His name is not Tim, but can he deal with Jim?  Or can he enchant him?  Fresh off of a 4:14 anchor on Haddonfield's 10:10 DMR, Jon Vitez takes a crack at an indoor MoC title on Saturday. Following is a rundown of all events with picks of the big winners and beyond.

While black bears have become an increasing concern in NW New Jersey, this is what it looks like at the Jersey Shore near Toms River.  Polar Bears.  Also, look out for the penguins.  They look cute, but they are generally pretty pissed off...remember Burgess Meredith?!?! 

If you stumble upon one of these in the parking lot on your way into the bubble, don't try to deal with them yourself.  Find a big dude like Nick Vena.  Or Tom Heath.  And run away.  Another big snow is expected to dump on the Garden State Thursday and Friday.  Hopefully, it clears out and the meet will take place Saturday.  

The beauty of indoors, once the meet actually happens, is that weather is not a factor...because its indoors.  Or something. This makes for a cozy spectating experience.  Easy to focus, easy to take in the race.  This is not as true at Toms River as it was at Jadwin (unless you are 7'4" or so) but still you can see drama unfold indoors quite well.  

I still recall a young, inexperienced Casey Nelson jumping into the scene a few years back and winning MoC titles fresh off of the soccer field.  Claudia DiSomma could do the same.  So could frosh Natalia Ocasio from Lenape.  I shall begin with the girls meet, even though the boys meet starts off the day...

GIRLS 55m-

The last 2 years, future Duck Lanie Thomspson secured titles in the 3200m here.  Now at the opposite end of the event spectrum, English Gardner is the pick in the 55.

1.  English Gardner, Eastern  2. Jasmine Carter, Columbia  3.  Tylia Gillon, Jackson

GIRLS 55m Hurdles-

I know little of this event, so can really only go with "the chalk".  Have some rooting interest in Ridge senior Jackie Madden, seeded 6th at 8.44, also a versatile athlete running sub-20 at Holmdel and sub 2:20 for 800m.  

1.  Jamie Thompson, South Brunswick  2.  Kayann Richards, Columbia  3.  Fiona Paladino, Montgomery


GIRLS 400m-

This has been a good event in the history of the state on both sides of the gender equation, and it remains so this year.  Highly touted senior Michelle Brown faces less touted, but just as toutworthy senior Amber Allen of Passaic Tech.  Not to be overlooked is soph Myasia Jacobs of Paramus Catholic.  Last year Brown ran 55.88 to edge Allen for runnerup.  Allen won Easterns in 55.55 to edge Brown by .19.  Jacobs won the 100m at outdoor Meet of Champs.  I would have to think Chelsea Cox will stick with the 800m and 4x4.  The picks are:

1.  Amber Allen, Passaic Tech  2.  Michelle Brown, Seneca   3.  Myasia Jacobs, Paramus Catholic

GIRLS 800m-

One of the more memorable Meet of Champs races I've ever seen was when Katy Trotter, not an 800m runner, went wire-to-wire and routed the field in Jadwin a few years back.  Just a smooth, flawless flowing display.  This year's field seems reasonably wide open.  The sentiment here will be to root strongly for Bernards senior Kristin Smoot.  Ms. Smoot led my alma mater to another Group Title last week with wins in the 400 (58.31) and 800 (2:17.06).  Something other than hometown optimism tells me she is ready to make a drop.  Many athletes squeezed in another meet at Easterns, while Bernards could have run a representative 4x8 or DMR, but chose to take the week get ready for Saturday.  This may have been a wise move.  

1. Kristin Smooth, Bernards  2.  Chelsea Cox, Southern  3.  Megan Tiernan, Washington Twp.  4.  Ajee Wilson, Neptune  5.  Brittney Jackson, Columbia  

GIRLS 1600m- 

If Corrie Gethard finds a way to win this thing, it will be renamed the Brian Zatorski Southern Regional Memorial 1600m from here on forward.  Making these picks involves making some assumptions on event choice.  I will assume RBC's Molly McNamara is running just the 1600m, even though she could win the 800m, as well.  I will assume Ajee Wilson is running just the 800m, which would make sense because she hasn't shown herself to really be a viable contender this winter in the 1600m.  That seems a silly comment to make about a young lady who ran under 2:10 for 800m and 4:46 for 1600m as a freshmen, but she has been in several quality races and for whatever reason has not shown that type of form.  Randolph's Joelle Amaral is the other big question mark.  She was relegated to 3rd last week between the young-old Lenape duo in the Group 4 race, only to come back and win the 3200m in 10:53 from behind.  Amaral has run 4:56y, so is on par with anybody in this field on a good day.  I have thought all winter that Caitlinn Orr has been laying low in a good way and might be the one to beat.  However, is frosh teammate Ocasio just feeling things out and ready to step out from behind her?  Then there is Sparta frosh Claudia DiSomma, who has twice run the state frosh record.  Both DiSomma and Amaral have run races hard, and sometimes unevenly, from the front.  RBC's McNamara has been very consistent, and was 2nd to the Jillian Smith juggernaut last winter.  This could be a race where you see 6 or more under 5:00, or perhaps none or just a few under if everybody is cautious and tightly bunched.  I will guess that the presence of at least DiSomma, and probably also Amaral will get the proverbial ball rolling and it may take 4:54-55 to win.  To me, I see an experienced veteran filling that role best, and will go with 2 seniors in the top two slots:

1.  Caitlinn Orr, Lenape  2.  Molly McNamara, RBC  3.  Natalia Ocasio, Lenape  4.  Claudia DiSomma, Sparta  5.  Joelle Amaral, Randolph
6.  Dana Giordano, Bernards


GIRLS 3200-  

We should not soon forget the winning and excellent competitiveness and leadership shown by Voorhees' Lanie Thompson over the past few years.  Many of the young ladies in the field this year have benefited from rubbing their proverbial shoulders with her.  On paper, the title seems somewhat up for grabs without Chelsey Ley, but Highland's Megan Venables has to be tabbed as the favorite by the virtue of her 18-flat and runnerup MoC finish at Holmdel and 10:47 win last week.  Her somewhat lowkey schedule in South Jersey also can be an advantage at this point in the year, I believe.  Amaral would seem to be an intriguing threat given her 4:56y credentials...if she ran fresh...and if she ran an evenly split, patient race.  Jillian Prentice has shown herself capable of winning and running under 10:50, as well, but teammate Lara Shegoski beat her last week.  WWP-South's Caroline Kellner appears to be coming around strong now, and is well coached and mostly berated with profanity on a daily basis.  Mendham's Laura Vigilante has not had many fresh 3200m races, and could be a big threat, as well.  My gut tells me Venables will pull it off, and make this a race won right around 10:40.  That will pull 2 or 3 others with her, then a gap to the 10:50's types.  

1.  Megan Venables, Highland...10:38  2.  Laura Vigilante, Mendham...10:42  3.  Caroline Kellner, The University of Wayton...10:43  4.  Joelle Amaral, Randolph...10:50  5.  Collette Whitney, Voorhees...10:51  6.  Ashley Smolinka, Hillsborough...10:55

The 4x4 is always fun, Southern Regional is the favorite once again with the only seed time under 4:00.  The threat of a Michelle Brown-anchored Seneca squad can't be ignored, nor can a solid Columbia crew.  Several teams have pretty good marks with athletes in other individual events like Sparta (3rd seeded, 4:01.77 with frosh DiSomma on the squad) and Bernards (4:05.25 with Kristin Smoot).  Hopewell Valley senior Emily Kianka jumped 5'11" at Easterns.  That is worth a look.  The pole vault features outdoor MoC winner Emily Urciuoli from Clifton, with Bernards' Catherine Shih among other with a shot.  



On to the dudes...


Nick Vena abides...and throws stuff far, man.  He will win.  Mark Jones from Summit has been flirting with the 7-foot barrier, and could command some attention .  Toms River North senior Jordan Subai is the only guy with a seed height of 15-feet, he'll be the pick for the hometown win.  Keshon Brown of Paterson Kennedy and Devon Carter of Washington Twp. posted group marks of 7.51 and 7.54, but Irvington's Rashon Evans is a threat, as well.  He could also win the 55, where he blazed 6.53 last week.  Long Branch junior Miles Shuler-Foster was the only man quicker with 6.50 in his group, and is the favorite after his 6.35 at Easterns.  The 400 may not be a close race, but when a sophomore runs 47.87...you pay attention.  St. Peter's Prep's Najee Glass is that guy.  Glass also ran 48.77 on the flat to win NP-A.  Franklin's Clayton Gravesande and Pope John's Dylan Hurley also went under 50.00, with Indian Hills' Mark Filandro at 50.01 and Washington Twp.'s Devon Carter at 50.05.  Gravesande and Filandro ran 48.22 and 48.53 respectively at Easterns, while Carter stuck to the hurdles, winning with 7.49.  

The boys 4x4 has the chance to set things right for one Joseph Aloysius McVeigh.  So proud was he to see his alma mater in the Millrose 4x4...then they dropped the frigging stick right away.  Bergen Catholic comes in with the 2nd seed time behind Absegami, and is my sentimental favorite to win.  

DUDES 800m-

On to the events where I claim to know enough about to make some more detailed picks...beginning with the 800.  Last year Lucas Clyne nearly pulled off the win to give Morris Hills the trifecta.  This year, Junior Byrne, a junior heads the time sheet and is the favorite for RBC.  This is a race where strange things have happened indoors...winners out of unseeded heats, slow times, etc.  Byrne is coming around well, and has been consistent this winter.  Morristown's Hamer Farag has raced often this winter for his team's success, and may finally be fresh for a big 800m here.  He has the tools to give Byrne some trouble if it is close.  That said, Byrne also has great raw footspeed and has gutted out some close finishes on the track, so he is the pick to win.

1.  Kevin Byrne, jr., Red Bank Catholic  2.  Hamer Farag, Morristown  3.  Steve Morrone, Washington Twp.  4.  Jared Mason, West Orange  5.  Luke Zirngibl, Middletown North  6.  Jamie Gibilisco, Notre Dame


DUDES 1600m-

4:10 on a flat track starts to bring up memories that I don't even have of Vince Cartier.  Delbarton's Pat Schellberg erased any small doubts after Boston Indoor Games with a resounding win at groups.  The nearest pursuer on the time sheets is the runner-up from that race, DJ Thornton of Union Catholic, who has been building back from a rough injury in the fall.  4:13.35 shows Thornton is better than he's ever been and is poised to have a monster end to his high school career.  

Prior to the massive game against Villanova on primetime Saturday night, all attention will be turned on this race with Syracuse-bound Sam Macaluso being a contender.  He is maturing, should be full of confidence, and coached by one of the most profoundly profane people on the planet.  The enigma here is Curtis Richburg who slipped to 3rd in Group 4 after a barrage of great efforts both open and on relays.  He could still get into the seeded heat with the expected scratches from the likes of Vitez and Tyler Udland.  If he does he will make things interesting.  Schellberg has simply become a national class miler, and deserves to the pick here.  Also keep an eye on Barnegat frosh Matt Nelson, who broke Forys class-record running 420.94

1.  Pat Schellberg, Delbarton  2.  Sam Macaluso, The University of Wayton  3.  DJ Thornton, Union Catholic  4.  Aaron Leskow, Toms River North  5. Brian Schoepfer, The University of Wayton  6.  Curtis Richburg, West Orange

DUDES 3200-

Its not the Armory, but the air is good, and you can run pretty fast deuces in the bubble.  Jim Rosa is good at running.  Other than his brother, no human being, from Jersey or beyond, has ever run faster at Holmdel Park.  When you do things like that, it means that you also are a big hairy, scary monster.  Jim has an outdoor MoC title from last spring as a soph, and also ran 4:13y earlier in January. 

He's not the first person who is good at running to look not as good running at Millrose.  There are a few other 9-teens guys lined up to challenge him, led by Jon Vitez, fresh off of a 4:14 anchor at Easterns.  Junior Jeremy Elkaim ran 9:07 last spring, but was not running at that level by the end of the fall.  His 9:12 win at groups shows he is there again.  Southern Regional's Matt Valeriani followed him with a PR of 9:15.  I had become a fan of this young man once I learned of his dream of running at Colorado...now I hear he is going to UNC with Schellberg and others.  Not too many years ago, I would have scorned, booed and hissed this decision, but now the kinder, gentler, worse at running me, will just wish Matt well as he is part of a movement to make that program in Chapel Hill not suck on the men's side.  This has been a decades-long process in the wake of people like Chris Bennett leaving their foul footprints on the program.  Things appear to be headed in the right direction.  This could be a big race for Jim Rosa.  I could see him hammering out a big time, under-9, or he could run a smart, patient race just to win.  

1.  Jim Rosa, West Windsor North...8:58.4  2.  Jeremy Elkaim, Livingston...9:06  3.  Matt Valeriani, Southern Regional...9:10  4.  Jon Vitez, Haddonfield...9:11   5.  Joe Kotran, Toms River North...9:14   6.  Mike Rankin, Paul VI...9:19  



That should cover it.  I predict that it will be difficult to make it there by the start of the 10AM meet, but I shall do my best.