Klemic wins twice; Kalnas captures shot put title

JERRY WOLKOWITZ Duncan Littlefield, of Millstone, clears the pole vault bar during the 18th annual New Jersey International Track and FIeld Championships at Colts Neck High School Saturday.

At New Jersey

International

Track & Field Meet

BY TIM MORRIS

Staff Writer

Paul Klemic wishes he could long jump before every high jump competition.

Klemic, who competes for the Shore AC, won both the long jump and high jump at Saturday’s New Jersey International Track and Field Meet held at Colts Neck High School.

Klemic won the Mike Pascuzzo Men’s High Jump after a duel with Poland’s Rafal Kazimierczak, at 7-0. Klemic, a star at Mainland Regional High School, where he was a state champion and high jump record-setter, missed three time at 7-2 1/2, which would have given him a "B" qualifying standard for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials next month (July 9-18) in Sacramento, Calif.

"This was my first meet in a month," said Klemic. "I’m kind of happy with it [7-0].

"At another meet, I know I’ll get the qualifier," he added.

Klemic won the high jump after winning the Charlie Mays Men’s Long Jump at 25-3.

Most would question how effective a high jumper can be after first doing the long jump. For Klemic, it’s ideal.

"If I hadn’t done the long jump, I wouldn’t have jumped 7-0," said Klemic. "Warming up for the long jump helps me in the high jump."

Monmouth University graduate Jon Kalnas has already punched his ticket to Sacramento. The former Hawk All-American, who is now competing for the Nittany Lion Track Club, won the Art Blazis Memorial Men’s Shot Put with a throw of 63-0.

Manalapan High School’s Joe Kircher, second at the recent Meet of Champions, was fifth (45-6).

In a race of 2004 Olympic hopefuls, Aubrey Herring, representing Nike, beat Ewing Township’s Dudley Dorival in the Harrison Dillard Men’s 110-meter High Hurdles, 13.56-13.72. The men’s hurdles was the highlight of the track program. Dorival, who will be competing for Haiti in Athens this summer, was looking for a early season test, and Herring, a graduate of Indiana State University, who is a candidate to make the United States team, provided to be just that. Herring ran a very clean race in beating Dorival, a former winner of this event.

For Herring, it was a good sign as he gears up for the Olympic Trials in an event that is loaded.

In keeping with the international flavor of the meet, Ireland’s Aiden Walsh, who is looking to break 4:00 in the mile before the 2004 track season is over, won the Francis Kipkuna Memorial 2-Mile in 9:05.65.

Finishing second behind the Irishman was former Holmdel High School star, Craig Segal, now a junior at Villanova University.

Segal, who was the NJSIAA Meet of Champions state champion in the 3,200 meters at Holmdel, posted a 9:17.16 in his final race of the year. He will now begin preparation for the 2004 cross country season.

One of Segal’s scholastic rivals, Matt Piccarillo of Red Bank Catholic, was competing unattached and was sixth (9:38.45).

Segal enjoys wearing the Villanova singlet, and what it represents in the world of track and field.

"It’s awesome; there’s such a tradition that goes with wearing the uniform," he said.

The Eamonn Coghlan Men’s 1-Mile Run didn’t produce a sub-4:00 mile, but it did produce wild finish. The University of Pittsburgh’s Eric Fleming caught Villanova’s Kippy Keino (son of Kenya’s legendary Olympic champion Kip Keino) and Marc Pelerin in the final meters to steal the victory in 4:08.15. Keino posted a 4:08.33 and Pelerin 4:08.58.

The Joetta Clark-Diggs Women’s 800 Meters, went to Alisa Harvey, who for more than a decade has been among the nation’s best in this event. Harvey was first in 2:07.60.

Villanova’s Paul Moser led a one-two Wildcat finish in the Rich Kenah Men’s 800 Meters, running a 1:50.83.

The Shore AC’s Michael Brown produced a quick 50.49 in winning the Kevin Young Men’s 400-meter Intermediate Hurdles.

Richard James turned in the second fastest time in meet history in the Otis Davis Men’s 400 meters. Running unattached he held off the Shore AC’s Tyrone Ross, 45.82-45.93.

The Frank Budd Men’s 100-Meter Dash went to Jason Smoots in 10.50, while the women’s century dash, the Wilma Rudolph, was won by Essex Community College sprinter Kerron Stewart (11.80).

Barry Flicker won Bob Roggy Memorial Men’s Javelin at 222-3.

In the high school races, Colts Neck’s Ashley Higginson captured the Casie Kerr Memorial Girls’ 1-Mile Run in 5:19.72, while the George Kochman High School Boys’ 1-Mile Run was captured by New Englander Andrew Levy of Horace Greely, in 4:26.24.