By: Redd E. Patrick
Taking over as head boys and girls cross country coach at South Brunswick High School provided several challenges for Wilfredo Rivera in his debut season.
For starters, he had to replace a South Brunswick legend in Brian Jost, who founded the girls program and who coached the boys team for over 20 years.
Then he had to take over a boys team which had plenty of experience and a girls team which had none, meaning he had to use two different coaching methods.
When it was all said and done, the former distance great from Old Bridge High School came out looking good on both ends. The South Brunswick girls, despite fielding four freshmen in its top seven, captured the GMC Championship race for the first time since 2000. The team finished 6-1 in dual meets, losing only to J.P. Stevens, and went on to finish sixth in Central Jersey Group IV, missing a Group IV qualifying spot by one place.
"We’re very excited about the girls program," said Rivera, the 1995 GMC champion. "We took second in the Red Division, but then came back to win the GMCs, which was a tremendous accomplishment. We just missed getting out of Central Jersey Group IV, but that’s okay because the kids got some great experience and they have something to shoot for next year."
The boys team finished 5-2, losing to Old Bridge and St. Joseph, which was a meet held late in the season when the Vikings rested some of their injured runners. South Brunswick went on to finish second behind state power Old Bridge at the GMCs and fifth in a talent-laden CJ IV field. The Vikings capped the season by finishing seventh in Group IV.
"The boys had a great season," Rivera said. "We came in with some goals to qualify for the states and to finish first or second in the division and at the GMCs and we accomplished all of those."
The girls team was led by freshman sensation Sophia Ginez, who finished second at the GMCs and ninth in Central Jersey Group IV. Unfortunately, Ginez underwent some medical tests just prior to Thanksgiving that showed she had a treatable condition, but that condition was causing her some late collapses in races and has made her participation in winter track iffy at the moment.
Still, for most of the year, she was dominating.
"Sophia had an outstanding season," Rivera said. "If she continues the way she’s going, there’s no telling how good she can become."
Classmates Jennifer Smilgis, Amanda Smilgis and Lyndsey Sample were also among the top seven, along with juniors Megan Behrend and Stephanie Rodriguez and senior Jessica Bellizio. Also earning letters were sophomore Teresa Ha, junior Jessica Engel and seniors Krista Belick, Kristina Bonfiglio, Patrice Hendricksen and Jade Wolk.
The boys team was led by senior Steve Sample, who had a banner season, finishing seventh at the GMCs, ninth at the Central Jersey Group IV Sectionals, 12th in Group IV and 40th at the Meet of Champions.
"Steve really had a great season," Rivera said. "He was hurt most of his junior season, but he worked hard to get back and it paid off when he finished his career in the Meet of Champions for the first time."
The top seven also included seniors Matt Christafalo, Rishi Mathur and Cole Crosby and sophomores Matt Boley, Danny Boyle and Jonathan Bellizio. Also receiving letters were sophomore Sean Monaghan, junior John Liptak and seniors Omar Azhar, Anthony Denuzzo, Pritesh Patel and Elias Chamoun.

