Bishop Eustace
CRUSADERS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior thrower Montel Johnson, who ended his 2016 outdoor season at the Meet of Champions, is one of the top returners for Bishop Eustace. Johnson took second in the discus and fourth in the shot put at sectionals and placed fifth in the discus at states, earning a trip to the MOC. He is primed for a strong final season. On the track, junior Nick Hutchison leads the distance runners after placing fifth in the 1,600 and eighth in the 3,200 at sectionals and running both events at states. He also was the two-mile champion at the Olympic Conference meet. Sophomore Connor Melko and senior Michael Dziuba, a Fairfield University commit, are other strong distance runners and junior Phil Sobocinski specializes in the 800. Other return- ing runners include seniors Daniel Hulihan and Nick Stillwagon, junior Neil Hunter and sophomore Sean May. Junior Luke LaRosa is back in the hurdles and senior Michael Fisher competes in the pole vault. Returning throwers include seniors Kyle Gentek and Lewis D’Ippolito and sophomore Andrew Sobocinski.
OUTLOOK: After taking fourth in Camden County and sixth at sectionals, the Crusaders have a strong nucleus returning and expect to make noise at those meets again.
Camden Catholic
FIGHTING IRISH
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Vinny Maine highlights a solid group of competitors on the track for Camden Catholic. His top performances in the 800 included a second at the Olympic Conference meet and a third at sectionals, and he went on to run at states. Seniors Kyle Dupree and Kameron Dupree and junior Marcus Hillman are excellent sprinters, and Kameron Dupree was also the Camden County champion in the 400 hurdles. Sophomore distance runner Denny Kelly had a promising rookie season that included top-10 finishes at states in both the mile and two-mile. Sophomore Myjere Evans took second in the county in the long jump and seventh at sectionals, earning a trip to states. Another returner expected to contribute is sophomore runner Max Baier.
OUTLOOK: The Irish, who placed fifth at the county meet and ninth at sectionals, have several competitors to keep an eye on at the major meets.
Cherokee
CHIEFS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: The core of Cherokee’s cross country team that won a sectional title and placed second at states this past fall will be one of the Chiefs’ strengths during the outdoor sea- son as well. Senior Nick Falk and junior Justin Kelly both placed in the top six in the 3,200 during last spring’s sectional meet and went on to run at states. They also took the top two spots in the 1,600 at the Burlington County meet. Senior Jack Shea, a Northern Arizona recruit, was the sectional champion in cross country and took sixth at the Meet of Champions. He is another terrific runner who shines in the 1,600 and 3,200, and senior Brendan Falzone and junior Brandon Marks are other talented distance runners. Seniors Terrance Graves and Matt Powell, along with junior Kevin Milligan-Tinker, make up the core of the team’s sprint crew, and sophomore Tyler Ortiz is a competitor to watch in the 400 and triple jump. Senior Thomas Deutsch leads a group of throwers that also includes senior Adonis Giovetis and junior Kieran Kelly. Other returners include a strong sophomore class of Will Delendik (sprints), Andrew Elsey (high jump/sprints), Tray Cabbagestalk (sprints/hurdles) and Lucciano Pizarro (throws). Freshman Chris Spisak is coming off promising cross country and indoor track seasons and should make an immediate impact on the varsity level. Chase Miller (distance), Bobby Hackney (distance), Mohamed Fofanah (sprints) and Tyler Jackson (sprints) are other freshmen competitors to keep an eye on.
OUTLOOK: It might be difficult for the Chiefs to compete for any team championships, but there are several athletes to watch at the major meets, particularly in the distance events.
Cherry Hill East
COUGARS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Although Cherry Hill East graduated a terrific senior class last year, there are still a number of solid competitors back in the fold. That includes junior Kervens Mezilus, who placed fourth in the 400 hurdles at sectionals to earn a trip to states, where he finished ninth with a personal best of 55.52 seconds. Among the strong crop of distance runners are senior Tyler Parsons—the Camden County champion in the 3,200—and Marc Meltzer, who will continue his running career at Hofstra. Senior Michael Onu specializes in the 800 and senior Nathan Bell is a returning sprinter to watch. Senior Zach Hall took eighth at sectionals in the discus to qualify for states and other top throwers are seniors Jake Ciocco and Gilad Bar. Other returners are senior runners Nick Santoro and Noah Preihs, sophomore sprinter Elijah Adkins and sophomore thrower Dante Gazzola.
OUTLOOK: The Cougars won their third straight Olympic Conference title in 2016, claimed the Camden County crown and took fifth at sectionals. They aim to remain competitive despite the key competitors lost to graduation.
Cherry Hill West
LIONS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lorenzo Hernandez’s 2016 season ended at states as he qualified in the shot put with a sixth-place showing at sectionals. The senior was the Camden County champion in the event and took second at the Olympic Conference meet. Hernandez, who is also strong in the discus, is primed for a big final season. Other key returners include senior Sameer Parks, who took second in the conference in the long jump and also runs the sprints; and senior Robert Abrams, who placed second in the county and conference in the 3,200 and just missed out on advancing to states when he took ninth at sectionals. Senior Nick Alberto is a contributor in the sprints and long jump and senior Matt McGovern competes in the high jump. Other returners include senior runners Shaun Robinson, Jason Howe and Nelson Villallbos, junior runner Andrew DiVito, junior thrower Christopher Robertson and sophomore runner Max Susterowitz.
OUTLOOK: The Lions are led by a solid crop of seniors and it will be interesting to see how athletes like Hernandez and Parks fare at the championship meets.
Clearview
PIONEERS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior sprinter Gyair Sharper will look to qualify for states in the 100 for the third year in a row to close out his Clearview career. Last year he placed fifth at sectionals following a third-place finish at the Tri-County Conference meet and a fourth at the Gloucester County meet. Sharper is joined in the sprints by senior Fred McAlpin, who also shines in the high jump. Junior Colin Gardina will look to build on a promising sophomore campaign in which he placed eighth in the 1,600 at both the county and conference meets. Senior Keifer Sagarino is a returning hurdler and junior Reuben Cumpio competes in the jumps. Senior Jared Kowalik leads a group of throwers that also includes senior Daniel Kooistra and juniors Sami Iqbal and Connor Weatherby. Other returners include senior runners Dallin Agatone and Ian Gorman; junior runners Tim Alestra and Colin McCarty; senior Prabjot Singh and junior Daniel Petrille, both hurdlers; and senior triple jumper Phil Battilana.
OUTLOOK: The Pioneers will attempt to move up a few spots at the county and conference meets, and Sharper will look to contend for a sectional championship.
Eastern
VIKINGS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: A pair of juniors who qualified for states as sophomores are two of the leaders for Eastern. Zahir Goyins took fourth in the long jump at sectionals to move on to states. He was also the Camden County champion in the event, and in the triple jump he placed in the top five at both the county and Olympic Conference meets. Cheston Bulgin went to states in the shot put thanks to a sixth-place showing at sectionals. He was also fifth in the shot and seventh in the discus at the county meet. Senior Brendan Barrett and junior Aidan Murphey are sprinters expected to contribute, along with junior distance runner Robert Young, who had a top-five effort in the two-mile at the county meet. Senior Joseph Passaro is another strong competitor on the track who specializes in the 800. Senior Jordan Klingner placed third in the county in the pole vault and juniors Kasey Ramsey and Kofi Asare are key returners in the jumps. Other returners include senior throwers Jesse Kirk, Mykhel Opponkuntu and Daniel Smith; senior sprinter Gerald Scharlach; and junior sprinter Ryan Jennings.
OUTLOOK: The Vikings hope to make their presence felt at the major meets and it will be exciting to see what Goyins and Bulgin can do as upperclassmen.
Gloucester Catholic
RAMS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Gloucester Catholic has a solid group of senior leaders that includes sprinter Joey Vogt and versatile competitor Sean Ward. Vogt reached the finals of the 100 at sectionals, and Ward—a standout cross country runner in the fall— contributes on the track and in the throws. Senior Nick Giordano is another key returner who just missed out on a trip to states with a ninth-place showing in the long jump at sectionals. Senior Vincent McAllister and junior Aidan Ward specialize in the 400 and jumps and the throwers include juniors Kyle Murphy and Andrew Stetser. Other returners are senior hurdler Ryan Cassidy and milers Frankie Tassi, a junior, and Travis Finley, a sophomore.
OUTLOOK: The Rams aim to make progress throughout the season under new coach Chris Alongi.
Haddonfield
BULLDAWGS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Haddonfield graduated a strong senior class but is excited about its returning talent, particularly a pair of sophomores who participated in the Meet of Champions as freshmen. Luke Colehower took third at sectionals and fifth at states in the 400 to advance to the MOC. He was also the Camden County champion in the event and took fifth at sectionals in the 200. Derek Gess made it to the MOC as part of the Bulldawgs’ 4x800 relay, which took fourth in 7:47.96. The relay also took first at sectionals and second at states. In individual events, Gess placed second in the 1,600 and fourth in the 800 at sectionals and moved on to states. Sophomore Zachariah Murray is another runner to watch in the 400 and senior Brandon Quanci shines in the two-mile. Senior Albert Pera took second at sectionals in the javelin and competed at states. He leads a crop of throwers that also includes seniors Tanner Wade, Sam Rivard and Jack Goldberg. Seniors Nick Bateman and Kurt Wolff are pole vaulters who placed first and third, respectively, at the county meet. Other key returners are seniors Spencer Flores (hurdles), Grady Carr (high jump), Davis Smith (hurdles, long jump), Joey Ellis (sprints), Matt Klammer (triple jump) and Adam Goodman (triple jump).
OUTLOOK: The Bulldawgs repeated as South Jersey Group II champions and took eighth at states in 2016. They expect to be in the mix at the champi- onship meets once again.
Kingsway
DRAGONS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior Joe Grandizio is looking forward to a big junior year after ending last outdoor season at the Meet of Champions. He qualified for the MOC in the 3,200 with an eighth-place showing at states, and also took fourth at sectionals and repeated as the Gloucester County champion in the event. Grandizio was the county champ in the 1,600 as well and is coming off an outstanding cross country season in the fall. Other key returners are seniors Earnest Daniel and Ryan Evernham, who both competed at states. Daniel qualified in both the triple jump and high jump, taking second and sixth, respectively, at sectionals. He was also in the top three in both events at the county and Tri-County Conference meets. Evernham reached states for the second year in a row in the pole vault and will be pushed by another strong pole vaulter, senior Jacob Metheny. Seniors Tyler Hardy (400) and Nick Fanelle (800) are important returners on the track, along with sophomore Jonathan Senkier (800) and juniors Jon Connor and Cole Hindley (distance). Senior Tyler Guinup and junior Ethan Collier lead the throwers, and other contributors include senior hurdler Jerrell Bishop and sophomore sprinters Eron Daniel and Orion Joyner.
OUTLOOK: The Dragons were once again crowned champions of Gloucester County in 2016 and placed seventh at sectionals. Grandizio, Evernham and Daniel should make noise at the major meets and spark Kingsway to team success as well.
Lenape
INDIANS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Chase Campbell is back to lead Lenape after a breakout junior season that ended at the Meet of Champions. Campbell was the champion in Burlington County and the Olympic Conference in both the 200 and 400. He also claimed the sectional title in the 200 and placed fourth in the 400, and took seventh in the state in both events to move on to the MOC. Senior Khyree Johnson-Waters is another key returner on the track who specializes in the sprints and the hurdles. Senior Ryan Kasper, who took third in the conference in the two-mile, leads an experienced group of distance runners that also includes senior Jeff Hochberg, junior John Civitillo and sophomore James Vizzard. Senior Ronnie Caccese contributes in the throwing events and the Indians have three returning pole vaulters: seniors Ryan Carnation and Austin Scioli and sophomore Tyler Huynh. Other returners include seniors Nathan Brock and Jordan Adams, junior Hunter Louie and sophomore Matt Doerner.
OUTLOOK: The Indians placed third in the county and ninth at sectionals in 2016 and hope to stay in the top 10 with Campbell in store for a huge final season.
Moorestown
QUAKERS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Brandon Outlaw, one of South Jersey’s top 400-meter sprinters, hopes to end his terrific scholastic career with a fourth straight trip to the Meet of Champions. The senior was a sectional and state champion in the 400 last spring and took fourth in the event at the MOC, his second consecutive top-five finish against the best of the best in New Jersey. He also placed second at sectionals and states in the 200 and will continue his career at the University of Virginia. Senior Kevin Fox is another talented runner who competed at the MOC in the 800 following a third at sectionals and a second at states. Fox was ranked fourth in the state in the 800 and has committed to run at Notre Dame. Other key returners on the track are senior sprinter/hurdler Zion Howard and distance runners Diego Arvelo, a junior, and Bavish Gummadi, a senior. Senior Hunter Rieger placed second at the divisional meet in both the high jump and long jump, and theQuakers have two solid pole vaulters in senior Sam Filler and sophomore Brendan McGettigan. Other returners are senior Andrew Healey, juniors Jesse Wun and Zack Miller and sophomore Phil Hoover.
OUTLOOK: After placing in the top five at the section- al and state meets last year, the Quakers will once again be a team to watch at the championship meets. It will also be exciting to see Outlaw and Fox chase after individual state crowns.
Paul VI
EAGLES
PLAYERS TO WATCH: PaulVI graduated an outstanding senior class that included state champion hurdler Maxwell Dickens and elite sprinter Stefone Moore-Green, but the roster still has promise. Junior sprinter and high jumper Antonio Tarantino will help make up for the loss of that duo. He took second in Cam- den County and the Olympic Conference in the 200 last year and has high hopes for a breakout season. Junior Dominik Morton took third at sectionals in the 200, and other key sprinters include seniors Rick Bush and Erich Robertson, junior Devon Rand and sophomore Brian Brown. Senior Adam Constantino is another important contributor who competed at states in the shot put. Other returners include seniors Tyler Barnett, Stephen Conte and Dominick Brown; juniors Jake McGuigan, Joe Bonagura and Rob Miller; and sophomores Jacob Austin, Ben Jennings, Johnny Paolucci and Ryan Tenerelli. Matt Martino is a freshman who shines in the 400 and hopes to qualify for nationals in the event.
OUTLOOK: The Eagles placed in the top five at sectionals and states in a strong 2016 season. They hope to stay competitive behind a new group of leaders.
Seneca
GOLDEN EAGLES
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sophomore sprinter Kaden Hastie, who also competes in the triple jump, had a promising freshman season and will look to build on that success this spring. Seneca also brings back distance runners Sampson Johnson, a junior, and Billy Hess, a sophomore. Junior Mike Pawling is another returner on the track along with three hurdlers: seniors Shawn Nesko and Tim Derkas and junior Andrew Leach. Seniors Patrick Brown and Paulie Wenger lead a group of throwers that also includes junior Luke Schubert-Brown and sophomore Joey Pepe.
OUTLOOK: The Golden Eagles have a solid core to build around and hope to continue making progress throughout the program.
Shawnee
RENEGADES
PLAYERS TO WATCH: A strong senior class leads the way for Shawnee and includes runner Mark Miller, who specializes in the 800 and 1,600. He placed in the top 10 in both events at sectionals; in the mile, he took second in the Olympic Conference and third in Burlington County. Senior Mitch Casey was the county champion in the pole vault and went on to place fourth at sectionals. Other key seniors are sprinter Ben Longjohn, who placed sixth at sectionals in the 100, and Jack Bisbee, who cleared 6-foot to take eighth at sectionals in the high jump. Other returners on the track are juniors John Lawrence, Patrick Gregory and Jack Ennis and sophomores Brian Lorenz, Andrew Lodge and Garrett Babik. Seniors Spencer Kent and Liam White compete in the throwing events, senior Zachary Lill is back in the pole vault and sophomore Augustin Gray contributes in the long jump and triple jump.
OUTLOOK: The Renegades placed 10th at the county meet and 16th at sectionals and have the potential to move up a few spots at those meets.
St. Augustine
HERMITS
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sincere Rhea’s freshman season ended at the Meet of Champions and it will be exciting to see what he does for an encore. Rhea competed at the MOC in the 110 hurdles after placing fifth at states. He took fourth in the event at both sectionals and the Cape- Atlantic League meet and third at the Atlantic County meet. Rhea also went to states in the 200 and contributes in the 400 hurdles and 400 meters. Junior Frank Bergamo (high jump) and sophomores Nick Mahon (high jump) and True Robinson (shot put) are other strong competitors who joined Rhea at states. Key seniors include high jumper Justyn Mutts and sprinter Ezekiel Ennis, who both made the all-conference second team, and Matt Fisher, who placed sixth at sectionals in the triple jump. Junior sprinters Shamere Collins and Kyle Dobbins and junior distance runners Will Martini, Justin Wright, Blaise Collins and Casey Collins also return on the track. The throwers include senior Blake Goswick, juniors Sean Becker and Andrew Silver and sophomores Francesco Pinque and Tom O’Chuida. Other returners are seniors Jake Fernandez and Alex Rosenbleeth, juniors Nick Simila and Will Gould and sophomore Jaylen Decoteau. Three freshmen are expected to have an impact on the varsity level as well: Joe Bartolozzi (hurdles), Terrance Watson (distance) and Sajan Young (throws).
OUTLOOK: The Hermits placed sixth in the county and eighth at sectionals in 2016 and should remain competitive at the championship meets. Individually, they have several competitors who will make their presence felt.
Washington Township
MINUTEMEN
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Washington Township is paced by a group of distance runners that includes senior Alex Zingani. He has one of the top 800 times in South Jersey (2:00.4) and has a chance to qualify for states and the Meet of Champions. He also shines in the 1,600 and 400 high hurdles. Other strong distance runners are sophomores Evan Chu, Erick Dearing and Chris Shaw. Freshman Jayden Greene is a possible rising star who will lead the sprints and hurdles team along with seniors Tahir Roundtree and Tyler Brookins. Brookins is the team’s best returning hurdler and Roundtree jumps over 20 feet in the long jump. Other returners are seniors Max Ralston, Damond Moore and Jordan Oliver; juniors Sean Smithson and Maurice Matthews; and sophomores Bubby DiDomenico, Patrick Wilson and Ken Flood.
OUTLOOK: The Minutemen expect to be much improved and hope to move up a few spots at the county and sectional meets.
To see all of the spring boys track schedules, click here.
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 11 (January, 2016).
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