O’Connor, boys should be among state elite
By: Rudy Brandl
Some things will be different but one key element remains the same for this year’s Hillsborough High indoor track and field teams the goal to win championships.
The Raiders opened the 2006-07 campaign at the Liberty Relays in Jersey City last Friday, one of many new events on this year’s schedule. HHS won’t get bogged down with the early slate of invitational meets at Drew University like in past years. The teams will compete in a handful of invitational meets two or three times per month but their focus will be on the Somerset County, Skyland Conference and NJSIAA championship events.
"I didn’t want to do as much in a single week because that gets pretty draining," HHS veteran head coach Rich Refi said. "I just looked at the calendar and tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together to see what works best for us and what’s available on those dates."
The Raiders have added the Spiked Shoe Festival (Dec. 20) at the New York City Armory, the Warrior Classic (Jan. 5) in East Stroudsburg and the Bill Reid Invitational (Jan. 5) at the Jersey City Armory to go with the Lavino Relays (Jan. 20) in Lawrenceville, the Varsity Classic (Feb. 5) in New York and the Ed Grant Invitational (Feb. 9) in Jersey City.
Those meets will serve as preparation for the real big ones, the first of which comes Dec. 28 when the HHS boys and girls will compete for local supremacy in the Somerset County Championships at Lehigh University.
The Hillsborough girls won the county title last winter but the boys finished second to Franklin. The Franklin boys and Hunterdon Central girls captured Skyland Conference team titles last year so the Raiders will try to recapture those trophies as well.
Refi obviously wants to sweep both meets, but he’s entertaining larger goals with this year’s boys’ team.
"For the boys, we’re pointing at Group 4," he said. "The boys want to be state champs. If we win the other meets along the way, that’s fine. We have the horses and we want to be state champs."
Hillsborough is loaded with depth on the boys’ side. Senior Tyler Szwarc returns as the team’s top hurdler and sprinter. The addition of senior Warner Jones, who gave up basketball to run indoors for the first time, will make a tremendous impact. Jones is a top-notch sprinter who brings a great attitude and work ethic to the team.
"It definitely adds to our depth," Refi said. "He’s a pretty accomplished guy. He’s a nice addition and he changes our team. He likes to win."
Jones and Szwarc give the Raiders a great presence in the sprints and hurdles, but there are many others who will contribute on the track. That list includes seniors Mike Bitten (400, 800), Brandon Lane (jumps, hurdles), Dan Reiss (hurdles, triple jump, pole vault), Dan Millemann (hurdles), Miles Petrock (jumps, hurdles), Joe Bernardo (distance), Justin Risso (distance) and David Eilbacher, who’s coming off knee surgery but should be a valuable asset in the jumps and hurdles.
Refi is also high on sophomore Jason Walton, who qualified for the Meet of Champions in his very first outdoor season as a freshman last spring. Walton will do most of his damage in the 800 and 1,600 but he showed his speed by tying for the team lead (52.9) in the 400 during the preseason.
Other underclassmen expected to contribute for the boys include juniors Alex Brown (400, 800), Matt Carnes (shot put), Robert Marley (200, 400, 800), Rocco Mazzagatti (shot put) and Alex Szela (400, 800) and sophomores Ryan Buerkle (200, 400) and Jordan Magath (distance).
The HHS girls may not be ready to explode on the state scene, but Refi expects them to be in the hunt for the county and conference championships.
"We want to try to win the local meets and see what we can do in Group 4," Refi said. "We’re young and we’ll see how ready we can get for the Group 4 level."
Senior shot put star Taryn O’Connor is ready to compete at any level. She holds all the school records in the event and owns three Meet of Champions medals (two outdoor, one indoor). This winter, O’Connor is going for the gold.
"I want to place high in the Meet of Champs," said O’Connor, who expects to break her indoor record of 42 feet, 7 inches early this season. "I want to get a medal at nationals. I’m striving for that."
Hillsborough has other talented female athletes returning to the track this winter. That list includes seniors Melissa Arango (hurdles, 200, 400), Ali Leifer (hurdles, sprints) and Jess Pfeiffer (high jump) and juniors Angela Davia (shot put), Stephanie Ogrodnik (sprints), Brittany Payne (hurdles, sprints), Nicole Rocha (distance) and Anna Spaniol (400, 800).
Refi is expecting big things from sophomore newcomer Carlin Dunne, a fine field hockey player who will make a serious impact in the 400 and 800. Other young girls who will make an impact are sophomores Julia Bergen (sprints), Amanda Forsythe (shot put), Meredith Mayes (distance), Alison Moran (sprints, triple jump), Robyn Paterno (distance), Ashley Redelico (sprints, triple jump), Samantha Schwalje (800, triple jump) and Ebony Young (hurdles, sprints, triple jump) and freshman Erica Reiss (hurdles, sprints).
Former HHS standout Tierra Hicks and Chris Guglielmo will serve as the assistant coaches, while ex-Raider distance runner Dave deWolfe joins the staff as a volunteer coach.

