OCEAN CITY – Ocean City High School girls track coach Tim Cook has a senior who can compete wherever he needs her, a junior who is learning and excelling at just about everything she tries, and freshmen who are making an impact in their first season, getting themselves onto top-10 all-time performance lists in their first season.
All in all, not a bad problem to have.
Junior Elaina Styer is everywhere on the track team, Cook said. “She has had a killer year between indoor and outdoor track this year,” he said. So far she has competed in the 400 meters, the 200, the long jump, the triple jump, the shot put, the 4×400 and 4×100 and sprint medley. “We put here anywhere we need her,” he said.
He puts out lists of top five performances and Styer has the best throw, the best jump, is the third best 200 runner, the second best in the 400. She just started in the shot-put and just throwing from the stance – no slide – she’s already at 33 feet. She set the indoor triple jump record at OCHS and broke the outdoor record her first meet this spring.
“She is learning how to pole vault and to hurdle. Same with discus and javelin. She’s trying to learn everything,” Cook said.
Cook said in the more than 10 seasons he has been with the track program, he hasn’t seen an athlete put in more across-the-board work than Styer, who diligently pops around every day to every event. She is game to help everywhere. He said when some of their sprinters were unavailable at the Woodbury Relays, Styer stepped in and ran the 4×100 and a 200 leg in the sprint medley.
Another all-around performer is senior leader Maggie Halbruner, who runs the 400 and 200 meters and “can pretty much do anything we ask her to do,” Cook said. “It’s nice to have that veteran leadership on the team.”
Among the freshmen, Naomi Nnewihe came off her first soccer season and in her first meet last week against Our Lady of Mercy Academy, posted top-10 times in the 100 meters and 200 meters. “She decided to run after having a big soccer season in the fall. The girls are happy to have her.”
Freshman Chloe Care has been a staple for the team in distance from cross country to winter track and now is the top distance runner for the Red Raiders.
Freshman hurdler Annamarie Marczk is just outside the top 10 in the 100 hurdles. “I believe she is sitting in 11th,” the coach said. “She is just fearless. She attacks the hurdles and is fast.”
Freshman Madeline Adamson, a basketball and field hockey player, is the team’s top discus thrower and on the same day last week hit personal records in the shot put and discus.
“It’s a nice little freshman class,” Cook said. “These girls are stepping up and performing and it’s fun to watch.”
The coach said there are a lot of other athletes who have been doing well for the Red Raiders. He said senior Marissa Sampson has broken 100 meters in the javelin, fellow senior Sarah Gleason came into her own during sectionals last year and is doing the triple jump and is second on the team in the 100 and 400 hurdles. Senior sprinter Mallory Gould is in the top 10 in the 100 meters and provides nice leadership for the team.
Sophomore Skylar Cohen is stepping up, he said, run-in the 100 and learning the pole vault. She is sixth in team points this season.
Cook also cited freshman Mia Buonadonna, senior thrower Aimee Altieiri (a powerlifter), senior runner Emma Webber who is in her 12th varsity season running for OCHS, 800 runner Olivia Palmieri, among others.
The coach also credited his throwing team for being exceptionally solid this season gaining points in the team competition.
The girls, who have only lost one dual meet this season, will start in the championship season on Friday, May 20, as OCHS hosts the Cape May County Track and Field Championship.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
