Mark this season in red for the East Brunswick High School boys track team. Red, as in a red-letter year, and red as in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division title, the Bears’ first in 11 years.
Don Mandy’s crew compiled a 7-0 dual meet record to best perennial power Old Bridge, as well as strong schools such as South Brunswick, St. Joseph’s and Piscataway. Now EBHS gets ready for this weekend’s state meet.
"Old Bridge is the New York Yankees of area track," said Mandy. "They have a great program, and they’re a class group of kids, so it’s a wonderful accomplishment to come out on top against them."
The Bears also captured third in the county individuals and fourth in the relays. On Monday, the 4×800 team won the East Coast Relays in Morristown, clocking a time of 8:03.7. The quartet of seniors Logan Yu, Ryan Williams and Nick Rowan and junior Greg Bull recorded the team’s fastest time in the event since 1987.
Williams, whose 4:21 mile is the fastest in the area, also won the county title in the 3,200, with 9:21, just off the school record, and placed third in 1,600, on a hot day, in 4:29. In addition, he, Rowan, Bull and sophomore Dan Gilbert set an EBHS record of 18:22 in the 4×1600 in taking second in the GMC relays. Bull also has a 9:42 in the 3,200 to his credit, good for third at the GMCs, and took another third in the GMC 800, in 1:59
It doesn’t end there. Senior James Correa and junior Ralph Danise set a Bears’ standard in the shot-put relay, tossing 100-3 combined to win the GMC relay. Individually, Correa placed second with a 49-foot effort, and Danise was third with 48-7, along with a fifth in the discus, thanks to a 140-foot effort.
"Junior Kyle Grady was fourth in the 110 high hurdles with a 15.4, and Eric Sorkin is the best freshman distance man in the area, sixth in the counties with 10:06," Mandy said.
Rounding out the squad, senior Brian Robinson has a 20-7 long jump to his credit, Steve Schreyer took fourth in the county pole vault and has a personal best of 12-6, and Mandy has a fine trio of sophomore sprinters in Nick Dzielak (22.8 in the 200), Vinnie Quaglieri and Jeremiah Lachaud.
"It’s a great bunch of guys," said Mandy, who is assisted by Steve Pecesky and Doug Parker. "The future is bright."
— Richard Jerome