By: Nick Vaccaro
As the season goes on, Hillsborough High’s winter track teams have been steadily developing themselves into the shape they need to be in at this point in the season.
The more meaningful and competitive meets will come at the middle to end of February, including the State Group 4 Championships and NJSIAA Meet of Champions, both to be held in Princeton University’s Jadwin Gym. Both teams continued to gain experience by competing in a series of meets that held at Drew University in December and January.
Head coach Rich Refi’s philosophy on performing in these Drew meets is fairly straightforward. He uses them to help develop the team in all areas. They are basically hard workouts being run in uniform.
"We run them (athletes) in what we think they need to prepare them for the end of the season," Refi said. "It is also a good opportunity for the younger kids on the team to get some experience, although it doesn’t always work out this way."
The Raiders opened their season two days before Christmas at the Holiday Relays. On the boys’ side, the team of Fredy Irizarry, brothers Matt and Mike Bitten and Brian Dennis placed fourth in the distance medley relay with a time of 10:59.55. Matt Frangione, Adam Mallet and Tyler Szwarc joined Matt Bitten to take sixth in the shuttle hurdles in a time of 33.02.
In the high jump, David Eilbacher and Anthony Visicaro tied for 11th as individuals both posting a height of 5-6. Chris Berezansky had the second-best overall shot put mark of the meet with a throw of 49-01.5. Teammate Tim Ultee had the 11th best mark at 42-10.5.
The boys also placed well in the junior varsity and freshman races. In the jayvee 4×400, Bo Li, Robert Nguyen, Adam Walzer and Andrew Rath took third (3:58.49). Mark Ksiezopolski, Vincent Amendolare, Mike Lunemann and Jesse Boss placed fifth in the freshman 4×200 (1:49.93). Alex Brown, Ksiezopolski, Lunemann and Boss took second in the freshman 4×400 (4:10.35).
The girls 4×200 team of Yeneisha Warrick, Sylwia Tyksinski, Ali Leifer and Lauren Watts highlighted the meet by taking first with a time of 1:53.31. The shuttle hurdle team consisting of Melissa Arango, Melanie Gingras, Tyksinski and Watts took fourth, posting a time of 35.37 seconds. Gingras and Watts also teamed up in the high jump to tie for ninth and take 15th with marks of 4-8 and 4-6, respectively. In the shot put, Taryn O’Connor (33-5) and Ingrid Berrio (31-4.75) placed second and fifth, respectively.
Like the boys, the girls junior varsity and freshman crew did well. The other shot put duo of Allison John (28-8.25) and Samantha Jackson (26-4.75) took first in the jayvee competition. Cassandra Steel, Megan Davin, Erin Suozzo and Jess Pfeiffer took first in the freshman 4×800 (11:17.28). Melissa Bitten, Laura-Ashley Wilson, Pfeiffer and Suozzo teamed up to take fifth in the freshman 4×400 (4:53.96).
At the Passarelli Invitational, the same boys shuttle team took fourth (33.24). Mike Bitten took ninth in the 600 (1:31.07), while older sibling Matt Bitten placed fourth in the pole vault (12-0). Joining Bitten in the pole vault was Steven Theroux (7th, 11-6) and classmate Mallet (9th, 11-0). Eilbacher tied for eighth in the high jump (5-8).
In the junior varsity races, Daniel Millemann was ninth in the 55 (7.46) and Li took fifth in the 600 (1:35.8). Lunemann took third in the freshman 1,600 (5:22.2).
The girls’ shuttle hurdle team of Lisa Jiang, Tyksinski, Gingras and Watts took third with a final time of 35.81 seconds.
On New Years Eve, both teams held off their 2005 celebration longer than other Hillsborough residents as they competed in the Valentine Invitational. The boys posted many strong showings at this meet.
Visicaro took second in the high jump (5-10) while Joeseph Banaciski took home a second place medal in the shot put (50-1.25). Joining Visicaro in the high jump were Eilbacher and Brandon Lane, who tied for seventh (5-6).
Ultee also joined Banaciski in the shot put (6th, 43-5). In the 55 hurdles, Szwarc (8.4) and Frangione (8.62) took third and sixth, respectively. In the 1,000, Irizarry (2:49.74) and Rath (2:50.43) came in one after the other placing eighth and ninth. In the pole vault, Matt Bitten (12-0) and Mallet (11-6) took fourth and ninth, while Mike Bitten (9th in 600, 1:29.98) and Ryan Schofield (10th in 55 dash, 7.05) rounded out the varsity performances.
Matt Douglas led the sub-varsity performances with strong showings in both the jayvee 55 dash (2nd, 7.25) and jayvee 600 (5th, 1:35.24). Li (3rd in jayvee 600, 1:34.97) and Millemann (tie for 8th in jayvee 55 dash, 7.52) joined Douglas in his efforts. In the freshmen 1,600, Lunemann (4th, 5:18.62) led a trio with Brown (9th, 5:27.03) and Brian Keohane (10th, 5:27.74).
On the girls’ side, the shot put clique of O’Connor (2nd, 36-3.5), Berrio (8th, 31-7.5) and John (10th, 30-5) posted some nice performances. Sprinters Warrick (6th in 300, 44.62), Arango (7th in 55 hurdles, 9.49; 9th in jayvee 300, 48.26), Gingras (8th in jayvee 55 hurdles, 10.62) and Watts (5th in 55 hurdles, 9.20 and tie for 8th in high jump, 4-10) also placed well. Eileen Cafferty finished 10th in the 1,000 in a time of 3:22.54.
On Jan. 3, the Raiders attended the Polar Bear Invitational, where they continued their string of Drew meet performances.
Dennis set a meet record in the 3,200 (9:59.09), while classmates Paul Bernardo (4th, 10:24.96) and Irizarry (10th, 10:59.66) rounded out an impressive performance. Vaulters Mallet (3rd, 11-6), Theroux (4th, 11-0), and Matt Bitten (5th, 11-0) all acquired top six medals. Mike Bitten took fourth in the 600 (1:30.75), Schofield was sixth in the 55 dash (7.10) and Szwarc took fourth in the 55 hurdles (8.27) and ninth in the jayvee 600 (1:41.08). Li (2nd, 1:35.87) and Douglas (3rd, 1:35.79) joined Szwarc in the jayvee 600. Douglas also ran the jayvee 55 and posted a time of 7.26 seconds. Eilbacher and Visicaro tied for eighth in the high jump, both hitting 5-8.
The same girls’ shot put trio of O’Connor (1st, 36-0.5), Berrio (4th, 32-5.5) and John (7th, 30-2) improved their marks from the previous Drew meet. Watts (5th in 55 hurdles, 9.22), Arango (7th in 55 hurdles, 9.64), and Gingras (10th in 600, 1:50.62) rounded out the girls’ performances.
Hillsborough hasn’t simply been making headlines at Drew. On Saturday, Jan. 8, Robin Friedman participated in the pole vault competition at the Kutztown Invitational at Kutztown University, where she set a new county and school record by clearing 11-6. This height also happens to be the fifth best height in state history.
"It just feels good," Friedman said. "I was just happy that all my hard work paid off."
Friedman has excelled dramatically over the past few years in the event, attending a camp in Pennsylvania over the summer, and undergoing training in the weight room as well. Her goal for the season is to hit 12-6, which would clearly shatter both records that she already holds.
It was another busy opening month for the Raiders, who got as many athletes as possible involved in the early meets.
"You can only put three kids per event," Refi said. "We have a very large team."
The three-athlete rule per event might hinder getting more younger kids involved, but the mass quantity of athletes gives both teams depth and a better chance to keep excelling as the years go on.
