By Christopher Hunt
Photos by Tim Fulton
WHITE PLAINS – St. Benedict’s coach Marty Hannon couldn’t help but think about what could have been. When senior Tahlief Jackson transferred from Patterson to the New Jersey private school powerhouse, the rules said he had to sit out 30 days. That meant he had to watch his new team from the stands at Penn Relays.
But Friday at the Loucks Games he only made the could-have-been conversation worse. His leadoff lead in the boys East Coast Distance Medley Relay gave St. Benedict’s a slight lead that sophomore sensation Edward Cheresek ballooned as the Gray Bees won in 10:07.20, New Jersey’s fastest time this season.
“I wasn’t able to run at Penn so I wanted to come out here and make up for lost time and show what I could do,” Jackson said.
Jackson inched ahead of Monroe-Woodbury’s Ryan Brennan just before the exchange for a 3:07.6 leadoff 1,200 meter leg. It put St. Benedict’s right into the thick of the race from the start, something the team lacked indoors and at Penn Relays when the team was buried in 16th place after the first leg.
“If we have him at Penn Relays, we win,” Hannon said. “He was great today. We could have won at Penn.”
St. Benedict’s finished 15 seconds faster than at Penn Relays two weeks ago. The only thing it was missing was a mind-boggling chase-down by Cheresek, the kind that’s been the staple of many a national-caliber DMR this season. Cheresek instead took an early lead away from Monroe-Woodbury’s anchor and finished in 4:09.2. M-W finished second in 10:22.37.
The girls race was much more tightly-contested and featured a showdown of some of the state’s heavyweight milers -- Shenendehowa’s Lizzie Predmore, Ward Melville’s Mary Kate Anselmini and Gina Talt of Mamaroneck.
Anselmini, who’s has been struggling with tendonitis in her right foot, snatched the lead from Predmore in the first 300. Predmore tacked right behind Anselmini while Talt closed a 20-meter gap to join the leaders. When Predmore pounced in the last 100, Anselmini fended her off to give her team an upset win in 11:49.57. Shen stopped the clock in 11:50.20 for second with Mamaroneck third in 11:55.31.
“I know that Lizzie is really strong but I didn’t know if she had a kick in her,” Anselmini said. “So I knew I had to take it out and try to pull it out of her. It was really scary. I was expecting her to make a move to blow right by me because she was right there on my shoulder the whole time like she was just waiting to make a move.”
Anselmini had been struggling with the foot since late March and only had a full week of normal training this week. She showed her fitness last week though, when she finished third in the 1,500 in 4:32.47 at the St. Anthony’s Invitational last week.
On Thursday she used a 4:53.0 split to hold off Predmore. Ward Melville also got a major push from Jeana Esernio, who split 58.5 on the 400 leg, her first time under 60 seconds.
“I expected us to run fast,” coach Tom Youngs said. “I thought we were ready for that. But I didn’t know we’d run 11:49.”
St. Benedict’s Splits
Tahlief Jackson – 3:07.6
Kalonji Foster – 50.7
Darien Edwards – 1:59.7
Edward Cheresek – 4:09.2
Ward Melville’s Splits
Caroline O’Hea – 3:37.3
Jeana Esernio – 58.5
Juliana Marcucci – 2:21.3
Mary Kate Anselmini –4:53.0
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack and follow him on Twitter at @ChrisHuntArmory
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Ryan Brennen of Monroe Woodbury led most of the way on the leadoff 1200m leg.
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Edward Cheserek anchored the relay in 4:09 after going out under 2:00 at the 800m mark.
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Anima Banks of Mamaroneck handed off in first after running the 1200m leadoff leg.
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Mary Kate Anselmini held off Lizzie Predmore for the DMR win.
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