RBR's Waite wins MOC 1,600-meter championship
Wins closest race of the day in dramatic fashion
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

JEFFGRANIT staff Shore Regional's Jamie Pointer competes in the 55-meter hurdles during Saturday's Meet of Champions in Toms River.

When Dennie Waite peeked out of the corner of his eye and saw that Summit's Stephen Hankinson wasn't going to catch him, the magnitude of what he was about to accomplish first hit him.

"I thought, Oh God, I'm going to win the MOC," recalled Waite.

Waite used a closing kick that was all heart to win the biggest race of his scholastic career Sunday, the 1,600 meters at the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions in the Bennett Indoor Sports Complex in Toms River.

The Red Bank Regional senior, who had spent the week battling bronchitis, beat Hankinson to the line by just .33, 4:21.63-4:21.96.

Until Hankinson took the lead from Waite on the bell lap, the Buc seemed to have been in total control, taking the lead with 600 to go.

An honest opening quarter in 64 seconds had slowed to 69 for the second 400. At 2:13 for 800 meters, everyone in the final was alive. Waite knew better than to let the race come down to a field sprint at the end, so he made his move on the fifth of eight laps.

"There were too many kids there; I had to make a move and try and get away if I could," said Waite.

The long surge toward the finish line separated Waite from everyone but Hankinson, who pulled up alongside him at the bell.

"I didn't know anyone was coming," said Waite.

To his surprise, Hankinson wasn't just pulling up alongside him, he was motoring. At the bell, the Summit senior appeared to be pulling away, getting a five-meter lead on the backstretch.

"I thought he was getting away," said Waite. "This is the MOC - I gave it everything I had. It was all adrenaline."

Off the final turn, Waite had pulled up next to Hankinson, who had the rail. The momentum was with Waite, and he soon drove by the Summit runner, summoning up one last burst of speed from his tiring legs.

By the finish line, both runners had hit the wall and were tying up, but it hardly mattered to Waite, who got to the line first.

A season that began with Waite just seeking to run 4:24, which was faster than he had run outdoors last year, culminated in a state championship.

What changed things, Waite said, were a series of quick 1,600s with the RBR distance medley relay team and a "lot of strong workouts." That convinced him that something special could happen this winter, and it did on Sunday.

Waite joins his ex-teammate Tom Friscia, last year's 800 champion, as Buc distance runners who have won indoor MOC titles.

This year's MOC was held over two days in Toms River, with the girls competing on Saturday and the boys on Sunday.

Red Bank Catholic's Erin Lunny finished eighth in the 3,200 (11:06.78) on Saturday. Teammate Janine Louie was 19th in the 800 (2:23.35).

Shore's Jamie Pointer advanced to the 55-meter hurdles final, where she placed seventh (9.13). She ran the opening leg on the Blue Devils' 4x400 relay team that ran a 4:11.47 and finished 22nd. Kaylee Mikolon, Cameo Kirk and Alicia Baldo made up the rest of the team.

Shore Regional's boys were 19th. Derek Schultz, Tom Juliano, Trevor Hewitt and Demitri Alicakos teamed up to run a 3:32.61.

Rumson-Fair Haven's girls were 25th in the 4x400, clocking a 4:20.96. Gabriella Kelly, Christina Roque, Jaime Carroll and Melissa Ballin made up the quartet.

Alex Smith was 12th in the boys high jump (6-0) for the RFH boys.

Shore's Sean Kelly tied for 12th in the boys pole vault (12-0).