Netters:
Over the years, I have always been curious when a new school name
pops up on the National scene. This goes back to my curiosity about the Ames
(Iowa) team which held national relay records at the 440, 880 and mile in
the 1940s.
So I thought it might be interesting to tell you something about
little Red Bank, NJ, which set a national mark for the girls' DMR this
winter.
Just to begin, this was Red Bank Regional HS, not the better-known
(in track circles, at least), Red Bank Catholic, which practically invented
the girls' side of the sport in our state back in the 1970s. (When Red Bank
ran its first fast DMR race this winter, the NY Armory site mistakingly
referred to it as Red bank Catholic).
Red Bank HS (actually located in the neighboring town of Little
Silver) serves a generally affluent area in the northern part of Monmouth
County, a few miles east of Lincroft, home of our dominant boys' distance
school, Christian Brothers Academy. In athletics, it has principally been
known for its basketball and swimming teams, but it is the only public
school in the state with an indoor track suitable to hold medium-sized open
meets. It is a 160-meter rubberized oval, no spies allowe.
The present success of the team began with the advent of coach Cory
Radcliffe, a graduate of nearby Monmouth HS (alma mater of 1976 Olympic IH
medalist Quentin Wheeler). The boys team has also had a good deal of
success---ending CBA's 17-year reign in the county CC meet this past
fall---though not quite as much as the present girls team.
The key factor, of course, in the record races this winter was the
presence of the Trotter twins---no relation to national Footlocker champ
Amber--who both won all-group individual titles this winter, Katie at 800M
and Amanda at 3200M (they also finished 2-3 in the 1600). Another was the
transfer in September, 2001, of Katie Kingsbery from RBC (her two brothers
have both attended RBR, Walton was state 1600M champ two years ago and is no
w enjoying a successul coillege career; younger brother Joe ran 4:30 for
1600 as a soph this year).
The Trotters have come along in the wake of another successful twin
pair, Cate and Meghan Guiney, who ran at nearby Middletown South HS
(Lincroft is a part of that township) and are now starring at Boston
College. They have yet to run cross-country for the school, though Amanda
won the junior race at the Footlocker Regionals last fall. They do intend to
do so next fall.
Aside from its athletic prowess, Red Bank has one other claim to
national notice as the hometown of one of America's greatest jazz musicians,
the much-revered (the town theater is named for him) William (Count) Basie.
Ed Grant
