2005 Scotch Plains Girls Outdoor Track Sections

The Scotch Plains Fanwood Girls Track team saved their best performance for the final event in the NJSIAA/Star-Ledger North Jersey, Section 2 Group 3 Championships at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield. The quartet of sophomores Danielle Vena, Sam Gates and Amanda Bobyack and junior Meaghan Kelly ran a season best 4:03.84 to easily outdistance South Plainfield and give the Raiders their only first place finish of the weekend as they wound up a distant fourth in the section with 45 points behind powerhouses Montgomery, Ridge and West Morris Mendham.

In a late season lineup change that was made the previous Tuesday after the East Coast Relays, Coaches Jeff Koegel and Rich McGriff moved Kelly, the previous leadoff runner to anchor where she responded with a 59.5 split. Gates moved up from anchor to second where she took the lead for good. Bobyack maintained the lead and Kelly extended it.

The Raiders’ time was the seventh fastest among Group III schools and places them in the first and fastest heat, which should improve their chances of placing in the top six.
“The switch worked out very well,” said Koegel.
“We're hoping that we can get down to 4:00 on Saturday.”

After three straight dominating performances in county or conference meets over the last three weeks, the Raiders faced their toughest competition in an eclectic section that included schools from Jersey City and the Jersey Shore. and represented seven different counties.

“We had done our homework and knew the section was loaded,” said Koegel.
Among the ten Raiders who will compete this weekend in the State Championships today and tomorrow at Little Egg Harbor will be two freshmen, 800-meter runner Bridgett Cornwell and shot putter Carlaya Jones.

Cornwell placed fifth in a very strong race and smashed her personal best with a time of
2:20.19. Just three weeks ago, Cornwell’s best time was 2:31, but she has whittled it down the past three weeks and appears to run her best against the tougher competition.

“That's the fastest I have had a girl run in the nine years I have been doing this,” said Koegel.
“She runs tough. She stuck her nose in there and mixed it up with some of the best runner in the state.”

Jones qualified third with a personal best 32-09.50 and outdistanced senior teammate, Kat Berka, who also qualified with a sixth place toss of 32-07.25.
“I’m very excited to be going to the states,” said Jones.

“It all came together today for me. Kat has been a big help to me as well as my coaches.”
“Carlaya has been steadily improving. She is a strong kid, and she just needed time to perfect her technique,” said Koegel.

Berka also qualified in the javelin with a second place effort of 109-06. Senior pole-vaulter, Katie
Zaleski, qualified third with a height of 9-6, behind two of the state’s top pole-vaulters.
Bobyack, the county long jump champion, place fifth to qualify but will need to exceed her personal best to place in a competition that has three girls who have exceed 18 feet.

Also qualifying was senior triple jumper Michelle Regg in a personal best of 34-09.00.
After two months of focusing on team goals, individual performance is what’s left for the Raider girls.
“We are looking for people to step up and compete hard. We're not in the hunt for team titles.

We want people to step up to the level of competition and compete like people who are worthy of having qualified for a meet of this level,” said Koegel.
Westfield also saved their best performance for late in the second day as sophomore
Jennifer Danielsson won the 3200 meters in 11:49.67 for the Blue Devils’ only first place finish. Danielson had shown her potential at the Watchung Conference meet, where she had improved her personal best by 32 seconds with an 11:48.7 effort.

“I told Jen before she got on the line to forget time and worry about place,” said coach Jen Buccino.
“The race panned out beautifully for her. She wanted it, she believed in herself, she stayed focused and she earned her title. She even ran negative mile splits. I am very proud of her. “

The Blue Devils only other qualifier was senior Annie Onishi, who was third in the 1600 with a season best 5:22.42 clocking.
“She loves competition and she really wanted the chance to move on to the Group meet. I am really proud of the way her track career is coming to a close,” said Buccino.
Westfield’s best runner, senior 800 meter runner Emily MacNeil, the indoor Group IV 800 meter champion, finished a surprising non-qualifying seventh in a very fast 800 meter race with a time of 2:22.15 .