In it's quest to continue the success that they had achieved over the past few years, this year's relay team is starting
off the new year facing some unexpected adversities. To start, the team lost to graduation, two of their
best members to ever run track at the Township. Multiple record holders, these boys were also the core of the track team.
Ryan Spadola, now playing football at Leigh University was also the Township's 2009 Athlete of year. Breaking
many records held for a number of years at Twp.. Spadola made it look easy, as he "glided: over the finish line with
his big smile, winning most of the races he ran. Ryan could run all the sprints from the 800m to the 55m with equal success.
He was also the anchor of the 2008-09 multi-record breaking relay team.
Not to be undersold, the other equally talented, multi-athletic core member of last year's record breaking relay
team,was Bobby Searby. Bobby was also an outstanding soccer player for township, leading them to their 1st SCT title
in his senior year. But it was on the track that he excelled. Seary is now running track for the College of New
Jersey in Trenton, where as a freshman, his speed has allowed him to work his way up to the "A" team. During his
years at the Twp., Bobby ran sprints, hurdles and relays. He was also another key member of last year's Twp.
multi-award winning track team.
Surely missed, this year's track team has continued to astonish all competitors. As coach Briggs stated' "We have
enormous depth in all areas of both track and field." That statement showed especially true when township needed
to replace one of it's relay team members, Kwame Manful, in the Monmouth County Relay Meet last week. After a drastic fall
in the 4 x 200 race caused him to fall and fracture his jaw the relay team, that was picked to win or least bring in
high points cold not finish the race. Knowing that they needed to make-up points in other areas, coach Briggs, jockeyed
around some positions and rallied the team. The 4 x 400m team had replaced Kwame with an alternate, Theo Vlahos,
who had just thrown the shot put 39 31/2 for a sixth place finish. The 4 x 400m team of Sean Walsh, Vlahos, Kinsley
Innocent and the only returning veteran from last year's the award winning relay team, Matt Intile made up the quartet.
Now not the favorites in the 4 x 400m meet, the ran a good race and took a fourth place finish.
In this week's NJSIAA relay meet, disaster struck the relay team again. Matt Intile running the anchor leg
for the team, was making up distance coming into the final turn when he was pushed and fell, injuring his knee. He managed
recover from the fall get back on his feet and finish the race, however, the team did not place. The fall also kept
him from competing in any later events.
Unlike last year when the Relay team swept the NJSIAA State Championships, this year they had to watch someone else take
that honor.
