TARA ZENI WINS GIRLS LONG JUMP AT STATE MEET OF CHAMPIONS

Joe Gallagher has been coaching football, wrestling and track and field at Red Bank Catholic for more than a decade.

And the long-time coach said his latest champion, Tara Zeni, ranks among his own personal top five regarding the best athletes he's overseen.

High praise for the long jumper.

"With her, it's just an all-around combination of toughness, personality and smarts," Gallagher said. "Just truly a pleasure to be around."

Zeni's latest and greatest triumph came Saturday on the biggest stage New Jersey track and field has to offer.

The senior bound for Quinnipiac, whose only been long jumping for three years, came out on top of a loaded field at the State Meet of Champions with a winning mark of 19-2, a new personal best, to claim gold by seven inches.

Randolph's Meghan O'Malley took second at 18-5, Paramus Catholic's Isabelle Dely finished third at 18-4, Hackensack's Julia Morrone took fourth at 18-3 and Rancocas Valley's Kristina Tossas rounded out the top five at 18-1.

A chronic back injury forced Zeni to give up gymnastics years ago and she ultimately decided to join track for fun.

Now, she'll leave Red Bank Catholic as the best long jumper in the state.

"Just amazing," she said. "I cant believe it happened and I can't stop smiling. To go out my senior year like this, I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Zeni held New Jersey's top mark in the event for much of the year, until she lost out on a Non-Public A state title last week, taking second to Paramus Catholic's Dely and losing her NJ#1 mark to Timber Creek's Tierra Hooker.

The runner-up finish was perhaps a blessing in disguise.

"One hundred percent that motivated me so much more," Zeni said. "I was not happy about that. But we kept saying that this meet was the one that matters. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but taking second last week definitely motivated me. Without that, I'm not sure I would have won today."

Her jumps coach echoed similar sentiments.

"She was upset with herself last week," Gallagher said. "But our mantra this week as 'Sometimes getting what you want exactly when you want it might not be the right thing.' Maybe not getting it last week meant an extra inch or two here. I think she was in a little more of attack mode here. Had she gotten first last week, who knows what happens this week."

Zeni, who took seventh at the MOC last year, became Red Bank Catholic's first Meet of Champions winner in nearly two decades, with the Monmouth County school not having claimed one since 2000 when Amy Krilla won the javelin. Zeni also became just the third girl champion in program history.

"This season has been unbelievable," said Zeni, who won six major meet titles in the long jump this spring. "If you told me four years ago that I'd be here now, I never would have believed you. I couldn't be more grateful for everything. It's been an amazing ride."