Sports
Boys Set to Come Out of the Blocks Running
Panthers track team will look to get a boost from its veterans and young athletes alike as it tries to surprise this year.
As the weather starts to slowly turn and thaw from a long cold winter, the tracks, fields and diamonds at and around Basilone Field at have awakened to a fledgling springs sports season. Here, we preview the boys track team.
OVERVIEW
During a preseason practice session at the high school track, the boys' track coach Dave Evans surveyed his large team and conceded that this season will be a learning process for his youthful roster. "We've got a lot of young runners," he said, Evans will rely on the experience of his captains, and said he expects to be pleasantly surprised by some of his underclassmen.
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LAST SEASON'S RESULTS
The Panthers finished second at the Somerset County Championships in 2010.
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KEEP YOUR EYE ON
Jake Ruskan (captain), distance runner—Will run the mile and two mile events for the Panthers this year. He qualified to run the mile at this year's New Balance indoor nationals after setting a new school record in that same event. Ruskan finished second at the NJISAA North 2 Group 4 Indoor Sectional Championships in February in the 1600-meter distance.
Jon Garfield (captain), field events—Placed second at the North 2 Group 4 Indoor Sectional Championships in the pole vault this February with a distance made of 11 feet.
Derek Beck (captain), sprinter/field events—A multiple sport standout, Evans said he will look to Beck to give the Panthers a boost in the sprint and long jump events
Jake Perry (captain), sprinter/field events—Perry participated at the sectional championships in the high jump events. He will also sprint this spring.
Kevin Majewski (captain), field events—He will be counted on to lead the Panthers in throwing events.
THEY'LL MISS
Dominic Tasco—800 and 1600 events, he is now a freshman on the College of New Jersey's track team.
Chris Banafato—Distance runner, he is now a freshman runner at Rutgers.
Jorge Fis—Sprinter and long jumper for the Panthers last year before hurting his back. He is at Temple now, healthy and hoping to try out for the Owls team.
Gerald Banfe—Sprinter and triple jump, at Penn State, wants to try out for the Nittany Lions track team.
COACH'S TAKE
"I think this is going to be a little bit of a rebuilding year, because the guys we lost were really key performers last year. But we also have some strong guys now, we'll see how the young guys pan out. It should be a really good year."—Evans
BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN BOYS TRACK & FIELD ROSTER
Mario Alarcon Junior Alexander Belly Junior Alec Bennardo Sophomore Derek Beck Senior Dhairya Bhatia Sophomore Omkar Bhawmik Sophomore Nachiket Bhujbal Sophomore Vincent Bondi Sophomore Drew Bramson Sophomore Clayton Breen-Pittala Junior Jose Cabana Sophomore Andrew Caola Freshman Angel Cardozo Junior Kurt Catipon Sophomore Peter Chiu Senior Matthew Cirasa Junior Colin Critchlow Junior Alexander Crudo Junior Austin Crudo Freshman Christopher Cummins Freshman Kunal Dani Freshman Stephen Decker Junior Tyler DeGraw Sophomore Taylor Delgado Junior Owen Deroba Freshman Sameer Dhavalikar Freshman Jack Dimmit Senior Vincent Doan Freshman Stephen Eesley Senior Matthew Eichhorn Freshman Bobby Esposito Sophomore Ralph Fernandez Freshman Mark Fritzen Senior John Garfield Senior Alec Garrity Sophomore Kevin Gibney Sophomore Keith Gladstone Sophomore Akhil Golla Sophomore Alexander Hafner Freshman Joshua Hanemann Sophomore Connor Hennessey Sophomore Ricky Horwitz Sophomore Patrick Howarth Junior Shrenik Jain Freshman Matt Jones Sophomore Mayank Kapoor Sophomore Kyle Keogh Sophomore Mike Kersey Nikhil Kunapuli Freshman Trevor LaMountain Senior Michael Laskowski Senior Devon Lawler Freshman Ryan Le Senior Amos Lee Junior Jarvis Lee Junior Aaron Lerner Junior Matthew Leventhal Sophomore Brendon Lichtig Senior Thomas Longo Freshman Michael Lubinsky Junior Simon Mach Freshman Ahmed Mahmoud Tim Mahon Sophomore Kevin Majewski Senior Jay Marion Sophomore Rohan Mathur Freshman Kyle McDermott Freshman Matthew McGettrick Freshman Liam McGill Freshman Matthew McLawrence Junior Nolan Meade Senior Bradley Meixsell Sophomore Randall Miller Freshman Daniel Mobo Junior William Mone Junior Ryan Moore Junior Steve Morgan Senior Troy O'Connor Senior Matthew Oh Sophomore Amil Patel Freshman Aneek Patel Freshman Hardh Patel Senior Robert Paul Junior Christian Perez Sophomore Jake Perry Senior Stephen Prongay Junior Adam Pyle Senior Jordan Rafalko Junior Brian Rickert Freshman Kieran Ryan Junior Jake Roberts Junior Patrick Ronk Junior Jake Ruskan Senior Shivm Shah Freshman Thomas Shaffrey Junior Ryan Shreve Sophomore Evan Skelton Senior Kyle Skelton Freshman Jason Steiner Junior Andrew Verdone Junior Zachary Wachtel Sophomore Robert Warren Sophomore Michael Werrlein Freshman Andrew Wilkinson Senior Austin Wilkinson Senior Yunchao Wu Freshman Nick Zamek Joe Zeblechas Freshman
