Viking boys look well rounded

By: Redd E. Patrick
   A rookie head coach a year ago, Wilfredo Rivera made it look easy as he guided the South Brunswick High School boys track team to a banner season.
   The Vikings placed second to state power Old Bridge at the Greater Middlesex Conference Individual Championship and in the Red Division standings, and they also upset the eventual Group IV state champs to win the GMC Relays.
   South Brunswick lost two big point producers to graduation in Yemi Ayeni and Prescott Hill in the shot put and discus events as well as several other versatile athletes, which makes the team look like less of a product than a year ago, at least on paper.
   Yet Rivera, whose club also placed fifth in Central Jersey Group IV and fifth in all of Group IV a season ago, feels his club can equal or better last year’s accomplishments.
   "We don’t have the superstars anymore, we won’t go 1-2 in the shot and discus anymore," said Rivera. "But I think we’re more well-rounded. We don’t any studs, but we have a group of hard-working role players who specialize in certain events and who are quality athletes."
   The Vikings, who opened the dual-meet season on Tuesday with a 123-17 victory over Edison, do not stand out in one particular area, although senior Jeremy Guzman is an accomplished sprinter, junior distance men Steve Sample and Cole Crosby have been through the wars in cross country, while senior Justin Del Piano entered the season with Middlesex County’s top pole vault mark from a year ago at 12-6. Indoors, junior shot putter John Viotto made his mark by throwing over 50 feet.
   That gave Rivera a solid nucleus to work with as the spring season approached.
   "Guzman is a quality sprinter," said Rivera. "Viotto is going to get us a lot of firsts in the shot and we think Del Piano has a chance to break the school record of 14-6 in the pole vault."
   The Vikings are also counting on the presence of the athletic Mike Zwiren, a senior competing in track for the first time.
   "I’ve been trying to get him out for a few years now," said Rivera, the former Old Bridge High distance great. "Mike is an athlete who always had AAU basketball in the spring. He’s already gone 20-4 in the long jump, 5-10 in the high jump and over 40 feet in the triple jump. He will help us a lot."
   Rivera is also counting on senior Miguel Akena in the 400 and in the jumps, senior Emery Greenfield in the 400 and 800, senior Bobby Long in the discus, senior Anthony Veverka in the distance events and junior Max Checo in both hurdle events.
   With every point counting., Rivera also has high hopes for newcomers Jamal McKinney, a senior sprinter, Dave Christofalo in the 3200 and sophomores Matt Kirbos in the hurdles and pole vault, Omar Francis in the 100 and long jump and Khalid Weston in the 100 and 200.
   "Our goals are pretty high again," said Rivera. "We expect Old Bridge to win the Red Division and the GMC Individuals because they won the Group IV state championship last year and are even better this year. But we think we have a shot at the GMC Relays again. We really have to maximize our ability like last year."
   REDD ENDS: In their opening-day dual meet win over Edison, Guzman, Checo, Akena, Del Piano and Viotto were all double winners. Guzman won the 100 (11.0) and 200 (22.7), Checo took home gold in the 110 hurdles (16.5) and the intermediates (59.8), Del Piano showed his versatility by capturing the pole vault (13-0) and javelin (143-2) events, Viotto won the shot (49-0) and discus (140-0), while Akena won the long jump (20-11 1/4) and triple jump (31-3 3/4) . . . At the GMC Coaches Relay Invitational on Saturday, the Vikings were very impressive in taking second place in the 4×100, 4×200, 4×800, 4×1600, long jump, pole vault and javelin (tie for second) events.