By: Redd E. Patrick
Eve Mizerak was getting sick and tired of watching Old Bridge come in to what she calls her house, and walk out with the big trophy.
Three years was too much, so the South Brunswick High School captain of the girls track team did something about it.
With Mizerak taking part in four teams that helped compile 24 points, the Vikings were at least able to tie Old Bridge at the GMC Relay Championships, which were concluded at South Brunswick last Wednesday night.
"We were getting sick of them coming in here and winning all the time," said Mizerak, a member of the second-place 4×200 team, third-place 4×100 and 4×400 teams and fourth place sprint medley team. "So to tie them made us very happy. It probably made them more mad that we tied, so that makes it even better."
But it wasn’t that easy.
After six events on Tuesday with 10 remaining, South Brunswick trailed by 12 points.
"The four captains had a meeting with the coaches on Wednesday and we agreed that we weren’t performing up to the level we knew we were capable of," said Mizerak. ""So we (captains) went out and talked to each teammate and we agreed to all step it up and take it to another level,"
As the meet went on, the team battle began to tighten up. When Indira Morton, Stephanie Negrotti and Megan Rodriguez won the javelin for South Brunswick … Old Bridge was shut out … the meet came down to the pole vault.
Coaches Brian Jost and Stefan Moorhead knew their team trailed by eight. And when they knew Old Bridge would wind up fifth in that event, which guarantees two points, that made it a 10-point deficit. That meant the Vikings had to win the vault just to tie for the title.
Krista Belick, the Vikings’ top vaulter, knew the meet was close, but she didn’t want to know just how close.
"I didn’t want the coaches to tell me anything," said Belick. ""I knew things would depend on me when Jessica (Bellizio) got injured during the competition and couldn’t continue. I just wanted to focus on doing my best."
Belick wound up with a personal best 8-6, Bellizio a personal best 7-6 and freshman Maria Biondo a personal record 6-6 as the Vikings won it by a mere one foot.
Then came the waiting.
The Vikings were all huddled as a team on the infield, waiting for the announcer to deliver the news: ""And in a tie for first place with 98 points, Old Bridge and South Brunswick," the announcer blared out. With that, the Vikings erupted.
""We were shocked," said Mizerak, a four-year performer. ""Old Bridge won this meet six years in a row and to tie them is amazing because they are such a great team not only in the GMC but in the state. They have sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers."
So does South Brunswick.
NOTES: The Viking girls won the javelin, pole vault and long jump events. In the javelin, Morton threw 120-6, Negrotti 92-10 and Rodriguez 77-0. Morton and Rodriguez proved to be double winners as they joined Stephanie McIntyre on the winning long jump team. Morton leaped 16-3", Rodriguez 15-10" and McIntyre 15-10.
The defending champion South Brunswick boys finished second to Old Bridge, 120-91, but that’s nothing to be ashamed about because Old Bridge is arguably the best team in the state. The Vikings won just one event … the pole vault … but they showed their depth by finishing second in four events and placing in 14 of the 16.
In dual meet action, the girls improved to 4-1 with an 85-50 victory over East Brunswick. In that meet, Morton threw a personal best 126-8 in the javelin, while McIntyre turned in a rarity by jumping exactly 37-0 ¼ in the triple jump for the third time this season.
The boys team improved to 5-1 by pounding East Brunswick 114-26. Coach Wilfredo Rivera was able to use several different athletes as 11 different Vikings placed. John Viotto (49-9 shot, 146-11 discus) was the lone double winner.
The boys team went up to the Bernards Invitation on Saturday and Justin Delpiano was able to set a school record in the pole vault with a mark of 15-0. Rivera feels he can go 15-6 at Saturday’s GMC Individual Championships, which will be contested at South Plainfield.

