2005-6 Winter Track 

Girls Results

Season Highlights:  The team was coached by Jim Schlentz and assisted by Joe Lykes, Dennis Bruck, and Tinishia Bass.  Highlights included our 1st girls national champions and the 2nd place finish at the State Group III Championships.  Team highlights: The girls finished 2nd at the State Group III Individual Championships, 3rd at the Group III State Relay Championships, won the Monmouth County Champs and the Monmouth County Champs for both sophomores and freshman.  Individual highlights: The girls 4 x 1mile won the National Championship with a new State record; Ashley Higginson defended her title in winning the 3200 at the State Meet of Champions and then finished 3rd in the nationals; Briana Jackucewicz broke the State freshman records for both the 3200 (10:31.32) and the 1600 (5:05.9); The distance medley relay won the state Group III title with the 4 x 800 meter relay 2nd, the 4 x 400 meter relay and high jump relays 3rd; Ashley (800), Briana (3200), Allison Linnell (1600), Jessie Pagliano (high jump), and the 4 x 400 meter relay all won Monmouth County titles.  Erin Donaghy (1600) and Allison Donaghy (3200) were Monmouth County Soph Champions and Karissa Herrick, Allie Flott and Morgan Clark were Monmouth County Freshman champions.

Post-Season Highlights:  The 4 x 1 mile relay of Kristen O'Dowd, Allison Linnell, Briana Jackucewicz, and Ashley Higginson was named 1st team All-State All-Groups and the Distance Medley Relay of Ashley, Meryl Wimberly, Allison, and Briana was named 2nd team All-State All-Groups by New Jersey Track. Ashley Higginson was named 2nd team All-State All-Group in the 3200 by New Jersey Track and the Star Ledger and Briana Jackucewicz made the 3rd team in the 3200; Jessica Pagliano was named 1st team All-State Group III in the High Jump by the Star Ledger with Ashley (1600) and Briana (3200) making the 2nd team and the 4 x 400 meter relay of Kathlyn Herrick, Julia Tomaro, Samantha Santo and Meryl Wimberly making 3rd team; Ashley was named Shore Conference Performer of the Year by the Star Ledger and she was also named 1st team All-Shore in the 3200 by the Asbury Park Press and Shore Coaches Ass with Briana (1600) and the 4 x 400 meter relay 2nd team and Jessie Pagliano 3rd team; Briana (1600), Ashley (3200), and the 4 x 400 meter relay were all named 1st team All-Monmouth County by the Star Ledger with Meryl Wimberly (400), Allison Donaghy (3200) and Jessie (high jump) named 2nd team and Allison Linnell (800) 3rd team.  The All-Freehold District team had Meryl (200), Ashley (1600), Briana (3200), Jessie (high jump) and the 4x x400 meter relay team as 1st team.  Named honorable mention All-Freehold District were  Kristen O'Dowd, Allison Linnell, Erin Donaghy, and Allison Donaghy.  Coach Jim Schlentz was named New Jersey Coach of the Year by the NJ Coaches Association and the Shore Conference Coach of the Year by the Asbury Park Press.

CBA HJ/SP Inv

@ CBA  12/20/05

Marine Corps Holiday Relays

@ NYC Armory  12/27/05

The girls start the season with a blast as they finish top 5 in four events in the 150 school meet.  The distance medley relay ran a new meet record and the #8 fastest time in NJ history in winning, the sprint medley team was 3rd in a new Monmouth County record and the #38 time in NJ history, the 4 x 800 meter relay was 4th and the high jump relay was 5th.  A great way to start the new season! 

Monmouth County Relays

@ Jersey City Armory  1/08/06

Girls get a 2nd from the Distance Medley Relay, a 3rd from the 4 x 200, 5ths from the Shuttle Hurdle and High Jump relays and a 6th from the 4 x 400 to finish with 19 pts, good for 6th place.

Lavino Relays

@ Lawrenceville School  1/14/06

Monmouth County Champs

@ Jersey City Armory  1/15/06

The girls win their 1st County winter track title as they win more than half the events.  Lady Cougars finished first in the 800 (Ashley Higginson), 1600 (Allison Linnell), 3200 (Briana Jackucewicz), 4 x 400 meter relay (Kathlyn Herrick, Julia Tomaro, Samantha Santo, Meryl Wimberly) and the high jump (Jessie Pagliano).  Ashley and Bri set meet records with Bri's 3200 meter being a new state frosh record, Jessie won for the 2nd year in a row, Ashley and the 4 x 400 were Freehold District records.  Final tallies were CN with 86 pts and Ocean 2nd at 52.  It was the most points scored since Red Bank scored 88.5 pts in 2000.

Group III State Relay Champs

@ Princeton  1/22/06

The girls finished 3rd as a team and scored their most points ever (30 pts).  The girls DMR won with a new Group III and All-Groups State Relays record of 12:08.01.  The 4 x 800 meter relay team was 2nd and the high jump relay and 4 x 400 meter relay teams wre 3rd.  The 4 x 400 team set a new Freehold District record and qualified for the Meet of Champions with the 9th fastest time (the top 18 qualify).

Group III State Champs

@ Princeton  1/29/06

The girls finished 2nd as a team, their highest ever with 35 pts, just 3 points behind Winslow.  Briana Jackucewicz set a new state freshman record of 10:31.32, shattering the old record of 10:43 to finish 2nd in the 3200.  Ashley Higginson was right behind in 3rd in 10:36.64.  They are the #2 and #3 best times in the US currently.  Ashley came back to finish 2nd in the 1600 to score 14 of our points with Bri 4th.  Jessie Pagliano jumped a huge new school record of 5' 04" in the high jump for 2nd place.  Allison Linnell ran a personal best to finish 6th in the 800.  Kristen O'Dowd and Meryl Wimberly moved on to the Meet of Champions with wild card selections.

Metropolitan Inv

@ NYC Armory  2/01/06

Lindsey Rappleyea was 3rd in the freshman 55 meter hurdles, Rachel Morris was 5th in the freshman 1600, Carrie Schmidt was 5th in the novice 200, and Erin Donaghy, Allie Flott, and Morgan Clark were all under the qualifying time (5:35) for the Eastern States Championships.

Monmouth County Frosh/Soph Champs

@ Jersey City Armory  2/04/06

Both the girls frosh (60 pts) and the girls soph (50 pts) won County Championships.  The girls frosh had Karissa Herrick (hurdles) and Morgan Clark and Allie Flott (tied in 1600) win County titles.  The girls soph had Erin Donaghy (1600) and Allison Donaghy (3200) win County titles.  A great showing by both teams.

Varsity Classic

@ NYC Armory  2/06/06

On a day when almost everyone set a personal best, Ashley Higginson won the 1600 in the 10th fastest time in NJ history, Briana Jackucewicz broke the State freshman record for the 1600, Meryl Wimberly set a new Freehold District record in finishing 6th in the 400, Kristen O'Dowd was 2nd in the 800, and Allison Linnell was 6th in the 1600.

Coca-Cola Hall of Fame Classic

@ NYC Armory  2/18/06

Ed Poreda Inv

@ Lawrenceville School  2/18/06

Meet of Champions

@ Princeton  2/19/06

Ashley Higginson defends her 2005 title running 17 secs faster than last year to break the meet record.  Ashley and Briana alternated leading as they pulled away from the pack to finish 1-2.  

Eastern States Champs

@ NYC Armory  02/28/06

National Scholastic Indoor Champs

@ NYC Armory  03/11-12/06

The girls win National Championship!!!   Kristen O'Dowd led off with a 5:16.8 and got us into 4th,  Allison Linnell held the 4th position with a 5:19.7, and Brianna Jackucewicz put the team into 1st with a 7 sec lead over the defending champs Running Gear TC (actually Clarkston HS, Michigan) with her 5:06.2.  Ashley Higginson increased the lead to 8 secs with a 4:55.7 anchor leg.  It was a new NJ State record beating the old record of 20:46.30 by Red Bank in 2002.

The dyestat story:  

Girls 4 x 1-mile

Warwick Valley took the early lead on the traditionally crowded opening leg with Tori Pennings pushing the pace, followed by Burnt Hills, Runnin’ Gear (Clarkston HS), Colts Neck, and Bronxville. Burnt Hills outkicked WV on the last lap, clocking a 5:09 leg. Pre-race favorite Suffern fell almost a lap behind.

Warwick Valley regained the lead early in the second stage with Cecilie Braadt in the front, followed by Runnin’ Gear’s Lisa Sickman. Sickman took the lead on the fifth lap and held it for the rest of the way, clocking a 5:11 split. Meanwhile, Bronxville NY moved into second place, with Warwick third and Colts Neck NJ fourth. Further back, Shelby Greany brought Suffern back into the race with a 5:02.2 carry.

Jenna Leach held the lead for the Indianans with Colts Neck freshman sensation Briana Jackucewicz quickly moving into second and putting on the chase. She caught and passed Leach on the fifth lap, splitting 5:06.2 and giving Colts Neck a 20-meter lead. Warwick Valley was a few seconds back with Suffern following a step behind thanks to Caroline Heidt’s 5:05.1.

Ashley Higginson ran the anchor leg for Colts Neck alone from start to finish, securing the win. Her 220 yard splits were approximately 36.7, 35.7 (1:12.4), 37.6, 37.3 (2:27.3), 37.7, 36.8 (3:42.2), 36.7, 36.8 (4:55.7). Colts Neck won comfortably in 20:38.43. Behind Ashley, Stephanie Morgan tried to defend the silver for Runnin’ Gear, but she had to hold off fast-charging Aislinn Ryan from Warwick Valley. Ryan caught up and passed Morgan with about 250 meters left before Morgan outkicked the former Footlocker champion on the last straightaway. This gave the Clarkston team second place. Suffern’s Kara McKenna sat on Ryan for the first five laps but fell off the pace to finish fourth thanks to her 4:58.4 anchor.

According to Coach Jim Schlentz, Colts Neck’s splits were Kristen O’Dowd 5:16.8, Allison Linnell 5:19.7,Jackucewicz 5:06.2, and Higginson 4:55.7.

Runnin’ Gears approximate splits were Lindsay Smith 5:16, Sickman 5:11, Leach 5:20, and Stephanie Morgan 4:55. The older Morgan sister, Jenny, another sub-5 miler, did not run.

Warwick Valley splits: Pennings 5:10.3, Braadt 5:25.9, Samantha Brady 5:24.3, and Ryan 4:47.8.

Higginson, who two weeks ago won the 3200 meters at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, said her team did not go into the meet with a specific goal other than finishing their indoor campaign with a win. When Jackucewicz got the baton in fourth place, they still had confidence in their victory. Higginson said, “It’s great to have teammates who put you in a good position.” She added they actually peaked for this meet without major rest before the MoC. Higginson and Jackucewicz will finish their indoor seasons Sunday with the open 2-mile and then focus on the outdoor season with the distance medley at the Penn Relays as their first major challenge.

On Day 3 of the Nationals, Ashley and Briana came back in the 2 mile.  Ashley finished 3rd to make All-American for the 2nd year in a row.  Briana had to stop after feeling a strain in her hamstring that became a little too serious.