By John Beisser, Sports Writer
Uncommonly bright and mature, Matt Boley is a student-athlete in every sense of the term.
The South Brunswick High senior is an A student and a top-notch runner who excels at winter and spring track. In the fall, it’s cross country season, his favorite time of the year.
”I’m just more of a distance guy,” said the wiry 5-7, 125-pounder. “I have a lot of endurance so I tend to do better in the longer races.”High school cross country runners traverse 3.2 miles each meet, often times over hilly and uneven terrain. It can get dangerous within the pack and occasionally, a mishap occurs, as was the case with Boley at last year’s Greater Middlesex Conference championships.
Coming off a medal-winning 28th-place finish as a sophomore, which helped the Vikings to a place second overall, Boley trained with great intensity in preparation for the 2007 counties.
”I was really hyped for the race,” the team captain recalled. “I was excited and running well, out near the front when I tripped and fell. I couldn’t believe it.”He literally, as well as figuratively, got himself back up and rejoined the race.
”I ended up finishing in ninth place which I was pretty proud of,” he said. Without the fall, Boley indicated that he may have finished as high as sixth.
”Who’s to say what would have happened? But, there were three guys in a pack ahead of me towards the end and I was kicking really hard and just couldn’t quite catch them,” he said. “I don’t think a top five finish, but maybe sixth.”
Another year older, stronger and countless miles of training later, Boley has his sights set on a high finish this year.
”I’d say top three would be my goal,” he said modestly. “Our county is really, really competitive, so you don’t know. I think, as a team, we have a chance to finish among the top two. Old Bridge and East Brunswick are really tough.”
The Vikings got a taste of just how tough the Bears were when East Brunswick blitzed them in the season opener on Sept. 16, despite an eye-popping personal best time of 16:48 turned in by Boley. South Brunswick rebounded with a gritty one-point win (28-29) over St. Joseph’s last week. What made that win so impressive is that it came minus senior Dan Boyle, one of the South Brunswick’s top runner who was out with a pulled abdominal muscle.
Speaking of tough, that’s the word South Brunswick head coach Wilfredo Rivera used in describing Boley.
”He’s one of the toughest guys we’ve had in my seven years with the program. He has a tough personality and is very feisty,” Rivera said. “He competes every step of the race. You can see it in his mannerisms and in his facial expressions. Matt was our MVP last year and he’s our number one guy this year. He has the right attitude, and that attitude is “‘I want more and I am going to work to get more.’”
Speaking of more, another Boley is on the way as Matt’s brother Dan is a promising freshman on the cross country team.
”It’s cool having him out here on the team with me,” Matt said. “He’s definitely ahead of where I was at his age. I know he’ll do great.”
