OCHS Teams of the Century


Melody Sye Raider Girls Track Athlete of the Century!

By TOM WILLIAMS
Gazette Staff Writer

Ocean City's girls track teams won six South Jersey championships 15 Cape-Atlantic League titles, the best among all Raider sports programs in the 20th century. And, when you consider that the school only had a girls track team for 22 seasons, those accomplishments are even more impressive.

Eight different girls have won individual state championships during those 22 years with three of them winning a pair of state championships.

The best of all the Raiders - The Girls Track Athlete of the Century - never won a state championship. Melody Sye took a second and a third in the 1984 state meet for Ocean City's first undefeated team and the first one coached by Mike Naples, the overall Raider Coach of the Century. Nine more undefeated teams would follow and, for more than a decade, Sye's school record times in the 400 and 800 meters established goals for talented runners like Shelly Solheim and Lauren McHale, the current record-holders.

Sye is joined on the all-century team by Solheim, McHale, Megan Hartman, Carla Roberts, Mandi Wolicki and four other individual state champions - Abbey Hartman, Joi Johnson, Ayanna Reed and Danielle Salvia.

The OCHS girls track coach of the century is Naples, with his 133-8 record, including an Ocean City record five straight South Jersey championships and 16 Cape May County titles in 16 years.

When asked to pick his 4x400 meter "dream relay team", comprising the four best relay runners, even if they never ran together, Naples chose four girls whose careers spanned more than 12 seasons. The quartet included Sye (1984), Antionette Elton (1991), Solheim (1995) and McHale (1998).

Then there is the best single team of the century. The choice is the 1994 team that won everything. Led by Kellie Adams (the OCHS Girls Track Performer of the 1990s), Solheim, Wolicki and Megan Hartman, this team was 9-0 in dual meets and won both the South Jersey and state titles. In addition, these girls finished first in the Wildcat Relays, West Deptford Relays, Woodbury Relays, Rowland Relays and Cape May County Meet.

The All-Century Raider Girls Track Team
100 Meters..........Jodi Hickman (1981), Pam McFarland (1988)
200 Meters..........Carla Roberts (1990), Megan McNulty (1997)
400 Meters..........Melody Sye (1984), Shelly Solheim (1995)
800 Meters..........Melody Sye (1984), Lauren McHale (1998)
1600 Meters........Megan Hartman (1994), Alison Amicone (1989)
3200 Meters........Megan Hartman (1994), Danielle Salvia (1996), Abbey Hartman (1997)
4x400 Relay.........Kari Graser, Kellie Adams, Shelly Solheim, Janine Minehan (1992)
100 Hurdles.........Kellie Adams (1994), Jul-Ann Peterson (1988)
400 Hurdles.........Carla Roberts (1990), Kellie Adams (1994)
Shot Put................Ayanna Reed (1992), Kim Lesko (1996)
Discus..................Jacquie Amonette (2000), Lora Stutzman (1999)
Javelin..................Missy Wildman (1987), Maureen Dougherty (1985)
Long Jump...........Kellie Adams (1994), Abbey Woolley (1998)
High Jump...........Mandi Wolicki (1995), Joi Johnson (1993)
Dream Relay.......Shelly Solheim (1995), Antionette Elton (1991), Lauren McHale (1998), Melody Sye (1984)
Coach Mike Naples (1984-99)



The 1994 Team - Best of the Century
100 Meters..........Jen Town
200 Meters..........Shelly Solheim
400 Meters..........Shelly Solheim
800 Meters..........Shelly Solheim
1600 Meters........Megan Hartman
3200 Meters........Megan Hartman
4x400 Relay.........Kellie Adams, Mary Beth Wendorf, Janine Minehan, Shelly Solheim
100 Hurdles.........Kellie Adams
400 Hurdles.........Kellie Adams
Shot Put................Kim Lesko
Discus...................Erin Corrigan
Javelin..................Gwen Gomez
Long Jump...........Kellie Adams
High Jump...........Mandi Wolicki
Coach Mike Naples


Championship Teams
State titles: 1994, 1992
South Jersey titles: 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1983
Cape-Atlantic titles: 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1984, 1982

All-Time Coaches Records
Bill Moreland (one year).........7-2 [.778]
Mike Naples (16)..................133-8 [.943]
Al Holden (5)........................35-13 [.729]