Vikings impressive at Bishop Loughlin Games

By Sean Richards, Sports Writer
   It certainly didn’t take very long for the South Brunswick High School track team to begin making some noise once again this season.
   Opening its season at the Bishop Laughlin Games at the New York City Armory, the Vikings got school indoor records from two athletes.
   One was senior Matt Kirbos, who soared 13-0 in the pole vault to tie for fourth place. The other was sophomore sensation Sophia Ginez, who ran the two mile in a scorching 11:27.90 to take an 11th in the loaded-up field.
   Not only did Kirbos break the school record, but he smashed it. Kirbos shared the old record of 11-0 and went two feet higher than any Viking had gone before.
   "And I think he still has room to go higher," said coach Stefan Moorhead. "I think he can go at least another foot. What made his jump even better is we don’t get to practice it (the pole vault) much in the winter. We don’t put pads out and he just went through some drills to get ready.
   "It’s also an official state (indoor) event this year. This jump definitely puts him right up there with the best in the state."
   Kirbos also impressed in the 55 hurdles with an 8.0, which is a very good time when you consider it was the first meet of the season.
   As for Ginez, it seems like a new school record falls nearly every time she steps on the track. With her time in the two-mile indoor, Ginez obliterated the old school standard that had stood for nine years by 10 seconds.
   Between indoor and spring track, Ginez now owns a staggering five school records on an individual basis. She is also part of three relay teams that have set school standards.
   With so many standouts gone from last year’s team, it’s up to some of the newcomers to fill the void. Two other Vikings who looked good on opening day were sophomores Kyle Morse and Jamie Thompson.
   Morse posted a nice time of 38.68 behind Kris Raghavan’s 38.34 in the 300 and also ran a strong leg in the 4×200 relay. Thompson, meanwhile, impressed with good showings in the 4×200 and 4x-400 relays.
   "Overall, I thought our rust showed," said Moorhead. "We still have some work to do, but it was a good start to the season."
   The Vikings will be back in action a week from today when they defend their championship at the Holiday Classic, which also be held at the New York City Armory.