Boys enjoyed home track advantage

Seniors became champions in 2003

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   If there’s such a thing as a home track and field advantage, the Hillsborough High boys certainly enjoyed it during the 2003 campaign.
   The Raiders made the most of their home facility, often referring to the "Noonan Factor" after winning a big meet. They swept the Skyland Conference, Somerset County and Central Jersey Group 4 championship meets on the HHS track after winning all seven dual meets at various locations during the season.
   All three major meet titles came in dramatic fashion. While several team members contributed to all three championships, the pressure ultimately fell on senior distance standouts Nick Vaccaro and Mike Klueber, who pulled out heroic performances late in each meet.
   Vaccaro and Klueber saved their most memorable race for their last one on the Hillsborough track. With their team in desperate need of points late on the second day of CJ 4 action, Vaccaro and Klueber both ran record-setting times to finish second and third, respectively, in the 3,200. Those 14 points propelled the Raiders into the team lead and they never looked back en route to their first sectional trophy since 2000.
   "We had a fantastic season," HHS head coach Jim O’Connor said. "The kids showed a lot of determination and great competitive spirit."
   The Raiders overcame a poor first day in the two-day sectional event, rallying for another championship at their home track. Vaccaro and Klueber epitomized the heart and courage of the team by doubling and coming up huge in the rigorous distance events, but they didn’t do it alone.
   Junior transfer Franklin Andreyko made a major impact in less than one month of competition. After watching his 30-day state transfer waiting period extended because of bad weather, Andreyko made a smashing debut by winning the Skyland Conference long jump title to help his team capture the title.
   Andreyko continued his local dominance in his signature event by winning the county and sectional titles while also chipping in points in the sprints and hurdles. After breaking Shawn Mayer’s school long jump record, Andreyko eclipsed his own standard several times and wound up third at the Meet of Champs with a monster effort of 23 feet, 4 inches.
   "It was great to be a part of a team," said Andreyko, who jumped an even 23 feet to finish sixth and gain All-America status at the nationals in Raleigh, N.C. "Last year (at Manville), I was really just jumping for myself. This year, I always tried to jump my best and get as many points as I could for the team."
   Junior Bryan Fox joined Andreyko at the Meet of Champs after a consistent post-season in the high jump. Fox proved he could perform under pressure, especially when his team needed it most at the CJ 4 meet. Fox started the team’s Saturday rally by taking first place in his top event. Fox reached his personal-best mark (6-2) that day and again at the Meet of Champions.
   Fox, Andreyko and senior Jim Morley combined for 16 team points in the triple jump, which boosted the team to a comfortable lead late in the CJ 4 meet. Morley placed second behind Fox in the high jump to give the team 18 points in that event. The Raiders also chipped away with points from three upperclassmen — Tony Flores in the 110 high hurdles, Hector Tirado in the shot put and Nick Confuorto in the pole vault.
   "Each week, it was a different group of kids," O’Connor said. "It was all over the track and the field. We had so many people contributing."
   Flores came up with a gritty performance in the 110 highs after a disappointing start in Friday’s 400 hurdles. Flores, who won his third straight conference and county title in the event, was poised to start a surge to his second consecutive Meet of Champions. He finished third in CJ 4 but was disqualified for wearing jewelry.
   Teammate Mike Barberio, also an accomplished hurdler, sustained an injury in the race and neither HHS athlete scored. Despite the scoreless and ominous beginning, the Raiders rallied for the title the next day.
   Klueber and Vaccaro worked their magic for the third straight time under tremendous pressure. They both broke Hunterdon Central star Jon Fasulo’s meet record at the Skyland Conference Championships, going 1-2 in the 3,200 to compile 18 clutch points. They went 2-3 at the county meet, where the 14 points opened a comfortable cushion over Franklin. Klueber owned the school record until the CJ 4 meet, when Vaccaro ran a blistering 9:30.9 to lead a thrilling 2-3 finish behind Central standout Chris Pannone.
   It won’t be easy to replace the presence of this year’s seniors, a gutty group that grew up over the past four years and became champions in their final high school season. They were on the roster as freshmen when the 2000 team won the CJ 4 trophy, but this was their team.
   Guys like Vaccaro, Klueber, Flores and Tirado will certainly be missed. Other seniors who played key roles in this year’s great success were Morley, Barberio, Dave Berry, Dave Minetti, Joe Gutschmidt and a deep balanced javelin throwing unit that included Jared Goldstein, Jon Carnes and Tim Pultorak.
   Meet of Champs representatives Andreyko and Fox lead a solid cast of eligible returnees. Others key returning athletes include juniors Jeff Meltzer, Roland Lane, Aneil Sahota, Fred Kain, Joe Brennan, Erik Szabocsik, Tim Szwarc and Frank Livelli, sophomores Matt Bitten, Adam Mallet and Chris Berezansky and freshman Brian Dennis.
   After two years of finishing behind Somerville and Franklin in local meets and being left in the dust at the CJ 4 championships, the Raiders ruled the entire circuit in 2003.
   "A lot of the kids made a lot of sacrifices competing in three or four events," O’Connor said. "There was a great sense of team pride. We didn’t want to lose at home. Our kids rose to the occasion. They were tremendous week after week."