Girls win shot put, pole vault titles
By: Nick Vaccaro
Hillsborough High’s indoor track and field competed in their biggest meet of the season thus far in last Saturday’s Group 4 Relays at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gym. Both teams finished fourth in their competitive fields, scoring 24 points each.
The HHS boys finished behind Christian Brothers Academy (33), Winslow Township (28) and Old Bridge (24.5), while the Raider girls were defeated by Jackson (43), Columbia (26) and Piscataway (26).
"We had a good day," said Hillsborough head coach Rich Refi, who was happy with the stellar performances of his athletes.
The Raider boys placed second in three events, gaining eight points per event to come up with a total of 24. Chris Berezansky (54-7 ¼) and Mo Lange (45-3) highlighted the performances for the boys as they set a school relay record in the shot put event with a total distance of 99 feet, 10¼ inches. Berezansky set an individual school record as well.
"When I was going in, I knew it would be tough to place." Berezansky said. "But I knew that with what Mo and I could throw, we’d at least get the school record."
Berezansky hopes to break the outdoor school record of 55-5, which has been untouched for 30 years. It certainly seems feasible.
The other points for the boys came in the distance medley relay and the pole vault. The team of Fredy Irizarry (1,200), Matt Bitten (400), Mike Bitten (800) and Brian Dennis (1,600) finished in a time of 10:59.26. In the pole vault, Matt Bitten (12-6) and Adam Mallet (10-6) combined for a total height of 23 feet to round out the scoring for the Hillsborough boys.
On the girls’ side, the unstoppable tag team of Taryn O’Connor and Ingrid Berrio finished first in the shot put event. O’Connor (36-6 ½) and Berrio (34-7 ¾) set a new school record, combining for a total distance of 71-2 ¼. These girls have been steadily improving as the season has progressed, continually impressing their teammates and coaches.
In the pole vault event, Robin Friedman (11-0) and Eileen Cafferty (9-0) also finished first, with a total height of 20 feet. Friedman’s height was the best individual effort among all the other athletes that competed in the event.
Rounding out the girls’ performances was the shuttle hurdle team of Melissa Arango, Melanie Gingras, Sylwia Tyksinski, and Lauren Watts, who finished fourth in a time of 34.65.
Both teams have been rolling right along this season, as everyone has been staying healthy and competitive as meets and workouts have been getting tougher. Everyone seems to be staying sharp and focused, which should make for a great finish to an already successful season for both the boys’ and girls’ teams.
Although the HHS teams didn’t win a State Group 4 Relay title, they made plenty of noise with two champions and three runners-up. O’Connor, Berrio, Friedman and Cafferty won Group 4 titles.
The Raiders began another busy week of action at the PSAL Invitational at the New York City Armory and a meet at The Peddie School in Hightstown. Saturday, the HHS athletes return to Mercer County for the Lavino Relays at The Lawrenceville School.

