2005 Union County Outdoor Girls Relays

Employing an unbeatable combination of individual brilliance and team depth, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood girls track team rolled to their first title since 2001, Saturday at the 62nd Union County Relays at Hub Stine Field in Plainfield. Scoring points in thirteen of sixteen events, the Raiders obliterated the field with 86 points,
34 more than runner-up Rahway.

“This is the deepest, most talented team we've had in the nine years I've been here. It all came together Saturday,” said girls track Coach Jeff Koegel.

The victory was the culmination of a week that started Monday with a team meeting in which Koegel implored the team to fulfill their potential. After defeating Cranford Tuesday to finish the dual meet season 4-1, Koegel is hoping the victory in the Relays will be the springboard to success in the individual Conference and County championships to follow.

“Winning the county relays can give a team the necessary confidence and momentum to mount a solid attack on the ensuing championship meets,” said Koegel.

“The county relays are extremely important to us. A relay championship is the true measure of a team. You need good depth and you have to be able to cover all of the event areas,” added Koegel

While seniors Michelle Regg and Kate Zaleski had the top individual performances in their events, it was the support of two newcomers that enabled the Raiders to establish meet records in the triple jump and pole vault relays respectively.

Regg, the defending county champion in the triple jump, leaped
33-9.3/4 and sophomore Natasha Celius contributed 30-11 ½ to the

winning 64-10 ¼ mark Celius also combined with Regg and defending individual long jump champion Amanda Bobyack, to finish second in the long jump relay with a 45'0".

“Natasha has found a niche for herself in the long jump and triple jump. She was just taught about a week before the county meet how to triple jump,” said Koegel.

“She's raw and needs some technique work, but she definitely has a lot of potential.”

Zaleski, second in the individual pole vault last year, soared 9-6 and freshman Erin Rossi added a 7-6 for a 17-0 effort. Rossi also
combined with senior Kat Berka and sophomore Lauryn Adams
to finish second in the shot put with a combined 86'5 effort.

“Erin has been progressing very quickly in the pole vault. She is almost to the point where Kate was last year as a junior. We have also started having her throw more,” said Koegel.

“She is extremely strong for a freshman girl, and she's going to score a lot of points for us over the next three years in the field events.”

Completing their field event dominance, Berka and senior Carly Wells also contributed to fourth and third places in the discus and javelin respectively.

The Raiders also had success on the track led by sophomore Sam Gates who anchored the runner-up 4 by 400, ran the 400 leg on the third-place distance medley and was part of the runner-up 4 by 200.

Seniors Mary Shashaty and Laura Harrison helped the distance medley finish in a school record, 12:52.4 and were part of the second place 4-by1600 team, which was second.

Newcomers also played a big role on the track with three freshmen, Cassy Valdes, Kate Johnson and Bridget Cornwell contributed to a fifth place finish in the 4 by 800 relay.

Cornwell also contributed a 2:28 to the distance medley and Valdes strong kick got the Raiders fourth in the sprint medley combining with yet another newcomer freshman Tina Olsson, Cornwell and Regg. Olsson also ran with Regg, Bobyack and
Danielle Vena on a fourth place 4 by 100.

Although unable to repeat their indoor success when they won Union County Relay title, the Westfield Girls were strong in
the distance events and finished tied for sixth with 36 points.

Despite only using one of their regular 4 by 800 runners, the Blue Devils were easy winners with a team of sophomore Ayn Wisler (2:30.1), freshman Stephanie Cortinhal (2:28.4), freshman Catherine Cognetti (2:35.5) and junior Meg Driscoll (2:29.3) running 10:03.9.

The distance medley team of Emily MacNeil (1200 in 3:47.0), Driscoll (400 in 1:03.8), Miriam Becker-Cohen (800 in 2:27.1), and Annie Onishi (1600 in 5:21.8)smashed a nine year old school record with12:39.7. and also won easily.

The 4 x 1600 team of Jen Danielsson, Wisler, Caitlyn Berkowitz, and Becker-Cohen, placed 3rd and the sprint medley team of Ali Fleder, Erica Ammermuller, Onishi and MacNeil ran seven seconds faster than last year and two seconds off the school record
in placing second.