Local athletes shine at indoor Meet of Champions
Forys shatters meet record in 3,200 win
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY JEFFGRANIT staff Above, Jackson's Amanda Marino has the early lead in the girls' 3,200-meter event during Saturday's Meet of Champions in Toms River. At left, Howell's Lindsey Lambert tries to emerge out of the pack en route to an 11th-place finish.

While it wasn't as strong a showing as in recent years for local athletes at the NJSIAA's Indoor Meet of Champions this past weekend, there were still some strong showings in a number of events.

Jackson's Amanda Marino finished sixth overall in the 1,600 meters at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions last Saturday. The senior posted a time of 5:03.49.

Lakewood High School senior Shavon Greaves placed sixth in the 55-meter dash in a time of 7.27 seconds.

Howell's Lindsey Lambert was 11th in the 3,200 (11:14.22), while Howell's Anna DiPaolo was 20th (36-3) in the girls shot put and David Hayes was 17th in the boys 400 (51.79) for the Rebels.

Jackson's girls 4x400 relay team also ran well, finishing in ninth place in 4:06.62.

Two of the greatest distance runners in state history left a final, lasting impression on the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions.

Colts Neck's unflappable duo of Craig Forys and Ashley Higginson not only defended their 2006 3,200-meters titles, but turned in meet records and the fastest times in the country in the process.

The MOC was held over two days at the Bennett Indoor Sports Complex in Toms River. The girls competed Saturday and the boys' meet was on Sunday.

For Higginson, it was a historic hat trick as she became the second girl to win three straight indoor 3,200 crowns (Bridgewater-Raritan's Monal Choski ruled the race from 1990 to 1992). She smashed her own meet record (10:36.74) with her national-leading 10:26.53

Forys again left the state's best distance runners in the rear-view mirror after he put the hammer down. A 61-second last quarter brought the Cougar home in his national-leading 9:03.58, lowering the old mark of 9:06.58 set in 2004 by Mohamed Khadraoui of JFK Paterson.

The boys 3,200 was one of the featured events on Sunday with Gill St. Bernard sophomore Doug Smith coming in with the second-best time in the country (9:08.01). Based on his Group IV winning time, Forys was seeded sixth. Has there ever been a better sixth seed?

Forys, who sees a little bit of himself in Smith (after all, he was the super sophomore upsetting the careers of upperclassmen just two years ago), knew what he was going to be up to Sunday.

"He was going to run negative splits at the mile," said Forys.

Smith did just that, knowing it was his only chance to win, hoping that Forys, whose had a limited racing schedule in 2007, wouldn't be ready to handle a fast pace.

"He's more experience than me, he's older than me and he's faster," said Smith. "My goal was to run fast and just try and hold on."

An opening 1,600 in 4:40 had a number of runners in the race, but not for long, when Smith picked it up, running the next 800 in 2:16, and quickly it was down to two runners, with Smith still leading, but knowing that Forys and his famed kick were waiting to strike.

The move came with around 550 meters to go. Following the advice of his coach, Jim Schlentz, who had told him when he made his move to make it decisive, Forys took off. Smith tried to respond but had no answer as Forys unwound his devastating long, sustained sprint to the finish. He would run his final 800 in 2:06.6, including his closing 61.

"I felt awesome," said Forys. "It was great to get out and unleash like that. It's great to be able to race this strong and feel so good at the end of the race."

Afterward, Forys and Smith each commented on the mutual respect they have for each other - Forys for the way Smith puts it all on the line, and Smith for the talent and composure Forys has.

Forys ran his second 1,600 in 4:23. The winning time of the 1,600 on Sunday was 4:21.63, which tells you what the state's best distance runners are facing against him.

Higginson didn't have someone who was going to push her on Saturday. Good thing for her she has had practice at it.

"Occasionally I do workouts alone and on Sundays I usually run by myself," she pointed out. "I really enjoy that time to myself."

Higginson really enjoyed Saturday's solo run as she smashed her own MOC record by 10 seconds.

"I wanted to prove that I was better than last year," she explained. "I felt good. I'm proud of this race."

It has been Higginson's constant improvement each year that has kept her on the top and enabled her to become just the second runner to win three straight MOC 3,200s. Her time is third-best all-time in the state.

"It's really an honor [three straight]," she said. "Each year, my times have excelled. It says so much about Coach Schlentz."

It also says an awful lot about her remarkable consistency - a consistency that has allowed her to join the ranks of the best the state has ever produced.

Forys and Higginson both end their indoor MOC careers with three championships - Higginson with her hat trick and Forys with three in the last two years. Last year, he became just the second boy to win both the 1,600-3,200 double. Overall, including cross country and outdoor track, Forys has won seven MOC titles.

This was the first season for the Bennett Sports and it got the approval of athletes, coaches and officials. Look for more indoor meet opportunities for Shore-area track and field athletes as a result of having it so close.