Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 7, 2007 13:38:34 GMT -5
Vento, Forys, Frick qualify for NCAA Championships
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Former Freehold District high school stars Debra Vento and Matt Forys will be concluding their collegiate careers this week in Sacramento, Calif., at the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Also going to the nationals is another former District star, Justin Frick, who is a freshman at Princeton University and will be making his national debut.
Vento, a senior at Duke University, finished third in the women's high jump at NCAA East Regional held in Gainesville, Fla., May 25-27, and qualified automatically for the national meet. She cleared 1.18 meters (5-11 1/4), the same height as winner Carin Knight of Connecticut and runner-up Kristen Meister of Davidson. Vento finished third on a fewer misses tiebreaker.
She negotiated 5-11 1/4 on her final try, while Meister was over on her second and Knight on her first attempt.
A national and multistate champion while jumping for Freehold Borough High School, Vento is no stranger to the NCAA's, as she has qualified for the national championships every year at Duke and has earned All-American honors both indoors and outdoors.
Vento is the most decorated jumper in Duke history and holds the Blue Devils' school marks indoors (5-11 1/2) and outdoors (6-1 1/2). She has won Atlantic Coast Conference and ECAC titles during her stellar career.
Forys, a senior at Bucknell University, will be running the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He is ending his collegiate career on a very high note. Starting with the cross country season in the fall, the ex-Howell High School star has enjoyed his finest collegiate season. He qualified for the NCAA cross country championships back in November. During the indoor season, he won the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races at the Patriot League championships and was named the meet's Most Outstanding Track Athlete.
This spring, he was the league's outdoor champion at 10,000 and runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, his best event.
Forys turned in an 8:51.11 in the steeplechase in finishing seventh at the East Regional.
He earned an at-large bid to the NCAA on the strength of the 8:50.10 he had run earlier in the season.
Frick has made a big splash at Old Nassau. An All-American and state high jump champion at Freehold Borough, he became the first area jumper to clear 7-0 when he won IC4A title last month at 7-0 1/4 (2.14 meters).
He also won the Heptagonal (Ivy League) championship for Princeton. At the East Regional, Frick earned an automatic pass to the NCAA's with his third-place finish. He did 6-11 (2.11 meters).
The NCAA championships start today and run through Saturday.
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Former Freehold District high school stars Debra Vento and Matt Forys will be concluding their collegiate careers this week in Sacramento, Calif., at the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Also going to the nationals is another former District star, Justin Frick, who is a freshman at Princeton University and will be making his national debut.
Vento, a senior at Duke University, finished third in the women's high jump at NCAA East Regional held in Gainesville, Fla., May 25-27, and qualified automatically for the national meet. She cleared 1.18 meters (5-11 1/4), the same height as winner Carin Knight of Connecticut and runner-up Kristen Meister of Davidson. Vento finished third on a fewer misses tiebreaker.
She negotiated 5-11 1/4 on her final try, while Meister was over on her second and Knight on her first attempt.
A national and multistate champion while jumping for Freehold Borough High School, Vento is no stranger to the NCAA's, as she has qualified for the national championships every year at Duke and has earned All-American honors both indoors and outdoors.
Vento is the most decorated jumper in Duke history and holds the Blue Devils' school marks indoors (5-11 1/2) and outdoors (6-1 1/2). She has won Atlantic Coast Conference and ECAC titles during her stellar career.
Forys, a senior at Bucknell University, will be running the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He is ending his collegiate career on a very high note. Starting with the cross country season in the fall, the ex-Howell High School star has enjoyed his finest collegiate season. He qualified for the NCAA cross country championships back in November. During the indoor season, he won the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races at the Patriot League championships and was named the meet's Most Outstanding Track Athlete.
This spring, he was the league's outdoor champion at 10,000 and runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, his best event.
Forys turned in an 8:51.11 in the steeplechase in finishing seventh at the East Regional.
He earned an at-large bid to the NCAA on the strength of the 8:50.10 he had run earlier in the season.
Frick has made a big splash at Old Nassau. An All-American and state high jump champion at Freehold Borough, he became the first area jumper to clear 7-0 when he won IC4A title last month at 7-0 1/4 (2.14 meters).
He also won the Heptagonal (Ivy League) championship for Princeton. At the East Regional, Frick earned an automatic pass to the NCAA's with his third-place finish. He did 6-11 (2.11 meters).
The NCAA championships start today and run through Saturday.