By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
Here’s all you need to know about how awesome the distance team was for South Brunswick High’s girls track team at the Greater Middlesex Conference Meet.
It was as awesome as the entire rest of the team was.
The Vikings captured their third straight GMC title at Toms River’s Bennett Center on Saturday by compiling 91 points.
The points amassed by the distance team alone would have been enough to win the title. Then again, if you took all those distance points away, the Vikings still would have had enough to win the crown.
That, folks, is domination.
”We scored in every event, and we were the only team to do that,” coach Stefan Moorhead said. “I’m trying to emphasize the complete team. The distance runners stood out, but it wasn’t just them.”
You don’t win a championship meet by 51 points with just distance alone. In earning their hat trick, this Viking team was by far the most powerful of the three county champs.
The 2007 winners had 57 points; last year they scored 64. That’s only 20 more points in the two years combined than the Vikes recorded this year.
South Brunswick not only won, but did so with style as it gained four gold medals, set three meet records and earned 16 medals overall.
Highlighting the day were the efforts of freshman Cayla DelPiano and junior Sophia Ginez.
Ginez won the 800 with a meet record (and personal best) 2:16.93 and the 1,600 with a meet record 5:21.81. It was the second straight year she won both races, and the 800 time broke her own school record and the indoor county record.
DelPiano ran the 3,200 for the first time and, incredibly, shattered the meet record by 30 seconds with an 11:23.72.
”I can’t imagine that all three distance races had the records broken in the same (GMC) meet by the same team before,” Moorhead said. “For that to happen was definitely nice.”
DelPiano had an outstanding cross country season, so her effort was not totally out of the blue. It’s the way she did it that impressed Moorhead.
”It’s surprising how much she broke the record by,” the coach said. “I would have guessed she could do it by five or 10 seconds. And she ran it all alone. She got out ahead from the opening gun and led the whole way. She was fearless about it and she held on comfortably, which was a little surprise.
”But we know she’s capable of big things. To say that she broke a record was a surprise, would be a little misleading.”
Meanwhile, Ginez continues to show signs of becoming a more multi-dimensional distance runner. After setting the record in the 800, she ran the 1,600 just 40 minutes later and set another mark. That led a top-three sweep in the mile as DelPiano was second and Jenni Smilgis took third.
”Sophia’s best event has always been in the 16, but she’s starting to show how wide her range is,” Moorhead said. “She can definitely run a good 32, and the 800 is definitely coming around for her. She’s showing how she can move up and down.”
The Vikings’ other winner on the day was Emily Skalko (5-foot), who paced a 1-2-4 finish in the high jump with Brooke Sassman and Jen O’Laughlin.
Other medal winners (top-six finishers) were Lauryn Strebeck, Lyndsey Sample, Melissa Dardani, Alicia Osley, Janae Baker, Sharon Liu, Jamie Samper, Ginelle Walker and Mariah Browne.
”The first final was the 3,200, and with Cayla winning it and Lyndsey taking second, that got us off to a great start,” Moorhead said. “One of the last events was the mile, where we went 1-2-3. So we kind of book-ended it with our distance events.
”But like I said, it’s hard to focus on one kid or one event. This really was a combined effort from everyone.”
And it showed that the Vikings have not grown complacent over winning the counties.
”The kids get up for the GMC meet, they’re really pumped,” Moorhead said. “We tell them we don’t want to get too used to that feeling because it could easily disappear.”
With the county title safely tucked away, the Vikes now look toward Sunday’s Central Jersey Group IV meet in Toms River.
”Our next goal is to go in and win that,” Moorhead said. “That will be a lot harder. I would say Montgomery and Jackson will be the two biggest challenges for us. But there are a lot of good teams — Hillsborough, Marlboro, the teams from Toms River.
”But I would say the counties will give us some momentum going into it. Their confidence is high.”
If it’s as high as their point total at counties, then look out.
Not to be overlooked was a solid fourth-place finish by the boys, who tallied 37 points and finished just three out of third.
Brian Oni had a big day, winning the 55 meters with a personal best time of 6.61.
”That was a pleasant surprise,” Moorhead said. “We knew he could be in the top three, but he ran a great time.
”And, he had a terrible start. He slipped at the start. The 55 goes so quickly, we’re all thinking he’s done. But he came back and won with a little room to spare. We’re hoping if he starts better, he can do a 6.5.”
Other medalists were Jordan Foreman, Derek Forthun, Shri Kamat, Kyle Morse, Matt Kilbride, Jordan Boulware, Jaron Baker, Dominick Padovano and Jon Bellizio.
”Having the 4×400 team finish that high was nice, that wasn’t predicted,” Moorhead said. “Three of those guys are seniors so it’s a nice way for them to finish their careers.
”Jordan Foreman getting second in the shot was a bright spot. He hasn’t done winter track, but he’s a senior, he’s matured a lot and he’s putting it together.”
