Knights, Vikings prove to be class of the field
Old Bridge boys, South Brunswick girls dominate GMC meet
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

Above, Monroe's Nicole Ragucci races to a meet record time in winning the 400-meter event at Friday's Greater Middlesex Conference Championships at the Jersey City Armory. At left, East Brunswick's Sarah Smith smiles as she nears the finish line to capture the 3,200-meter event.

The Old Bridge boys and South Brunswick girls entered Friday's Greater Middlesex Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships as the favorites.

To put it simply, they did not disappoint.

The Knights breezed to the team title with 75 points at the Jersey City Armory, well ahead of second-place South Brunswick (39.5), and came away with five individual championships to boot.

Matt Ciambriello led the accolades with wins in the 1,600 (4:31.04) and the 3,200 (9:57.44), making his final GMC meet a memorable one. After winning the 3,200, the Old Bridge senior made the decision to double, and ran a smart race to outkick East Brunswick's Eric Sorkin on the final lap of the 1,600. Ciambriello passed Sorkin just before the bell lap and never looked back, as Sorkin finished second in 4:34.93.

PHOTOS BY JEFFGRANIT staff

Allan Lunkenheimer had a pair of goals entering the 400-meter race - to win the event and top the meet record set by his best friend, Bryant McCombs, last year. He did both, blazing to a meet record 49.81, topping the mark of 50.26 set by McCombs, now a freshman at Texas A&M.

The fourth individual title for Old Bridge came in the 800, where James Hauser topped teammate Sheriff Showunmi 2:00.70 to 2:01.19, while another Knight, Nick Carbone, took fourth (2:01.69). Old Bridge sealed the championship with a win in the 4x400 relay, with a time of 3:28.97, just ahead of second-place Monroe (3:30.14).

It was a dominant effort from a Knights team that proved to be every bit as good as advertised. Among the strong finishes Old Bridge accumulated were Sean Davila's third in the 400 (51.74) and Breandan Lyman's third in the 3,200 (10:01.02).

The South Brunswick boys' second-place effort was led by William Rickett's win in the high jump (6-4) and John Viotto's win in the shot put (51-23/4). The Vikings also got strong finishes from Khalid Weston (third in the 55-meter dash, 6.74), Steve Sample (fourth in the 3,200, 10:10.84), Max Checo (fifth in the 55 hurdles, 8.15), Rishi Mathur (fifth in the 1,600, 4:41.08), Matthew Kirbos (tied for third in the high jump, 5-10) and a fifth-place finish in the 4x400 relay.

Above, Monroe's Zach Theinert races to a third-place finish in the 800-meter event on Friday. Below, East Brunswick's Justin Koodish runs to the finish during the 3,200-meter event.

North Brunswick's Toddrick Darden gave his team its best performance with a second-place showing in the 400, crossing the line in 51.10.

Monroe's boys also put forth a strong effort, finishing fourth in the team competition with 21 points, led by Zach Theinert's third-place finish in the 800 (2:01.25) and a pair of strong finishes from Billy Phillips (fourth in the 400, 51.85, and sixth in the 55-meter dash, 6.81). The Falcons also took second in the 4x400 relay (3:30.14).

PHOTOS BY JEFFGRANIT staff

Sayreville's eighth-place team effort (12 points) was led by Pedro Morales' third-place finish in the 55-meters (7.99) and Matt Gmutych's third-place finish in the shot put (47-63/4), while East

Brunswick, 10th in the team race with 11 points, was led by Sorkin's second in the 1,600, Justin Koodish's fifth place in the 800 (2:02.65) and Tom Correa's sixth place in the shot put (45-6 and 1/2).

South Brunswick's girls only got one individual win on Friday - Sophia Ginez's top finish in the 1,600 in 5:33.77 - but used a slew of top-six finishes to easily claim the team title with 57.5 points, well ahead of second-place J.P. Stevens (39) and New Brunswick (36).

Among the Vikings to score points on Friday were Yesenia Boynton (second in the 400, 1:00.14), Jennifer Smilgis (third in the 1,600, 5:43.37), Indira Morton (fourth in the 55 hurdles, 8.77, and the shot put, 34-7), Stephanie McIntyre (fourth in the 800, 2:31.01, and fifth in the 400, 1:02.39), Megan Behrend (fourth in the 3,200, 12:25.93), Rebecca Russo (fourth in the high jump, 5-0), Jamie Thompson (sixth in the 400, 1:02.69), Stephanie Rodriguez (sixth in the 800 (2:31.75), Krista Belick (sixth in the high jump, 4-10), and the 4x400 relay team, which took second in 4:10.33, behind champion Piscataway (4:09.90).

Monroe finished in fourth with 22 points, thanks in large part to the efforts of Nicole Ragucci, who won the competitive 400 in a meet record time of 58.58, and came back to place second in the 800 in 2:30.42. Her meet record beat the time set by Piscataway's Asia Morton (58.73) last year.

Ragucci was thought to have won the 800 as well, only to have her time beat by South Plainfield's Nicole Miglis, who ran 2:30.06 in an unseeded heat.

North Brunswick's Tylia Gillon also took home an individual win, capturing the 55-meter dash in 7.18, before coming back to take fourth in the 400 (1:01.06). Her Raider teammate, Fatima Savage, added a fifth-place in the 800 (2:31.49) to help North Brunswick finish tied for sixth in the team standings.

East Brunswick's Sarah Smith also captured an individual title, claiming the 3,200 in 5:33.77, well ahead of second-place Fiona Weeks of Metuchen (12:15.67). Smith's effort helped the Bears take eighth in the team standings (15 points), while Brittni Rodriguez (sixth in the 55-meters, 7.53), Erin Comerford (fifth in the 3,200, 12:36.42) and Corrine Kiminkiewicz (fifth in the shot put, 331/2) also scored points for the Bears.

Sayreville got points from Lynn Mayer, who took second in the high jump at 5-2, as well as its sixth-place 4x400 relay team (4:24.28), which finished just behind Old Bridge (4:22.68).

Spotswood's Nicole Salge also scored points for her team with a sixth-place finish in the 1,600 (5:40.20).