Chelsey Ley will not be racing in Toms River, the young lady who was Ms. Ley's closest pursuer in the fall, was Highland Regional junior Megan Venables.  18-flat is pretty good running at Holmdel Park.  She ran 10:50 to win her South, Group 2 section, and is a week away from a matchup with Mendham's Laura Vigilante at the Meet of Champions.

Vigilante, headed to Columbia, also ran 10:50 (on a 16-32 double) to win big in her N2, Group 3 section.  She will have to deal with West Windsor-Plainsboro South's Caroline Kellner in the abscence of Ley. 

Group's 2 and 3 will run Saturday morning, while 1 and 4 go off together in the afternoon.  The Non-Public meets are Friday night.   

Back to the girls distance scene, where the Group 3 race will feature state frosh record holder Claudia DiSomma from Sparta in the 800 and 1600.

She is a killer, a monster, and good at running.  The trend right now seems to suggest that she is not getting worse.  Vigilante may be the athlete with the best level of fitness, most capable of dealing with the youngster, if she doubles.  DiSomma could pull Vigilante under 5:00 for the first time. 

The girls group 1 meet presents a big team battle with Bernards and Willingboro...just like the '83 Penn DMR, except its indoors, girls not boys, and has nothing at all to do with relays...except maybe the 4x4.  Oddly, Bernards' weak link 27 years ago was on the 400 leg.  They would have been better served to use senior star Kristin Smoot along with Stogryn, Blanchet, and Carlotti.  Smoot just ran 58.83 to win on the flat track in Toms River.  She will be the favorite in the 800, as well, and do her duty on the 4x4.  Bernards also expects big points from vaulter/hurdler Catherine Shih and soph distance runner Dana Giordano.  In each of the 3 seasons she has competed in HS, Giordano has run better and better at the state meet level.  The versatile Smoot also ran 7.61 which should score in the 55.    

The Group 4 girls meet will move on in the wake of Jill Smith and Danielle Tauro.  Southern Regional still won the SJ section over a good Lenape team led by senior Caitlinn Orr and another promising frosh (5:05) Natalia Ocasio.  Montgomery's Jillian Prentice doubled in CJ section, running 10:54 on the back end.  She will factor into both races, along with Randolph's Joelle Amaral, who figures to be the favorite along with Orr in the 1600.  Amaral finally broke through the 5:00 barrier at the Armory a few weeks back, and followed that with an excellente 4:57-10:57 sectional double.  Only a junior, she is running great and has a chance at some big titles in the next two weekends. 

The mercifully sectional-free Non-Publics will also produce some big results and MoC contenders such as RBC's Molly McNamara and Mt. St. Mary's Caroline Williams. 

Now, on to the blokes...

where there is no more representative icon in any high school sport, than Nick Vena is for NJ track and field.  No offense to the other throwers, and there are some good ones, but Vena could probably throw me farther than anybody else in the state throws the shot.  He will win.  His team narrowly lost their section to Irvington, and stands a shot if senior Hamer Farag can win the 800 and come close in the 1600 (or 3200). 
After slaying the Rosa's in the Mercer County 3200, future Orangeman Sam Macaluso stuck to the 1600 and 800 at the sectional, and goes in as the favorite in the 1600 here.  Ocean City's Miles Schoedler and Millburn's Brian Robinson can also win, as can Macaluso's teammate Brian Schoepfer.  The fact that their coach is at the same time one of the wisest, funniest, and morally outstanding humans ever to walk the planet, I will hope for a 1-2 from the Pirates.  The Group 3 3200 will match up Jim Rosa with Tyler Udland and Shawnee's somewhat enigmatic Dave Forward.  Its hard to not call Rosa the big favorite here.  Both the 1600 and 3200 at Group 2 could go the way of frosh Matt Nelson from Barnegat. 

Haddonfield's Jon Vitez is the guy to keep an eye on in the Group 1 meet.  Will he be ready next week to contend with Jim Rosa for the Meet of Champs title?  He may be the best equipped to do so, along Udland, Matt Valeriani, maybe some private school types from...say CBA...who knows.  New Providence has an intriguing soph in Everett Price, winning his section in 4:@5 adn 9:49.  Probably not a real threat to Vitez, but a blossoming talent who has the chance to take a step forward.

Curtis Richburg.  Whatever was holding him back in a few races earlier in the season appears to be in his proverbial rear view mirror.  The West Orange senior is the best thing to come out of that town since Dave Alfano, and better than him anyway.  He is the standout favorite to watch in the 1600, with Livingston's Jeremy Elkaim also coming along nicely.  Both ran the 3200, and it remains to be seen if they will continue with that event.  The mighty North Hunterdon has an improving junior in Matt McDonald who ran 9:31 to win CJ.  Group 4's quiet stud would be Southern Regional senior Matt Valeriani.  Yes, they have a boys track team, as well.  Valeriani ran 9:20 to win his SJ meet. 

Friday night will provide some good looks at some good running in the formerly parochial meets.
Not so much with the Non-Public B meet, where the are not quite any Doug Smith's, Bobby Papazian's, Oskar Nordenbring's, and so on.  Meet of Champs x-c winner Don Bosco Prep has been laying low, but should score some points.  CBA junior Mike Mazzacarro is always good when it counts.  However, Pat Schellberg has been the man on fire all season, winning Millrose, running some great 800m splits, and now with a bone to pick with himself after his Boston Indoor Games mile.  Union Catholic's DJ Thornton is finally healthy and not to be taken lightly, however.  Junior Kevin Byrne, jr., of RBC ran a great 1000m at The Armory and figures to roll in the 800...how about the 1600...he could make that more interesting-er. 

Either way, many meets with many good matchups.  The best thing about NJ track is that it all comes together at The Meet of Champions...only one week further away...weather permitting.