Loechner, Christina Careaga, Anne Lockwood, Kasey Homa

The other winners were junior Lara Heigis in the 1600m and the girls 4 x 800m relay team of senior Alessandra LaMastro, freshmen Sarah Cariati and Kasey Homa, and junior Alex Bush. There were several very notable PRs. Cariati placed sixth in the 800m in a PR of 2:22.50, while fellow frosh Melissa Romero placed second in the javelin with a PR and freshman class record toss of 100-3. In the discus, junior Amy Spekhardt had the sixth longest throw of the day with a massive 13 foot PR effort of 93-3. It was Amy's first point of the year. Jenny Heigis also set a freshman class record with her sixth place finish in the 1600m in a PR time of 5:14.38. She also PRed in the 3200m by placing fifth in 11:43.75. Her running mate in that race, sophomore Casey Keller, also PRed, placing fourth in 11:41.51.

Casey Keller and Jenny Heigis

"Twin Daughters from Different Mothers"

Liz LeMasters and Emily Smith celebrate the girls championship.

Continuing with the PR performances, sophomore Caitlyn Lees had a double PR performance in both the 100m (13th place, 13.78) and 200m (17th place, 28.53); junior Amy Sapol tied the school record again with a pole vault of 8-0 to take second place in that event; junior Carolyn Bieganousky PRed in the 100 HH with a time of 16.08 to take fourth place; while fellow junior Lauren Bariexca PRed in the 400m, placing third in a time of 59.91. It was Lauren's first sub-60 second open 400m race, having run a few sub-60 second splits in relays.

Name	Event (Time/Height/Distance) Placement
Emily Carrollo	100m (12.74) 1st; 800m (2:16.83) 1st; 4 x 400 1st
Lara Heigis	1600m (5:03.31) 1st; 800m (2:21.05) 2nd
Laura Loechner	400 IH (65.47) 1st; 4 x 400 1st
Tara Downing	100m (12.85) 2nd; 200m (26.74) 5th
Rachel Posthumus	200m (26.84) 6th; 400m (59.57) 2nd; 4 x 400 1st
Lauren Bariexca	400m (59.91) 3rd; 3200m (11:44.04) 6th
Sarah Cariati	800m (2:22.50) 6th; 4 x 800 1st
Brynn Merritt	1600m (5:13.33) 5th; 3200m (11:31.71) 2nd
Jenny Heigis	1600m (5:14.38) 6th; 3200m (11:43.75) 5th
Casey Keller	3200m (11:41.51) 4th
Carolyn Bieganousky	100 HH (16.08) 4th; 400 IH (68.00) 2nd; 4 x 400 1st
Alessandra LaMastro	4 x 800 1st
Kasey Homa	4 x 800 1st
Alex Bush	4 x 800 1st
Kim Bannat	HJ (5-2) 2nd; TJ (33-3.75) 2nd
Amy Sapol	PV (8-0) 2nd
Anne Lockwood	PV (7-0) T3rd
Emily Smith	PV (7-0) T3rd
Briana Perez	Shot Put (38-2) 2nd
Erin Conway	Shot Put (32-5) 5th
Amy Spekhardt	Discus (93-1) 6th
Melissa Romero	Javelin (100-3) 2nd

On the boys side, a few unfortunate under achievements prevented the Lions from coming home with two championships. Finishing third with 60 points behind home team Notre Dame (82 points) and St. Benedict's Prep (62 points), there were more than enough opportunities for the boys to make up and surpass the point differential. Nevertheless, the boys did come away with many positives. First, they now see that a championship is within their grasp if they perform to expectations, and second, many individuals stepped-up and performed above and beyond their previous efforts.

For example, senior Dan Allen continued his assault on the boys season point scoring record by placing second in the long jump with a PR leap of 21-2.75. Dan also placed second in the 100m (11.46, 11.27 prelims), and fourth in the 200m (22.89). Fellow jumper, sophomore Chris Thomas, placed second in the high jump, following a jump-off, with a PR tying leap of 6-0. On the track, junior Tom Roy placed second in the 3200m by a lean, but ran a PR 9:45.62 in the process. In the 800m run, freshman Ryan Ehrhardt placed 18th in a PR time of 2:05.95, while junior Rob Prignano placed 19th in the 110 HH with a PR of 16.40. The following table summarizes all placements by the Lions' boys:

Name	Event (Time/Height/Distance) Placement
Dan Allen	100m (11.46) 2nd; 200m (22.89) 4th; LJ (21-2.75) 2nd
Anthony LaMastro	800m (1:56.53) 2nd; 4 x 800 2nd
Tom Roy	3200m (9:45.62) 2nd; 4 x 400 6th
Nick Beese	3200m (10:00.41) 4th
Jon Juleus	3200m (10:06.83) 6th
Jeff Weiler	4 x 400 6th
Pat Rosendale	4 x 400 6th
Brian Grealy	4 x 400 6th
Ryan Ehrhardt	4 x 800 2nd
Tim Burns	4 x 800 2nd
Mike Lamm	4 x 800 2nd
Chris Thomas	HJ (J6-0) 2nd
Rick Rogers	Javelin (150-05) 5th

The boys and girls return to action on Tuesday, May 30, at the Fast Times Relays at Warwick Valley HS, starting at 6:30 PM. This is a fun meet, and as the name indicates there will be fast teams and fast times, so be sure to be there.

WARWICK VALLEY HS, WARWICK, NY (May 30, 2006) - The Fast Times Relays are designed to put together top teams from up and down the East Coast in order to allow those teams to record qualifying times for their State and National Championships. This year forty-four teams gathered at the Tim St. Lawrence Track to get things going. The Lions' 4 x 800 relay was one of those teams.

It was clear from the start that this race was going to be fast. US #1 Suffern and Warwick Valley were going to set a blistering pace. It would be up to junior Lauren Bariexca to get out fast to match speed with speed - and Lauren didn't disappoint by running an opening split of 2:14.6. She handed off to senior Brynn Merritt who ran the best race of her life, finishing her 800 in 2:18.2. Junior Alex Bush was next on the track and she did her job by keeping the team with the top squads, splitting in 2:20.6. That left the race to anchor leg, junior Lara Heigis, who finished in 2:15.9, giving the team fourth place and a total time of 9:09.3 - a new Sussex County record, and #8 all-time in NJ history. Suffern retained it's US #1 ranking by turning in an incredible 8:50.8. Warwick Valley was second in 9:00.5, while Bronxville and the Lions crossed the line together. Bariexca, Merritt, and Heigis turned in PR performances.

The good news continued for the boys in their 4 x 800. Juniors Tom Roy, Tim Burns, Clay Smith and senior Anthony LaMastro ran their best time of the season (7:55.3) to qualify for the Nike Outdoor National Championship Meet. Smith's split of 1:57.7 was a PR, and LaMastro's 1:54.2, though not a PR is still real fast.

Rain shortened the meet preventing the running of the 4 x 400s, but not before senior Briana Perez won the shot put with a toss of 35-11.75, while fellow senior thrower, Tim Lynott, took fourth with a heave of 42-5. The girls 4 x 100 team also had a chance to run, and they took advantage of their opportunity by setting a new Sussex County record of 50.1. Junior Tara Downing, senior Noelle Marra, freshman Emily Carrollo, and senior Rachel Posthumus tore up the track in running this record-setting time.

The NJSIAA Non-Public A Championships are next, coming up on Friday and Saturday June 2 - 3 at South Plainfield HS.

L.Heigis, Bariexca, Loechner, An. LaMastro and Girls 4 x 400 Win Individual Championships

SOUTH PLAINFIELD HS, S. PLAINFIELD, NJ (June 2 & 3, 2006) - Using a combined team effort, the Pope John Girls captured their first Non-Public A spring track title in history. The girls last won a spring track championship in 1990 when they were in the Parochial B group. Junior Lara Heigis was a double champion, winning both the 1600m (5:04.46) and 3200m (11:11.60) runs. Classmate Lauren Bariexca took the 800m championship in the time of 2:17.91, while sophomore Laura Loechner was the girls 400 IH champion (1:05.41). The girls 4 x 400m relay team of Bariexca, Loechner, junior Alex Bush and senior Rachel Posthumus also won gold finishing their race in 4:01.78. But it was not the gold medal winners alone that achieved this historical win by securing 129 team points, more than the combined total of second place Bishop Eustace and third place Holy Cross. It was the contributions from a myriad of athletes, all of whom won placements. The table below summarizes those performances:

Name	Event (Time/Distance/Height) Placement
Tara Downing	100m (13.02) 4th; 200m (26.73) 3rd
Rachel Posthumus	400m (59.16) 2nd; 4 x 400 (59.4 split) 1st
Lauren Bariexca	800m (2:17.91) 1st; 1600m (5:07.60) 4th; 4x400 (60.5 split) 1st
Alex Bush	800m (2:18.98) 2nd; 4x400 (60.9 split) 1st
Brynn Merritt	800m (2:20.97) 4th; 1600m (5:12.55) 5th
Lara Heigis	1600m (5:04.46) 1st; 3200m (11:11.60) 1st
Casey Keller	3200m (11:27.85) 3rd
Jenny Heigis	3200m (11:29.42) 5th
Carolyn Bieganousky	100m HH (15.85) 4th; 400m IH (1:08.05) 4th
Laura Loechner	400m IH (1:05.47) 1st; 4x400 (60.8 split) 1st
Kim Bannat	HJ (4-10) 5th
Amy Sapol	Pole Vault (8-0) 3rd
Anne Lockwood	Pole Vault (7-6) 5th
Briana Perez	Shot Put (35-11.5) 3rd
Erin Conway	Shot Put (32-11.75) 6th
Melissa Romero	Javelin (98-04) 2nd
Caitlin Meehan	Javelin (93-04) 5th

On the boys side, senior Anthony LaMastro repeated as the 1600m champion to help the Lions secure a fifth place finish. Anthony's time of 4:22.03 was an easy warm-up for the Meet of Champions on Wednesday, June 6th. Fellow senior Dan Allen had an outstanding two days, placing in four events, the 100m and 200m sprints and the pole vault and long jump. Details of all placements follow:

Name	Event (Time/Distance/Height) Placement
Dan Allen	100m (11.41) 4th; 200m (23.05) 5th; PV (12-0) 4th; LJ (20-11.5) 3rd
Tom Roy	800m (1:59.19) 5th; 1600m (4:26.61) 6th
Anthony LaMastro	1600m (4:22.03) 1st; 3200m (9:31.32) 5th
Chris Thomas	HJ (5-10) 6th
Rick Rogers	Discus (132-06) 4th

FRANK JOST FIELD, S. PLAINFIELD, NJ (June 8, 2006) - He had been in big races before, and had even been tabbed as the favorite to win state championships, but for senior Anthony LaMastro this was his last chance! LaMastro let nerves get to him in previous efforts, but today was different. Today Anthony became the first Lion to win a Meet of Champions title when he won the 1600m by over four seconds. "I'm more experienced. I know how to handle the pressure in big races. I feel like I can win every race now, so winning the Meet of Champions was great, but it was no surprise", said LaMastro. Anthony, who will be running for the George Mason University Patriots next year, ran a strategically perfect race. "He let the race go out and he hung in third or fourth position for the first 800m", said Coach Brian Corcoran, "then with 300m to go he went for it, just as we discussed. There's no miler in the state with wheels like Anthony, so he relaxed and trusted his kick. His close in 59.4 was tremendous." LaMastro's time of 4:13.02 breaks his own PJ and Sussex County records, and sets him up nicely for the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

On the girls side, juniors Lauren Bariexca and Lara Heigis both had great performances. Bariexca placed fourth in the 800m in a PJ and Sussex County record time of 2:13.98, while Heigis placed fourth in the 3200m in 10:40.37, shattering her own school record by over fifteen seconds. In another outstanding effort, the girls 4 x 400 relay team of Bariexca, sophomore Laura Loechner, junior Alex Bush, and senior Rachel Posthumus placed fifteenth in a school and Sussex County record time of 3:59.06.

Name	Event (Time/Distance/Height) Placement
Boys
Anthony LaMastro	1600m (4:13.02) 1st
Dan Allen	100m (11.46) 24th; 200m (23.35) 25th; LJ (19-10.25) 25th
Tom Roy	800m (2:00.15) 31st; 1600m (4:22.80) 13th
Jeremy Scheid	3200m (10:03.02) 33rd
Chris Thomas	HJ (NH)
Rick Rogers	Discus (134-0) 24th
Girls
Lauren Bariexca	800m (2:13.98) 4th; 4 x 400 () 15th
Lara Heigis	3200m (10:40.37) 4th
Tara Downing	100m (13.26) 32nd
Rachel Posthumus	400m (58.81) 15th; 4 x 400 () 15th
Alex Bush	800m (2:20.72) 21st; 4 x 400 () 15th
Brynn Merritt	1600m (5:11.60) 16th
Jenny Heigis	3200m (11:27.55) 19th
Casey Keller	3200m (11:49.26) 22nd
Carolyn Bieganousky	100m HH (16.82) 30th; 400m IH (1:07.85) 26th
Laura Loechner	400m IH (1:08.73) 29th; 4 x 400 () 15th
Kim Bannat	HJ (NH)
Briana Perez	Shot Put (35-2.25) 21st
Erin Conway	Shot Put (30-8.75) 34th
Melissa Romero	Javelin (101-08) 20th
Caitlin Meehan	Javelin (90-07) 31st

Many members of the team will be traveling to North Carolina A & T University in Greensboro, NC for the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships, Friday and Saturday, June 16 & 17. Keep tuned for results from that meet.

GREENSBORO, NC (June 16, 2006) - Day One of the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships became a banner day for the Girls 4 x 800 relay team. Juniors Lauren Bariexca, Alex Bush, and Lara Heigis, along with senior Brynn Merritt knew that they were one of the fastest teams in the nation, but they were not sure that they were fast enough to attain All-American honors by finishing as one of the top six teams in the country. Those doubts no longer exist following a fifth place finish today. With PJ and Sussex County 800m record holder Lauren Bariexca leading off in 2:15.7, the girls were in contention for the win at the first baton pass. Brynn Merritt then ran the race of her life, splitting in 2:20.5, and keeping the team in the thick of it before handing off to Alex Bush for the third leg. At this point the Suffern Track Club, the eventual winner, began to separate from the rest of the field with the next seven teams in a tight pack. Running a very tough third leg, Bush split in 2:19.6 and gave the stick to anchor Lara Heigis in solid position to medal. Lara made the most of her opportunity, finishing her leg in 2:16.7 and bringing the team across the finish line in a time of 9:12.43 - the fifth fastest team in the United States. For all of the girls they can now add the title of outdoor All-Americans to their accomplishments, having received the same honor indoors.

Continuing with the girls, the 1600m Sprint Medley Relay team of senior Noelle Marra and junior Tara Downing on the 200m legs, senior Rachel "Giggles" Posthumus on the 400 leg, and sophomore Laura Loechner on the 800 leg placed 20th in the nation in a time of 4:13.74. The highlight of this race was Loechner's closing split of 2:20.0, a huge PR for her at the 800m distance.

Finally, on the boys side, the 4 x 800 relay team of juniors Tom Roy, Clay Smith, and Tim Burns, with senior Anthony LaMastro on the anchor, placed sixteenth in a time of 7:55.82, just missing their own school and Sussex County record time of 7:55.3.

The Nationals continue today with a full plate for Pope John runners. Qualifying the largest contingent of runners of any school or track club in the United States, the Lions will compete in the Boys and Girls 4 x 1 mile, Girls 4 x 400, and Boys and Girls Distance Medley Relays. In addition, Jenny Heigis and Ciara Vanness will compete individually in the Freshman Girls mile, while George Mason University bound and NJ Meet of Champions 1600m champion Anthony LaMastro will contend for a national championship in the Boys Mile. Instant results can be found on Dyestat.com, while a complete PJ recap will be posted tonight immediately following the meet.

GREENSBORO, NC (June 17, 2006) - No one can argue that the track and field facilities at North Carolina A & T University are some of the best in the nation. That being the case, it is easy to understand why the best scholastic track and field athletes gather to put on a show of shows. Over the past few years the Lions have been part of that show and have added to the luster of the weekend with their outstanding performances. This year was no exception. As detailed in yesterday's news, the girls 4 x 800 team became the latest PJ All-Americans on Friday. Today, though the coveted All-American honor eluded the Lions, great performances were the order of the day nonetheless.

The highlight on Saturday was saved for the last events of the day - the girls and boys distance medley relays. On the girls side, junior All-American Lauren Bariexca led off on the 1200m leg and turned in a very respectable 3:39.7 split. Senior Rachel Posthumus, in her last race as a PJ Lion, then took off and ran a sparkling 59.0 400m leg. "Giggles" passed several runners on the first turn and held onto that spot for the duration of her leg before passing the baton to classmate and All-American Brynn Merritt for the 800m leg. Also racing her last laps in PJ blue and white, Brynn turned in a 2:21.0 split, and delivered the stick to junior All-American Lara Heigis for the anchor 1600m leg. In typical Lara fashion, she battled to the last, turning in a 5:05.8 split and giving the team a time of 12:05.4, good enough for 12th place in the nation, and breaking the team's own Sussex County record. Next year both Posthumus and Merritt will be competing at the collegiate level - Rachel for the St. Francis PA Friars and Brynn for the Boston College Golden Eagles.

The boys DMR team of seniors Anthony LaMastro on the 1200m leg and Dan Allen on the 400m leg, joined with juniors Clay Smith on the 800m leg and Tom Roy on the 1600m leg to finish in 15th place in a time of 10:35.3. LaMastro and Allen finished their legendary PJ careers with splits of 3:12.5 and 50.9 respectively. Anthony will be off to run for the George Mason University Patriots, while Danny will be bringing his multi-event talents to the Southern Missouri State Lions next year. Meanwhile, juniors Smith and Roy ran splits of 2:02.8 and 4:29.1 to bring the team in with an overall time of 10:35.3.

The day also included two big PR performances. Sophomore Nick Beese split 4:39.2 in the boys 4 x 1 mile to help his team to 26th place finish, while junior Tim Burns split 2:03.0 on his leg of the 4 x 800 to help the Lions place 16th in that event.

The season concluded with this meet, but track and field never ends. Best wishes are extended to all of our graduates - please know that you are always welcome back and that just because you may be calling someone else "Coach" doesn't mean that Corcoran, Dilworth and Morro stop being your coaches. Thanks also for the wonderful support from our parents. It's not real without your efforts.

For returning athletes, track camp starts on Monday, June 26 and concludes on Friday, June 30 from 9AM to Noon. Come down and help us teach the future PJ track athletes what it's all about. Remember - you are all their heroes and the campers dream of getting their names in the record books just like you did. In the meantime, have a safe, healthy, and fun summer - but don't forget to put in the miles, hit the weights, and do your summer reading. See you all soon.

Star-Ledger Names Lions Girls West Jersey Team of the Year - Heigis and LaMastro West Jersey Track Athletes of the Year

NEWARK, NJ (June 21 & 22, 2006) - The Star-Ledger announced its 2006 post-season awards and the Lions are well-represented throughout. Leading the list of accomplishments was the naming of the Girls team as the West Jersey team of the year. After winning the Non-Public A Championship, NJCTC Championship, SCIL Festival, and SCIL Relay Championships, the girls put themselves in the undisputed position of being the best team in West Jersey, and arguably, the best team in the entire state. Simply put, the team displayed strength in all facets on the track and in the field as evidenced by the numerous honors gleaned by team members - honors that will be detailed below.

Both the boys and girls teams were led by the West Jersey track Performers of the Year, Lara Heigis and Anthony LaMastro. Only a junior, the Star-Ledger noted that Heigis was the only double winner at the Non-Public A Championships, taking the 1600m run (5:04.46) and the 3200m run (11:11.60). A week earlier, Lara set the PJ record in the 1600m with a time of 5:01.9 (4:42.9 1500m converted) at the Brian Ahearn Classic in Warwick, NY; then she smashed the school record in the 3200m at the Meet of Champions, finishing fourth in a time of 10:40.37. The Star-Ledger further stated that her 3200m time would have been good enough to win the event in each of the last sixteen years. Finally, at the Nike Outdoor Nationals last weekend, Lara anchored the 4 x 800m relay team to a fifth place finish and All-American honors. Heigis was named the first team All-Non-Public 3200m honoree, as well as the first team All-Sussex performer in that same event.

LaMastro had an equally impressive season, capping his stellar senior season with a NJ Meet of Champions victory in the 1600m run. Anthony's time of 4:13.02 is a PJ and Sussex County record, and is the fastest time for that distance run in NJ this year. He is the first Pope John athlete to become a Meet of Champions winner. LaMastro also ran the sixth fastest time in the state in the 800m run (1:54.04). In addition to the victories just noted, LaMastro was the Non-Public A Champion and the SCIL Champion in the 1600m. He also won the 800m and anchored the victorious 4 x 400 relay at the SCIL Festival. For all of these accomplishments, Anthony was named to the second team All-State squad for the 1600. He was a first team All-Non-Public performer, as well as being the All-Sussex first team honoree in that event. He will bring his ample talents to George Mason University next year.

Obviously, for the girls to become the team of the year they had to have contributions from many athletes - and the Star-Ledger awarded those accomplishments. Junior Lauren Bariexca was named to the First Team Non-Public and First Team All-Sussex squads based on her championship performance in the 800m. Her time of 2:13.98 at the Non-Public A Championships set a new PJ and Sussex County record. Lauren also ran the lead-off leg for the All-American 4 x 800m relay team this past weekend at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. She was also singled out as the most "welcome addition" to a track program in West Jersey this year. Another very pleasant surprise, and the winner of the Most Improved Award at the PJ track banquet this year, is sophomore Laura Loechner. Laura tied the oldest record on the PJ books when she ran the 400 IH in a time of 65.47. She clocked that time at the Non-Public A Championships to bring home the win in that event. She also won the IH at the NJCTC Championships in the identical time, following up her victory at the SCIL Festival. For this Laura was singled out for First Team Non-Public and First Team All-Sussex honors. Finally, the 4 x 400 relay of Bariexca, Loechner, junior Alex Bush, and senior Rachel Posthumus, were named as the First Team Non-Public and All-Sussex squads, based on their victories at the Non-Public A and NJCTC Championships, and the SCIL Festival.

The Star-Ledger named Emily Carrollo the Freshman of the Year, based on her record setting year. Emily set new PJ records in the 100 (12.5), 200 (25.0), and 400m (57.4) events, the 200m time being a Sussex County record as well. Her time of 2:14.0 in the 800m set the PJ and Sussex County records for a time until Bariexca erased both at the Non-Public A Championships. Based on these performances, Carrollo was named to the All-Non-Public Second Team for the 800m, and to the All-Sussex First Team for the 200m.

Other post-season honorees include Non-Public Third Team members Posthumus for the 400m, junior Carolyn Bieganousky for the IH, senior Briana Perez for the shot put, freshman Melissa Romero for the javelin, and junior Amy Sapol for the pole vault. All-Sussex performers include (other than those already noted): First Team - seniors Liz LeMasters for the HJ, Kim Bannat for the LJ, and Perez for the Shot Put; Second Team - junior Tara Downing for the 100m, Posthumus for the 200, and senior Brynn Merritt for the 800; Third Team - junior Alex Bush for the 400, freshman Sarah Bieganousky for the IH, junior Rachel Koch for the TJ, and senior Erin Conway for the Shot Put.

On the boys side, in addition to LaMastro, several team members received All-Sussex mention. To begin with, senior Dan Allen was named to the first team for the 100m, but he could have been named for any of four events. In addition to being a consistent winner/placer in all of the sprints (100, 200, 400), Dan was also the top pole vaulter in the SCIL, as well as one of the top horizontal jumpers. The fact that he scored a team leading 222 points this year is testament to his multi-event prowess. Other All-Sussex First Team selections include: junior Jeremy Scheid for the 3200m, senior Rick Rogers for the discus, and the 4 x 400 relay team of junior Tom Roy, sophomore Jeff Weiler, senior Pat Rosendale, and a host of others. Second team All-Sussex members are Roy for the 800, junior Clay Smith for the 1600, and sophomore Jon Juleus for the 3200. Finally third team honors were bestowed on Weiler for the 400, sophomore Chris Thomas for the HJ, and sophomore Brian Grealy for the TJ.


Lara Heigis	Brynn Merritt	Alex Bush	Jenny Heigis


Patricia Higgins	Anne Lockwood	Andrew Bader	Clayton Trainor


Anthony LaMastro	Tom Roy	Clay Smith	Tim Burns	Jeremy Scheid


Tara Downing	Emily Carrollo	Noelle Marra	Rachel Posthumus	Carolyn Bieganousky


Ciara Van Ness	Kim Bannat	Peter Pensec	Tim Lynott


Liz LeMasters winning the High Jump	Tricia Higgins prepares to throw the javelin


Chris Thomas	Laura Loechner	Anne Lockwood


Jeff Weiler	Ciara Van Ness and Jenny Heigis	Kasey Homa


Carolyn Bieganousky	Lara Heigis makes her final surge in the 1600m run	Emily Carrollo


Lauren Bariexca	Brynn Merritt	Alex Bush	Lara Heigis


Tara Downing	Noelle Marra	Emily Carrollo	Rachel Posthumus


Lara Heigis � Colleen Harrington for the Star-Ledger	Anthony LaMastro � Colleen Harrington for the Star-Ledger