Hawks win third straight NEC men's track crown
Gaines wins the 800
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Bolstered by its home-grown talent, the Monmouth University men's track and field team won its third straight Northeast Conference Indoor Championship.

The Hawks edged Sacred Heart, 117-115, in the competition held Feb. 10-11 in Landover, Md., thanks to a significant role played by Shore-area athletes.

Colts Neck High School graduate David Gaines was one of the two Hawks who won an individual championship. For Gaines, a senior, his win in the 800 meters was his first NEC title. His winning time was 1:55.92. The Hawks got points in this event from Madison's Bill Doherty, who was seventh (1:59.5).

Former Holmdel star Craig Segal was fourth in the 5,000 (15:30.40), one place behind teammate Martin Suarez III (Holy Cross), who posted a 15:18.89 in fourth place.

Segal also took third in the 3,000 (8:40.55), while Suarez was fifth (8:47.27).

In the one-mile run, Ryan Madrid (Paramus Catholic) was sixth (4:25.06).

Chris Keller, who starred at Matawan High School, placed in a pair of throwing events. He was second in the weight throw (61-7) with teammate Ed Skrowronski, an ex-Raritan standout, third (58-9 1/2). Keller was third in the shot put (53-4 1/2).

Monmouth dominated the shot put, taking three of the Top 5 places. Nick Williams was first reaching 55-9 3/4. Keller was third and Kyle Hrischklau (Morristown) was fifth (51-4 1/2).

In the sprints, Fabrice St. Elme (Rahway) was second in the 60-meter dash (6.98) with teammate Chris Taiwo (Mount Olive) seventh (7.13). Jude Rene (Hamilton North) was third in the 60 hurdles (8.46) and also took sixth in the long jump (21-4 1/2). Darrin Chandler (Paramus Catholic) was seventh in the 400 (50.94).

Chris Vuono, an outstanding performer at Christian Brothers Academy, was fifth in the 500 (1:05.78) with Derrik Keich (Tamaqua, Pa) seventh. Vuono helped the Hawks' 4x400 relay team place fourth (3:23.81).

Dan Tamburini (West Long Branch) scaled 13-3 1/2 in the pole vault to place sixth.

The Hawks' Distance Medley Relay team was third (10:39.95).

"The men's team did not have a perfect meet, but we did come up with some great individual performances to win our third straight championship," said MU head coach Joe Compagni.

Hawk women are second

Monmouth's women were not quite as fortunate as the men, as they finished second, coming up just two points shy of Long Island University, 129-127.

"The women had a great second day of competition," said Compagni. "We had a lot of solid performances by both freshmen and veterans."

Victories in the final two events of the competition, the 4x400 and DMR, almost helped the Hawks snap the title away from LIU, but the Blackbirds finished second in both events, limiting the damage and allowing them to stay ahead of the Hawks.

Illiana Blackshear (West Orange), Michelle Losey (Piscataway), Crystal Stein (Stewartstown, Pa.) and Latasha Dickson (Matawan) made up the 4x400 team that won in 3:52.9.

Dickson won an individual championship, taking first in the 500 (1:15.44).

The DMR quartet consisted of Laura Embrey (Shore Regional), Deanna Paulson (Washington Township), Asha Arneth (Jackson Memorial) and Cailin Lynam (Sparta). Their winning time was 12:33.70.

Lynam (5:12.31) and Embrey (5:13.81) were fourth and sixth in the mile, and Arneth was fourth in the 800 (2:18.96).

Like the men's team, the women received a lot of help from Shore athletes.

Brittany Gibbs (Old Bridge) was one of the freshmen that Compagni was referring to. She was third in the triple jump (37-4).

The Hawks all-around star Ashley Huffman (South Setauket, N.Y.) won the long jump (19-5 1/4) and was second in the 200 (25.30) and 60 hurdles (8.63).

Next up for the Hawks are the ECAC/IC4A Championships in Boston, Mass., March 3-4.