Central Regional's Samantha Jensen Bounces Back From Broken Leg

Three months after breaking a leg in the state championship game for Central Regional's girls soccer team, junior Samantha Jensen was clocking a third-place finish (:08.40)  in the 55-meter high hurdles at the NJSIAA Girls Indoor Track and Field Meet of Champions in Toms River.

"She would show up at practice every day and work really hard with rehab," coach Mark Haug said. "She wanted really bad to get back into meets and once that happened, she wanted to do well in them.

"The original prognosis is that she would not run indoor track and was not expected to run the hurdles at all," he said. "Not only did she come back but she got back to the Meet of Champs, where she finished third in the hurdles for the second year in a row."

Jensen also qualified for the 55 meters and finished 17th in :08.2.

Jensen's determination further inspired the team to a third straight Shore Conference B South championship, second place in NJSIAA Group II South, and  fifth place in the groups meet. And with the infusion of fine young talent, Haug predicts that this team will be strong again next year.

"I don't know if it will be as strong," he said.

And the Golden Eagles no doubt will be competitive again in the outdoor season. Practices began on March 4.

"The indoor season was surprising with our training limited because of the weather," Haug said. "We overachieved. There wasn't a whole lot of coaching going on like I would've liked. I'm just blessed with a lot of really good athletes who are spread out all over -- good kids in every event."

That included junior Liz McGowan, who was runner-up in the sectionals in the high jump and pole vault,  and was ninth in the groups meet in the pole vault at 9 feet. She and junior Ashley Burnath - who helped the basketball team win its first division title in 20 years - were consistently at the top in the long jump and triple jump during the outdoor season and are expected to excel again this spring.

Burnath won in 36-11 at the state sectionals and McGowan was five inches behind in second place.

Jensen usually anchored the 4x400 that reliably scored in most indoor meets with junior Alli DeSantis, senior Essence Clyburn and junior Kristine Buhugiar.

When Jensen could not anchor, freshman Lizzy Kroon filled in. Kroon clocked a personal best 2:30 in the sectionals for fifth place at  800 meters. Sophomore Autumn Crous medalled in the high jump and 55 hurdles at the sectionals.

Senior twin sisters Samantha and Amanda Farino will be missed in the distance events next season. Samantha was 10th in the 1,600 in the groups meet.

Sophomore Sam Will ran as fast as 2:30 in the 800 last spring.